A Career In The Auto Body Repair Industry – Is it for you?

The financial crisis that hit us in 2008 brought misery to our entire economy, car industry being among those that took the worst hit. Billions in bail out money were spent to keep it afloat. Ironically, one of the sectors in economy that has been steadily rising throughout this ordeal is a part of car industry and that is the car repair sector.

As people couldn’t afford to buy new cars anymore and new car sales plummeted, they were forced to spend more to maintain the cars they already had. While most of that money was spent on engine parts, a substantial sum went to auto body repairs. So if you are looking to start a career in a prospective field, the auto body industry may just be what you’re looking for.

Here are few things that you’ll need in order to become a qualified auto body repair technician.

High school diploma or GED will help you a lot in job hunt for any entry level position in auto body repair shops. While there are trade schools where you can learn the basics, on-job experience is absolutely crucial here, especially if you take into consideration how fast new car models are being developed and advances in auto body materials are introduced into the market. Be prepared, though, as any entry position in an auto body shop includes a lot of sanding, moping, wiping and other kinds of work most people would consider rather unpleasant. Think of it as baptism by fire, a rite of passage if you will. Everybody who made a name in this industry has gone through this. Just imagine that one, when you have s hop of your own, you’ll be able to order some kid to do the same.

After you’ve spent some time acquiring experience, you’ll want to take your ASE certificate. That’s National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence certification that allows you to further your knowledge and expertise by offering several different certificates. Eventually, you can become ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Technician. With this, you’ll be able to find work easier, as both customers and people in the industry highly value ASE certificates.

At this point people usually make crucial career choice. You can choose to remain in repair business or if you are creative and seek a bit more satisfaction from your work you can choose to work in car customization industry. Custom cars are very popular, thanks to several TV shows promoting them. Once, this was reserved for narrow circle of petrol heads and very rich people. These days, almost everybody can afford to have some custom work done on their car, be it just to mount new spoiler or new paint job. While more competitive, it is also more lucrative option and job satisfaction is beyond comparison. The job itself is far more interesting, as it includes not only installing parts but also design and fabrication. People who design and produce custom cars are considered royalty in auto body industry.