jobs in vmx

[misfit]

Like some other young people i have been driving myself insane for a couple of years trying to work out just what sort a career i would like to pursue. The automotive industry has been my main focus but someone suggested to me that maybe i should consider doing a course or an apprenticeship as a motorcycle mechanic, as i love bikes and am always playing with my small collection at home (all vintage bikes). is there anyone out there who has a job which involves vintage bikes? i know of businesses interstate and oversees which set up bikes for vintage motocross, does anyone do that in Queensland? Any advise would be appreciated because i really have no idea what to do beccause like everone else i dont know what the future holds.

[Nathan S]

Mechanics are about the most poorly paid and least valued of all tradesmen, no matter how good they are at their trade.

Panel beaters and machinists, on the other hand, have skills that are respected by the general public as 'craftsmen', so are valued and renumerated more fairly. And the skills are more easily transferred to other fields, as economic circumstances and interest levels change.

I took up a trade in an area that I had an interest in and I predicted would be in demand for the foreseeable future - but it was never my passion (electronics, before you ask).
Unlike my mates who got into the automotive trade, I still have passion and enthusiasm for my bikes and my cars...

[ji107]

If you love your hobby of motorcycling, DONT become a motorcycle mechanic, as in time you won't want to work on your own bike after working on other peoples allday. What Nathan said about wages is true too.

[David Lahey]

Yes a few people do it in Queensland but there is no single trade that provides you with what you need to know to be a valuable employee or to succeed in your own VMX business. Some specialise in fabrication (tanks. frames etc), some do motors, some do suspension, some do hard chroming, some do decorative plating and some do just wheels. Some are generalists. Motorcycle mechanic trade is probably a good place to learn about bikes for a young person but the pay is pretty woeful and there is usually no exposure to VMX or hot-rodding.
The successful people I know in the VMX field have started as machinists or welders and have learned the ins and outs of motors, gearboxes, suspension, specialist welding etc outside of the official trade training routes.
If you are serious send me a PM and I will give you the contact details of a Queenslander who has been successful so you can ask them first hand.

PS I'm with Nathan S on this. If you can do something remotely interesting that has a future but not connected with motor bikes, then your passion for bikes will remain. I did a similar thing to Nathan with my career (but not electronics)and it has worked out well all along.

[VMX247]

Our 16 yr old son ,Has just completed Engineering trades course at High School and during that time and before hand spent many hours working in the mx engineering/ maintenance and sales on all ranges of bikes..
His love was High Performance.He learn't along the way....
1:this had to be done in the city 200km away
2: low money
3 : Long time to get to top.
4: Competition for employment,(this is usually family owned shop competition).
These things put him off a bit,so as we said "you like mechanics why don't you try Diesel Heavy Duty Plant work experience.... HE LOVED it and the money of course the coal industry gives  He applied and starts on the 18th..
If you are in Qld I believe there is some serious mining going ahead in the Dalby area..
Ahh your young- loads of time to choose 
Enjoy 
cheers

[oldfart]

Speaking from a tradesperson point of view....  choose a trade that you have a passion for and will keep you employed for the length of your apprenticeship.

 Wages will be low at beginning,     but in time you will have have a license to print it
In Qld I believe the building industry is where it's at ( major construction ) conditions are good - hours are flexible - money great .
And what  Ji107 has posted       
                                          Good luck
 

[TM BILL]

All the above replies offer good advise  DO NOT TAKE AN APPRENTICESHIP IN AUTOMOTIVE  Nathan summed it up real well 
If you really want to be a mechanic i would suggest look in this order
Aircraft                          (planes Choppers )
Heavy automotive            (Diesel)
Auto electrical                (Sparky)
Marine                           (boats watercraft)
Motorcycle                     (bikes)
Small engines                  (mowers)
Sanitation engineer          (Shithouse cleaner)
Pox doctors clerk             (self explainitary)
Road sweeper
And any other job you can think of first rather than
Automotive engineer         (Cars vans )

With Boats bikes etc they are generally peoples pleasure so they dont mind spending , a car is a neccesity and any expenditure on it is usually a negative experience.

Heavy diesel is usually commercial so maintence and repairs are expected and exepted .

I speak from many years of experience as a car mechanic (Automotive engineer  ) Like you i was young and keen and thought man what a cool job , got very qualified and if i say so myself i was a bloody good mechanic .
The major problems are the industry and public perception , the industry is basicly shit and those within it show no solidarity . Example if the industry said Right the minimum charge out across the board is $200.00 p/h and everybody in the industry got behind it then after the initial public outcry that will become the accepted minimum charge , and they could pay the mechanics a decent rate.
Why is it accepted to pay a Lawyer $200.00 a letter  5 yrs at varisty or a 5 yr apprentiship whats the difference 

Public perception Everybody believes they can fix their own car  " im not paying that bastard ill do it myself " this is becoming increasingly difficult though with modern technolgy 

Also the public are always suspisous "did that really need replacing"  and a total lack of understanding of motor vehicles dont help " I had my brakes replaced last week & now the aircons packed up he must have done somthing wrong " 

I held all the positions over the years technician, Foreman, manager, w/shop owner working on cars, trucks, bikes and plant until eventually i quit and went full time Towing 
Benefits are
Shitloads more money
Dont have to be polite to rude people
People expect to pay in cash
People expect a bad experience (so if your polite they think its a bonus )
A shitload of time to play with bikes between Tows 

My advise to you Misfit is study hard at School and talk to a careers adviser (a professional not the school one) Go to varsity get a degree and become a professional not a tradie 
If you have your heart set on a trade you could do one after Uni.

