Working in aftersales?

civicowner

How're things

Lately my career choice has been going through my head if I picked the right path or not. I'm currantly a manager in a small independent garage. I have no issues with the job and I actually enjoy going to work in there as everyone is sound out. Now here comes the issue the position I'm in is a dead end to be fair there no room to grow or travel up the ladder so to speak. I'm on 24,000e a year roughly which is grand being 25 with no real ties or responsiblities. But I thinking a couple years down the line when I want a family so on that it would be a serious struggle off that income. Been debating in trying to get into service and parts in adealership as I thinking there's some ladder to grow there and il prob get to know alot more names in the trade so on. Now my question is is it possible to live a comfortable lifestyle working in the motor trade or am I barking up the wrong tree.

166man

A comfortable lifestyle is possible in the motor trade however you really have to work for it. It requires long days and weeks, dealing with the general public and mostly working 6 days a week. Many of the non cash benefits you used to see in the motor trade disappeared after 2008.

It's a tough industry, but there's money to be made if you're good at it. Just be prepared to work long hours.

Toyotafanboi

you've kind of summed it up yourself. you're at the top of ladder where you are and you're on 24k a year.

the only way i can see that growing is if you spend a few years in that position and find some genius way of creating a sales or productivity boost so good that it puts you in a position where you can ask for a raise.

then, even after 5-10 years if you get, saya 25% raise because you have the place making money like nobodies business, you are making 30k a year and really really maxed out.

i can't see things being dramatically better in a main dealership unless you want to move onto sales and hunt commission (i have no idea how lucrative commission is or isn't).

the problem is with parts assistant/ manager and service assistant/ manager is that, although they are jobs where you need a background knowledge of vehicles, you don't need any trade or qualification to do them, so that puts a fairly low cap on the maximum achievable wage.

that said, (admittedly i have no kids and i'm renting, not a home owner) but i'd rather be on 30k and happy than on 45k living a life in a job that i despise every day. lots of variables attached to that though and it's probably better suited to the personal issues forum or something :P

porsche boy

Your managing a garage for 24k a year? Ask for a rise. You'd be on significantly more doing the same job for fast fit or the like.
Are you a retail manager that works in a garage or are you a mechanic who's running a garage? There is a difference. If you have experience in retail management then there are plenty of options open to you. Get into a large company and work up through manager, area manager, HR manager etc.
If your a machanic running a garage then the next step is to save a few grand, get a business plan together, get a business loan and set up your own garage.
There are always ways to progress in any industry, you just need to think about it and look for opportunities.

civicowner

I don't mind the work as long as I see the benefits so to speak. I spent a year I doing the service/parts with trucks where I was on minimum wage doing a minimum 50hr weeks. I got experience alright but on the flip side what's the point working for penny's and treated like **** haha. Not to blow my own horn or anything but I did 4yrs in collage doing automobile & transport management and I've 3-4 years experience in various areas of the trade all based around aftersales and have I very good understanding of the mechanics of cars, trucks etc. Now I know I have alot more to learn and still only in nappies in a lot of people's eyes it's just I want more out of it. Like tbh I don't even know what a basic wage should be like in the trade as the jobs I've got in the trade I never argued money as with the way things were I was happy just to have a job

exador

http://www.jobs.ie/motors_jobs.aspx

Plenty of jobs lately as the recession is over !!!!!!!!

Like any job , put the effort in and recognise an opportunity when it arises .
A bit of luck on the way would help.

I was where you are now and took the opportunities when they came along. I also left the dead end job and moved to somewhere that I thought I could work my way up as someone else suggested.

Rome wasn't built in a day so be patient and get recognised by working hard and been honest. I am 35 years in the Business and am still as passionate about it was I was back then. You also need to make sure to change with the times and be always looking for ways to improve.

Best of luck

exador

I don't believe that the OP has qualified as a Technician and is 25 yrs old ..

So would not have minimum 10 years experience or be a qualified technician.

CiniO

166man wrote: »

A comfortable lifestyle is possible in the motor trade however you really have to work for it. It requires long days and weeks, dealing with the general public and mostly working 6 days a week.

IMO red rules out green.
Lifestyle is not only about money, and there's no benefit really in having money, if you have no time to spend it.

