T-Ten Program, Anybody in it? Or done it? Options

[samir0189]

Hey guys. Im at a point in my young life where i dont know what i want to do with myself.

Im strongly considering the toyota technician program, i really love working on my and other people's cars when i have free time and now im thinking, well maybe i could make a career out of it!

Anyway, i was just looking for information from anybody or thoughts on the program, experiences or life as a mechanic, you know, whatever.

Any input is welcome, im so lost.


I guess, uh, well ill just include that im nearly done with 2 years of gen ed studies but absolutely 0 of the career options interest me.

This post has been edited by samir0189: Apr 17, 2009 - 8:53 PM

[blu94gt]

I used to be a mechanic. Went into it for the same reasons as you did: I loved working on cars, either my own or my friends'. Did it for a couple years and quit to go back to finish up my engineering degree instead. They way I look at it is to take your first two favorite things to do that you can do for a living. Make the first one your hobby and do the 2nd one for a living. When I was a mechanic for a living, the LAST thing I wanted to do was go home and work on my own cars. Now that I work with electronics instead, it keeps working on cars and bikes in my free time. Plus I am keeping up my ASE's so I can always go back to working on cars if I need a job.

T-ten is a good program, but it pretty much makes you exclusively marketable to Toyota dealers. My school offered T-ten, all it was was a notebook of extra tests you took on top of the regular classes. One of my friends did it, and the Toyota dealer he was at closed. Now he's been driving parts at Honda for 3 years and still can't get on at a Toyota dealer.

If you have one in your town, I would recommend getting on at Carmax for your first job as a mechanic. They won't just put you on an oil rack as a newbie. They start you apprenticing with a mechanic, usually reconditioning trade-ins. You apprentice for a few months then you get your own bay and start working on your own, doing everything, not just oil and brakes. It's a great place to learn about all kinds of cars. You could have a Chevy in your bay in the morning, and a Viper or Porsche in your bay in the afternoon. Plus they offer an "apprentice tool kit" from Matco that is a killer deal for a whole toolbox full of tools. I started there, and would totally go back if I was going to work on cars again.