mechanics

liljenny

anyone here a newly qualified mechanic? i want to go to fas to be one but alot of people have said its not worth doing all the work for the job because the money is rubbish and the hours are just as bad, just looking for someone who is a mechanic to give me their point of view thanks:o

Lewe

hey what's up!!!i'm not qualified i'm only an apprentice but if your into it then go for it.Sure the money is crap to start off with but it gets better if u stick it out.And as for the hours i only work 9 till half 5 monday to friday so it's not that bad any other ???'s

liljenny

my boyfreind said his friend worked in porche (spelling) and that the money was rubbish but 9 to 5 sounds grand to me cos ya can do nixers at the weekend. i know the money is rubbish at first but its still more than i earn now

Lewe

Ye doin a bit of work on the side is handy alright.If i was you i would try become a truck mechainc(thats what i am)because the money for a fully qualified one is a bit higher than a normal mechanic and you can then work on both cars and trucks

liljenny

i havent signed up yet i wanna finish the course im doing now first so uv still alot longer to look into it

Lewe

if i was you i'd start looking for an apprenticeship now as there hard to get.Just try ringing all the garages around your area and ask are they looking for an apprentice.it's along process tryin to find one so i would start lookin now

liljenny

but will they wait to take me on after iv finished

Lewe

They should.My job waited 8 weeks for me to start because the week they wanted me to start i was goin to austraila.Just tell them you can't start till whenever and see what they say.

liljenny

and its 190 a week for first year yeah

S.I.R

my bro is a 2nd year mech and im startin in January , moneys crap , just get into a good garage and after the 4 years , go make up for the money you lost out on


also weekend nixers are a good idea.

will_c

im in my first year of my apprenticeship, and i love it.yeah sure 189 a week is ****e pay but as has been said before, nixers make up a lot, and when u are qualified and in a good garage it does pay off.
as for the **** hours..well i work 9-5:30 mon to thurs and 9-4:30 fridays, leaves loads of time for an evening or weekend job if you want to make more money!

milltown

FWIW I was talking to a service manager in Frank Keane BMW a few weeks back and he said they can't get apprentices lately. I gather things have changed since the days when people did an apprenticeship instead of continuing in school past the group/inter/junior cert and with Fás calling the shots they are probably more strict now about minimum education standards before starting.

On the other hand, it could also be argued that you would be better off serving at least a couple of years in a garage that will give you exposure to more than one brand of car. But it could be worth looking into as a way into the trade.

liljenny

thanks for all the info really appreciate it, iv still to go to register with fas first like but do i jus get the apprentiship n they pay me or what

Alz®

Im 23, worked as a mechanic since 2003 and finally coped on to go get a job that will register me with Fás and i was meant to go to Ballyfermot college in February but they wont release me til the summer so havta hold on unfortunately, peeved about it but cant help i'll be that badly missed haha...

Ona seriously note, you havta work in the garage for a couple of weeks before they'll register you with Fas then after a few months they'll call you out for 6 months to college, Fás will fill ye in..

Good luck

Captain Slow IRL

I qualified 3 months ago, and am earning a pretty decent wage right now - 39 hour week, finishing up at 5 on a friday.

First year wages are brutal - I was on 150 a week, can't remember exact rates for second and third year but fourth year equates to just over 400 a week. When you qualify, you can negotiate your wages with your boss.

You'll have to get a job before you are registered with fas - you can use this time to find out if it's really for you - it is a dirty job, be warned!! (Standing under a dripping car on a wet day is the lowest of the low!)

If you're going into it strictly for the money, don't!; you're gonna have to work hard for it, and chasing some people down for unpaid nixers is a pain in the ass. If you have a genuine interest in cars, go for it!

liljenny

thanks guys appreciate the info, if to go back to fas to talk to someone anyway thtas wat your one said last time i went up. i dont mind the dirty jobs i know i'll be the skivvy for the first while but that can come with most jobs

Slidey

Qualified truck mechanic since 04.
Its a job and even when things get tight (like now) you should still have a job unlike the higher paid construction industry.
If ya want to be even better paid do a plant fitter appren.
Its even better paid and the drivers wont be complaining about squeaks and rattles..

Plug

If you have a genuine interest in cars I say go for it. Im a first year apprentice in ford main dealer and I love it. Like everyone else says the first couple of years is sh!t money but it gets better after that. I'd do an odd nixer on the weekends and sure that adds up like.

liljenny

i definitely have a huge interest in cars i dont mind the dirty jobs im always fixin my own like. i just wanted to see how other people felt about the job to give me some backround info

Plug

Well there you have it, you like cars and don't mind getting your hands dirty. Its a job for you.
The way I look at it is, get the 4 years out of the way and then when your quailified sure the skys the limit, your not limited to one garage or for that matter one country! Go anywere with a trade.
Also the building boom in ireland is slowing down a good bit, but cars wont;)