- #981 of 1025
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Re: info [jwjackson]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jun 18, 2009 (9:53 am)
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Replying to: jwjackson (Jun 17, 2009 11:40 pm)
They may wish to re-train you but if you are asking is it better to go into a shop with zero experience and ask for a job, or is it better to have a trade school certificate, I think the answer is obvious.
You might have a friend back home here ask around some hi-end body shops and see what they say. My impression is that there is a severe shortage for skilled people with an attitude to perform, and with your motivation both to perform successfully in the Guard overseas, and to get an AAS, a shop would be foolish to turn you down.
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- #982 of 1025
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Re: info [jwjackson]
by obyone
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Jun 18, 2009 (11:12 am)
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Replying to: jwjackson (Jun 17, 2009 11:40 pm)
I have two friends that own autobody shops. One thing I've noticed over the years is that they will give anyone with a good attitude a chance whether or not they have experience. The quickest way to get on their bad side is when receiving instructions on how to do something replying with "we learned to do it this way in school". While they don't mind if you suggest something, they absolutely hate it when being told by some rookie what they learned in school from an instructor that couldn't hack the business.
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- #983 of 1025
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Re: info [obyone]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jun 18, 2009 (4:59 pm)
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Replying to: obyone (Jun 18, 2009 11:12 am)
Well sure, you don't want to walk in with a chip on your shoulder; on the other hand, you don't want to start work as a floor sweeper either, the kid who "knows nothing".
If nothing else, the school will teach you the proper use of tools and some common sense. Even if you learned nothing more than how not to break tools and how not to destroy a car's body, that's a good start.
Besides, school's a good way to see if you even like this kind of work.
I'd also inquire as to the school's placement service and by all means talk to graduates. If the school won't help you place, and won't let you talk to graduates, that's not a good sign in my opinion.
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- #984 of 1025
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Re: info [jwjackson]
by bigfur
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Jun 24, 2009 (6:27 am)
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Replying to: jwjackson (Jun 17, 2009 11:40 pm)
If you go into a body shop with no experience and are not in a program to learn auto body repair they will laugh you right outta the shop. I was in a course sponsored by GM a few years ago that included having to be in an apprenticeship program, the shop will try to "train" you their way of doing things. You need a basic understanding of the things that all techs do that dont ever change and then each shop will show you their way of doing things. The old timers in the business are called journeymen for a reason, they have been to five to ten shops in the thirty years. They have the basics down and just have to learn the paperwork and other system things that each company does. With out a doubt go to school to learn the basics and go from there.
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- #985 of 1025
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Re: info [bigfur]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jun 24, 2009 (7:04 am)
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Replying to: bigfur (Jun 24, 2009 6:27 am)
Another wild idea that I have actually seen work---is to find a really great shop and PAY THEM to teach you---instead of giving it to a college. In other words, you pay the shop tuition.
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- #986 of 1025
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Re: info [Mr_Shiftright]
by obyone
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Jun 24, 2009 (9:47 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 24, 2009 7:04 am)
Sometimes no money is enough to pay for the major screwups. However paying them should lessen the blow.
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- #987 of 1025
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Re: info [obyone]
by mitchflorida
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Jun 24, 2009 (10:00 am)
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Replying to: obyone (Jun 18, 2009 11:12 am)
They may prefer someone with little experience in the field because they can pay him much less. If they hire someone who has been certiified, they would have to pay you a higher salary.
I think the more experience you have, the better.
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- #988 of 1025
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Re: info [mitchflorida]
by obyone
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Jun 24, 2009 (11:07 am)
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Replying to: mitchflorida (Jun 24, 2009 10:00 am)
From what I've seen they would rather take someone off the street with the right amount of "enthusiasm" rather than someone with trade school experience with an "attitude".
I've also noticed this with restaurants that hire cooks sometimes avoiding those that have graduated from cooking school that think they have qualified as a chef because of that "school" experience.
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- #989 of 1025
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Re: info [obyone]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jun 25, 2009 (6:36 am)
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Replying to: obyone (Jun 24, 2009 11:07 am)
A really smart young person can learn much faster in life than they can in a classroom---the only thing the classroom can offer is resources, be it all the right books, lab equipment or welding torches.
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- #990 of 1025
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Re: info [Mr_Shiftright]
by bigfur
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Jul 04, 2009 (8:06 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 25, 2009 6:36 am)
The course i went thru i feel is the best way to go. We had one semester in the classroom learning the basics of plastic filler and welding. Then we had a semester in the field working at a body shop as an apprentance. Then a semester back in class working on frame work. Followed by a semester back in a shop. And it went on for two years until we had a degree with taking some other classes and we had a job when we were done. Reason i stress the degree part is that half of us who went thru the class are no longer in auto body repair, we are in other automotive industries. Only major down fall is, that since this course I took was sponsored by GM...you guessed it, its dead!!!
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