Bpmull

Infairness in order to have a nice life in general you have to like what you do and you say you do op so that's half the battle. I really don't mean this in a bad way but I'm kind of shocked that you are only on 24k a year as you are the manager so have to know what your at and you have a good lot of responsibility too. You are surly in a position to ask for a pay rise or is that actual going rate. Surly the same job in a main dealers would be mid 40s a year.

I suppose it all depends on what you consider a good wage as to whether or not you should stay in the industry but then it's not worth going getting a job that you hate and can't sleep at night over just because it's paying 35k a year because that can't be a comfortable life.

166man

CiniO wrote: »

IMO red rules out green.
Lifestyle is not only about money, and there's no benefit really in having money, if you have no time to spend it.

IMO you need to work for the comfortable lifestyle in the motor trade. In order to have the money to fund the nice car, or enjoy good holidays annually etc i.e a comfortable lifestyle you need to work hard. It's pretty simple really.

supervento

166man wrote: »

IMO you need to work for the comfortable lifestyle in the motor trade. In order to have the money to fund the nice car, or enjoy good holidays annually etc i.e a comfortable lifestyle you need to work hard. It's pretty simple really.

very true, work hard and the patience of a saint to go with it...

CiniO

166man wrote: »

IMO you need to work for the comfortable lifestyle in the motor trade. In order to have the money to fund the nice car, or enjoy good holidays annually etc i.e a comfortable lifestyle you need to work hard. It's pretty simple really.

As I said I don't agree...
Would way prefer to work for €24k doing 35 hours a week, than having €50k for working 60 hours a week.

166man

CiniO wrote: »

As I said I don't agree...
Would way prefer to work for €24k doing 35 hours a week, than having €50k for working 60 hours a week.

Well we will have to agree to disagree so. I'd rather work 60 hours a week and support a comfortable lifestyle for my family or whatever than only do 35 hours and struggle to maintain a decent lifestyle.

I like working though, some don't.

CiniO

166man wrote: »

Well we will have to agree to disagree so. I'd rather work 60 hours a week and support a comfortable lifestyle for my family or whatever than only do 35 hours and struggle to maintain a decent lifestyle.

I like working though, some don't.

Liking your work is a basic thing really. Without it, work is always going to be a struggle.

But still - 60 hours a week, might be f.e. 10 hours 6 days a week. 9am-7pm. Adding time to commute to work, to eat, to sleep, you hardly see your family, except on your day off.
Family that doesn't really see the father/husband hardly can be described as having comfortable lifestyle, no matter how much money they have and what they can afford.

I work less than 40 hours a week, and I always have at least 3 month off during the year. I don't make a fortune from that, but as least I have plenty of time to spend with my family and we all can life comfortable enough. And there's still enough cash to maintain my cars up to superb level

166man

CiniO wrote: »

Liking your work is a basic thing really. Without it, work is always going to be a struggle.

But still - 60 hours a week, might be f.e. 10 hours 6 days a week. 9am-7pm. Adding time to commute to work, to eat, to sleep, you hardly see your family, except on your day off.
Family that doesn't really see the father/husband hardly can be described as having comfortable lifestyle, no matter how much money they have and what they can afford.

I work less than 40 hours a week, and I always have at least 3 month off during the year. I don't make a fortune from that, but as least I have plenty of time to spend with my family and we all can life comfortable enough. And there's still enough cash to maintain my cars up to superb level

60 hours could be 12 hours a day 5 days a week. Full weekend at home to see family.

Less than 40 hours a week, 3 month holidays and happy with the salary can only mean you're a teacher am I correct?

CiniO

166man wrote: »

60 hours could be 12 hours a day 5 days a week. Full weekend at home to see family.

It could.
But still that's way too much IMO.
It's either work to live or live to work. I prefer the first one.
Anyway - this discussion is getting way out of subject of this forum.

Less than 40 hours a week, 3 month holidays and happy with the salary can only mean you're a teacher am I correct?

I wish I was, but no... Nothing even close.
And 3 months off are unpaid.
But I still can't complain.

166man

CiniO wrote: »

It could.
But still that's way too much IMO.
It's either work to live or live to work. I prefer the first one.
Anyway - this discussion is getting way out of subject of this forum.


I wish I was, but no... Nothing even close.
And 3 months off are unpaid.
But I still can't complain.

Discussing pay rates in a thread about working in the motor trade isn't that far off


I agree with what you're saying in a sense but I would work myself as much as possible to provide what I can for my family, different strokes for different folks but I wouldn't be happy taking three months off unpaid.