Think very hard as most likley you will have to work for the next 50 yrs , so do somthing that will earn you shitloads for minimal time spent at work. (its not lazy its bloody common sense)

Good luck young man
Happy new year

 

[Davey Crocket]

HERE, HERE!!!

[ChrisACT]

Something else to consider is that the current school age generation is going to be very lucky to have just one career before they retire.

The world is changing so fast these days that quite possibly, whatever you choose, will be obsolete in 20 years.  So many fields of endeavor have been automated.  I'm an audio engineer.  I used to work for the ABC.  I'd never have thought that television would do away with audio engineers.  But that is what is happening.  The ABC in Canberra doesn't have a single audio engineer in their main studio facility any more.  All the sound for broadcast is done by a computer.

So I'm back to uni this coming year to study IT.  I'm nearly 40.  I'm lucky that I'm in a reasonable financial situation to be able to do this.  Not everyone can stop work to retrain.  Mind you, it'll take most of my savings to do it.

So, try to pick something that will see you through as long as possible.  And bare in mind that changes in technology will mean that many jobs will not exist in 20 years, let alone 45.

Good luck with it.

[VMX247]

Yep now days if you stay in a job(engineering) longer than 5 years,,,they think your strange or unemployable..     .very transit work force in today's society.

Having a trade can take you all over the world for ever...Some Uni students never get a paid job ,cause they get caught up in the life style and stay put paying hex/heck fees 
cheers

[Marc.com]

My advise to you Misfit is study hard at School and talk to a careers adviser (a professional not the school one) Go to varsity get a degree and become a professional not a tradie 
If you have your heart set on a trade you could do one after Uni.

Good luck young man
Happy new year

I think Bill makes a lot of sense, think of education as a kind of insurance you buy to keep the money rolling in. The more broad it is 9like trade and degree) the more opportunities you have to change jobs and industry when it hits the fan. Currently a bachelors degree in most subjects except engineering, medicine and such is not enough, and you have to prepared to go to at least a masters degree as companies expect that you have post grad degree these days, the competition does.  

You probably could make far more money like Bill says towing or in your own business. I will give you another perspective if I can.

I would say the two major issues you could consider starting out are whether to be self employed or work for someone:

pros and cons

1. self employment requires no formal skills and can pay handsomely during your working life in accumulated assets if not cash, has tax breaks and a few perks, BUT requires cash, has 80% chance of failure in first year and is a huge amount of stress, learning by mistakes that cost you money and work. Finally you will probably get little external recognition if that is important to you.

2. working for a company, pro is regular cheque, con is it takes time to make it a big cheque, at the moment the other con is in certain fields forget it as nobody is hiring so you need to pick with care. But if you work hard you can end up in higher management which pays quite nicely thank you.

Both paths require commitment, unless you are a serious academic or a career following your degree (like being a vet) is hitting you between the eyes then it can be time wasted. Realistically a degree is a 100K dollar commitment so think about the payback. 100K can get you a tow truck and a start in business.

good luck and I hope I helped...Marc


  

[Hoony]

i reckon 2 good trades are plumbing and Electrician. both are licenced trades.

i'm an Industrial Electrician and never been out of work, its been a great financial job for me and is extremely interesting and forever changing with technology, always challenging and never boring, i've been in industry for 30 years now and i love it and enjoy my job immensely.

Plumbing and building trades are also good, refrigeration mechanics are another no one else has mentioned, this is also a great trade.

Best wishes and Happy new year to all.

[yzhilly]

From my own experience as a Earthmoving Mechanic . You only get paid what your worth it may take a while to get good money in a trade but once your set the moneys good and you can pick and choose . This year i was getting 3k a week on a pipeline job in melb .Go for a apprenticeship with a big dealer in earthmoving and you wont look back .Just remember you cant start at the top.Or a harley dealer in Mackay would be going okay

[Lozza]

Misfit, your spoiled for choice really, you can study hard and get a degree and become a 'professional' , you can do a trade (plumber sparky, diesel mechanic or a refrigeration tech are well paid trades)or you can seek a traineeship with a large corporation.
As Chris said get used to things changing as they do at a rapid rate, but blacksmiths still shoe horses the same way they always did. I'm sure people would have said blacksmithing was a dead when cars become common place.
There are big differences between working for large and small companies, small companies don't usually pay as good but you will have better conditions, large companies expect you to be at their beck and call 24/7.
Similar to Nathan's take ,there is also a big change going from a hobby/sideline to a fully fleged business, a hobby will help you forget the day job but no matter how pleasureable your hobby was it looses some gloss when it becomes a full time job. Time management becomes very important.
Hope that helps
All the best for the new year everyone

[mx250]

Lots of good advice there Misfit.

My 'heads up' is make your aim to get your ticket/qualifications - documented. Being able to do the job is not good enough, ya gotta have the ticket - all to do with QA and management having their arse covered (insurance and liability).

Ask Hilly how much a diesel mechanic in the Heavy Equipment industry gets; Ask Hilly how much a diesel mechanic with an auto electrician and hydraulics ticket gets  .