And I just need to vent a bit.

I am a BMW technician. I am also a Master ASE technician as well. I just this last year went through the BMW STEP(Sevice Technician Education Program) to increase my ability to make money in this field. I figured high end cars, maintenance package for every car sold, not bad for work future right? One month into working at the dealership I get injured. Two months after that the dealership fires me (no reason but it was because I hadnt been able to get back to work yet and had filed workers comp). So now I am at a local tire mechanic shop looking for another BMW dealership to get into in the area.

Well, one of the things my class mates and I were discussing while in school is how many techs BMW STEP's around the nation were putting out there and that had to eventually flood the market. Guess what happened between me leaving school and now that I am looking for another place of work... Yup you guessed it, the market is super saturated. No shops are hiring right now, guys are going home at 3 in the afternoon with no work available because there are too many techs in the area. On top of this, it seams that being a STEP grad actually hurts my money making abilities. I was working as a Master Tech before I went to STEP, now BMW Service Managers tell me "Well, we really dont pay that much for guys fresh out of STEP" No answers for how much they pay Master Techs though. This was supposed to make me more valuable and now its a liability. I get to take a pay cut to work for a BMW shop, especially with there being more techs then work right now.

I know this is a grip from someone who has a job, can get another one tomorrow, but it is just not the one I want. I actually like working on the BMWs, the technology is just plain cool. Admittedly I feel that a car is a car is a car, its got four wheels and an engine and not really much difference between most these days to work on them.

Major frustration right now. My options are take a lower paying job so I dont waste the education I got through 6 months of STEP or go for where the money is right now in an independent or retail shop.

 

Sorry to hear about that, however it does not seem to be out of the norm...especially for "tech" type education. Oh sure, they promise you this and that, and how youll start out making 50K a year working on top end cars. The reality of that is maybe 10% of them actually make it to that. Everyone else has to "settle" for something else.

I went to photography school, its not the same, but out of 12 other graduating people, im the only one really who has made it in the job world. Everyone else's degree/training is collecting dust.

Now, I had to go through a few crap jobs, I even started working on another degree at the same time, but things WILL pay off when the time is right.

Good luck man!

 

There is always the option of scratching the STEP training off the resume and working for someone besides BMW. maybe less pay but more than changing tires.

 

Here is what may have not gotten across in the original rant. Its for BMW that I make less. I was making good money as a tech before I went to step. I was on my way to being that guy they tell the new people at schools about, the success story they base all their sales of slots in there school on. Now trying to work for a BMW shop I dont see me making half that(just a little exaggeration).

So you're right, I may just have to go to work elsewhere and come back to BMW in a year or so. That is what is killing me, wasted 6 months to end up back where I started. With the possibility of BMW coming after me for the cost of the training... love it.

I suppose there is always this:http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeek...J6WK2FCK0HTLCV

Though I dont really want to be away from my newborn.

 

specialized training is usually beneficial, but it sounds like BMW is basically training all their techs and any other tech to be a specialist.

I know what your saying about the market being flooded with techs. Certain countries are trying to do that in the engineering field.

 

I was starting to run into a simular situation working for mopar dealerships as the lead diesel tech so I decided to think outside the box and retired from the retail trade and went into fleet maint. for the local mass transit system...have found that there is much less stress and actually better $$$ and bennies etc.....

Just my 3.5c worth (Inflation's everywhere now)

 

I am actually looking at the local power company. They are hiring right now for an auto tech for the fleet. Probably hourly though and I am still young and stupid enough to like flatrate.

 

Dumb question, ever think of starting your own place up?

 

I wanted to be a Ferrari tech once. Called the local dealer and got to talk with the service manager. Really nice guy. I think I was 21-22 at the time. We talked for about 30 minutes or so. In the end he suggested that I might be better off learning how to own one than working on them. Being hardheaded I applied to the Ford ASSET program (no Chrysler programs at the time). The program director singled me out due to my placment score (in the 90's). Unfortunately (or fortunatley now that I look back on it) my driving record was rather impressive at the time. I had racked up a dozen or so tickets in the span of about 3 years. You have to test drive your repairs and the dealer cant hire you if you have tickets. I'm still working on that Ferrari.

 

Yup, but I want a few more years under the hood before doing that. I was thinking three good solid years under the hood as a tech, do some business school on the side to learn that part and then go towards that.

 

I think it is that way with any specialized schools.

If yall can think about underwater welders in the 80's. They were making a killing. Now we are making the same as they were just 20 years later. The inflation and the factories pumping these guys out ervery month are really hurting everyone.

Hope it works out for you.

 

Ferrari pays really good hourly, but only because there are not much in the way of hours for work.