[Scott R]

I went through Chevy's ASEP program (automotive service excellence program) they paid fro schooling, and finally a paid internship with a dealer. This allowed me to make the money I needed to complete college, and finally law school.

Few things to know about being a professional mechanic. First you work very long hours. You don't actually get paid by the hour in most large shops, you get paid by the job. There are servie manuals that have prefered labor times for certain repairs. Lets say a water pump on a 4.9l V8 transverse mount pays 3.2 hours, if your good and you can do it in two then you just made a free hour. Now on the inverse side, you can't just do gravy jobs like waterpumps all day long. So lets say the dispatcher is having a bad day a decides to give you "dome lights inop." You get book time 1 hour to diagnose electrical, but it takes you three to find a bad ground under the carpet. Well you just lost two and now your working until 8 to make that up.

Did I enjoy it? Yea sometimes, but winters are harsh. The shop is cold and cars drip all over you when your under the rack and its been snowing out. Trips to the emergency room are fun when you slice your hand open and such.

Hope fully AFjuvat will chime in I think he works for a smaller independant shop, I only worked at the dealer and it's two different worlds.