If you want to become an auto mechanic, it’s important to not only have enough passion and enthusiasm to learn the practical and technical aspects of the job, but also to orient yourself so that you can find and attend the right courses so you can complete your certification as early and as efficiently as possible.
Certification and formal training are a big part of the requirements that an auto mechanic should consider before working full time or starting their own repair shops. As this profession has to do with repairing cars and small trucks, the mechanic often has a great deal of responsibility as to the safety of the drivers and passengers who will be using and riding in the cars that he or she repairs.
What Are the Responsibilities of an Auto Mechanic?
Auto mechanics have the primary responsibility of repairing the cars and vehicles that their clients bring in and to ensure that the repair work is done with a strong consideration of the safety of those who will be using the vehicles. An auto mechanic has to know the architecture of the cars they work on in their finest details, and they also need to be familiar with the procedures for diagnosing various problems and tackling specific, standard repairs.
Additionally, a certified auto mechanic has to abide by certain standards when repairing a vehicle. Even though there might be quick fixes and unconventional repair procedures that some unqualified repair technicians might be willing to use, these are not standard and are not acceptable in a professional auto repair shop. This is because their use can lead to safety issues that the repair shop and its owners will later be held accountable for, and the danger is often very real that, for example, when fixing a brake or a steering problem, the improperly repaired vehicle could end up severely injuring or even killing its owner and their passengers.
Enrolling in the Right Programs
The required education for becoming a certified auto mechanic can be quite extensive. You’ll need an associate’s degree or a 2-year auto mechanic school program that can provide you with a certification to start working as an entry level technician. Both these approaches can be taken, but it’s important to note that even once you finish your entry level training, you might still need an additional 3-5 years before you are fully certified.
Also, you’ll find that, as you look for work, most employers will require an ASE certification right off the bat, and some will also ask you to continue your studies to become fully certified as part of the criteria they use to determine whether they’ll hire you or not. The projected job growth is slightly in decline for most areas, so that will also weigh in as an important factor when it comes to the competition between certified and uncertified auto mechanics.
Fortunately, there are many colleges and high schools that allow you to start your training early and focus on it while completing your education. Also, once you finish high school, you can typically follow your dream of becoming an auto mechanic alongside your higher education studies, by attending an auto mechanic school and following a specialized training program leading to certification.