New Career (?)

Hello everyone from mid-Nebraska! My company had a buy-out last August and now I'm (to my great surprise) retired. I have a very strong electronics background and do most of my own automotive work. Looking forward to learning here and maybe earning some pocket change. Does anyone have some input for a 57-year-old wanting to get into auto repair, majoring in the electronics side?

Welcome to the forum.

DaveProvost wrote: Does anyone have some input for a 57-year-old wanting to get into auto repair, majoring in the electronics side?

You found ScannerDanner. That's a great start! If you haven't already, I urge you to take advantage of ScannerDanner Premium's free trial. There is no better place to start, from the beginning, and work your way to being confident and ACCURATE in your diagnosis.

Thank you for such a quick reply. I've got the Premium deal covered. I plan to attend ScannerDanner U. and "graduate" with full honors. I'm confident I will learn so much here, but I just don't see myself telling a shop manager, "you should hire me because I watched ScannerDanner videos". So I'm puzzled about how to get into pro auto repair being slightly (!) older than 21.

Welcome to the community, thanks for joining.
I agree with Chad, SD Premium will put you on the fast track to competent electrical and driveability diagnosis.
The tricky part is that it doesn't really manifest until you start using what you're learning on real cars.
And the even trickier part is that you're not going to walk in the door anywhere and be hired as a diagnostic guru, lol.
Meaning everyone has to do a mountain of brakes, timing belts, brakes, ball joints, brakes, radiators, brakes and on and on and BRAKES, for every "fun" diag you land in your bay.
A good place to "cut your teeth" might be an independent used car dealer.
Then you get to see a variety of cars and problems and aren't always necessarily fixing something for a customer. That gives your a little breathing room to make mistakes and build up good hand skills while still applying what you're learning from SD Premium.

Thanks for the reply and the excellent suggestion. Never thought about independent used car business as a good place to cut my teeth. Just as long as I never have to do brakes Seriously, I get having to do "chores". Thanks again.

Welcome! I made a career change from HR to full time tech about three years ago and love it. I had a friend working at a local dealership who roped me into being their express lane tech. Started out flat rate doing oil changes and tire rotation. Very basic maintenance and brakes. Did that for a out a year before getting bumped up and doing everything else. Now I'm one of two and a half diag techs at our shop of 9. You are definitely going to have to do other work before they start giving you any electrical work. It's going to be tough to prove you can be trusted with the work that so many techs dont know and have probably cost the shop a lot of money on. I'd be honest about your skill set right up front and what your goals are, and make sure you are at a place that will help you meet the goals on a timeline that works for everyone.



Nissan Tech

DaveProvost wrote: I just don't see myself telling a shop manager, "you should hire me because I watched ScannerDanner videos".

You "sell" the 35? years electronics experience not the two weeks binge watching SD

Though "Electronics" is a very broad brush. How much of your experience is relevant?

I recently made a similar move myself, transitioning from hospitality to tech. It was a huge leap, but I love every bit of it. Your point about having to prove yourself before getting into more complex tasks is spot on. I started out with basic tasks as well, but by being upfront about my skills and goals, and consistently delivering quality work, I gradually earned more responsibilities. One thing I've found super helpful is taking advantage of career options, training programs, and resources written by experts. They’ve not only helped me gain new skills but also position yourself ahead of the competition . Being in a supportive environment that aligns with your goals is crucial.