CAREER CHANGE FROM NURSE TO CAR MECHANIC

audiboy

CAREER CHANGE FROM NURSE TO CAR MECHANIC
Hi Guys
I'm currently working as a psychiartic nurse in Dublin but now want to return to my previous career as a motor mechanic. I left the motor trade back in 1997 at the age of 21yrs old to do my nurse training and have been nursing now for over 10 years but i'm no longer getting the satisfaction in the job as i used to. I really enjoyed working on cars but i feel that i would not have enough knowledge to work on the cars today apart from general servicing as they are far more advanced now then back in my day. I was wondering whether a garage may take me on in a junior role so i can get myself updated on todays cars especially the diagnostic side of things.
What can i expect to be paid as a junior mechanic?
Please help
Thanks
Audiboy

biko

Some info here
http://www.careerdirections.ie/CDW3C/AccessDBAllCareerDetails.jsp?id=909
You can also look at job sites what salaries are offered there.

unkel

audiboy wrote: »

I was wondering whether a garage may take me on in a junior role

Give up your very well paid, high pension, cosy public service job for had work in a tough completely unsecured job with low pay as an apprentice mechanic? Madness :eek:

Why don't you turn mechanics into a serious hobby instead? Work for free in a junior role in a garage when you're not on shift as a nurse. Take up some courses. Buy some tools and an old banger for next to nothing to practice on.

hairyman

I applied for an apprenticeship into mechanics only yesterday.

The SIMI website may be able to give more help/guidance.

audiboy

unkel wrote: »

Give up your very well paid, high pension, cosy public service job for had work in a tough completely unsecured job with low pay as an apprentice mechanic? Madness :eek:

Why don't you turn mechanics into a serious hobby instead? Work for free in a junior role in a garage when you're not on shift as a nurse. Take up some courses. Buy some tools and an old banger for next to nothing to practice on.

Its not as cosy as some of you think.Psychiatric units are being used to house people with housing issues, drug and alcohol problems or those who have pending court cases who just want a report to say they were in a psych unit so they can get away scott free from the crimes they comitted.Some of these people have even been found using drugs and alcohol whilst on the wards and in some cases dealing to others. When approached by staff 9 times out of 10 they turn violent aggressive or threatening.
This is what psychiatric nurses deal with every day, its sad because those who are genuinely ill are not receiving the treatment and care they deserve.

audiboy

i forgot to mention that i completed my city+guild in the repair and servicing of motor vehicles part 1, 2+3.
Would garages be more keen to hire somebody who has already completed the theory part of things and only needs to be brought up to date in terms of the practical work.

DublinDilbert

audiboy wrote: »

i forgot to mention that i completed my city+guild in the repair and servicing of motor vehicles part 1, 2+3.
Would garages be more keen to hire somebody who has already completed the theory part of things and only needs to be brought up to date in terms of the practical work.

Have you any interest in the electrical/diagnostic side of things? Maybe do some courses in that area, combined with your mech knowledge would be a good combination.

There's plenty of people who can change oil/filter etc, even look at this forum the amount of people who are doing it themselves (many for the first time).

unkel

audiboy wrote: »

Its not as cosy as some of you think.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be patronizing. With "cosy" I meant the excellent pay, secondary perks such as shift allowances, job security and pension of your job, not the actual work that you do.

And after talking to my mechanic yesterday who worked out in the wet open air in (real feel) sub zero temperatures all day. Not cosy compared to the 30 degrees celsius or so that most hospitals seem to be heated up to...

If you are a single man with no mortgage and low outgoings go for it if you can get a job, if you have a wife, kids, mortgage, personal loans etc than you'd be mad to do it. Why did you leave it at 21 ??

audiboy

unkel wrote: »

Sorry, I didn't mean to be patronizing. With "cosy" I meant the excellent pay, secondary perks such as shift allowances, job security and pension of your job, not the actual work that you do.

And after talking to my mechanic yesterday who worked out in the wet open air in (real feel) sub zero temperatures all day. Not cosy compared to the 30 degrees celsius or so that most hospitals seem to be heated up to...

NO offence taken, you prob think i'm mad but i actually enjoy manual work, and the not so glamorous conditions don't really bother me that much. there nothing like the smell of an oily workshop lol and the feeling you get when you've completed diagnosed and fixed a problem is second to non

audiboy

RoverJames wrote: »

If you are a single man with no mortgage and low outgoings go for it if you can get a job, if you have a wife, kids, mortgage, personal loans etc than you'd be mad to do it. Why did you leave it at 21 ??

I'm originally from the north of England and was working for a mazda dealership the boss was only willing to pay me a minimum mechanic's wage which in them days was around £110 a week. Rather than try finding another job in the trade i left and went to london to stay with my uncle who got me a job workin with him in the hospital and then encouraged me to do my nurse training.This was only mean't to be a stepping stone but i kinda got stuck doing it.
Are you saying that all mechanic's are single have no mortgage or loans are not married and have no kids.

audiboy

audiboy wrote: »

Are you saying that all mechanic's are single have no mortgage or loans are not married and have no kids.

Nope Not saying that at all. A mechanic with 10+ years post qualification experience can do very well for himself. A good basic salary with the odd nixer here and there and he'll be quite comfy. Also many mechanics are also self employed and though work long and hard hours they do enjoy a very good living. You reckon yourself that you won't be able to work on modern cars aside from general servicing so you're not exactly setting yourself up with a positive attitude for an interview situation (personally I reckon you'd be fine after a few weeks in a job).

But in the current climate with quite a good few qualified lads on the scratch I'd be surprised if you could get a role paying over €20,000, I'd imagine you get paid a good lash more than that at the mo So if you have a mortgage, wife, kids etc it's a bit of a non runner me thinks.

My favourite job ever was working in a car park where we took the keys off people who parked there, as much as I loved it I'm not going to jack in my current job to go back and do a similar role

deandean

With your qualifications and experience I wonder if you could open a whole new means of vehicle diagnostics?

Call yourself "The Car Whisperer"

Best of luck with your career. It's a challenging time to change.