Decisions, Decisions...

"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve) 01/09/2014 at 17:16 • Filed to: None

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So, Opponauts, I have a quandary. I found out yesterday that my financial aid has been delayed and I won't be able to go to school this semester. This sucks. If you've read some of my prior posts, you'll know that I don't really have the money to pay for classes or books. Have a beautiful German muscle car, and my question lies after the jump.

So, it has come to pass that my wife and I are broke, and I won't be able to get in school, and things kind of suck financially right now. I don't really see progress in school since I've taken 6 hours in the past year. I have at least 3 years left — at the rate I was going — if I want to finish my Bachelor's degree. Even then, I won't have any real prospects for jobs until I finish a Master's.

Also, I'm 35 years old and have been going nowhere career-wise for about the past decade and a half. It's all been restaurants or call center bullshit without any real hope in sight. School is the only thing that'll get me out of this hole, but it's also something that is out of my budget at the moment due to some other financial decisions I've made.

So, what do we do?

Through a family connection I have an opportunity to get into the BMW Technician Certification program at the community college here. I would have to change my major but within two years I'd almost be guaranteed a full-time job with a reasonably-decent salary and pretty good working conditions. The program is sponsored by the Hendrick dealerships and they take on interns every spring.

Now, I enjoy wrenching on cars but as of now I can only do basic maintenance. I may be romanticizing the idea of working on cars because of some issues I have with my dad — He never taught me anything, really, and what I did learn I caught from watching while he cussed and fussed. I know what it's like to work in a small shop with drama and hotheaded managers and all other sorts of personal issues. I know what it's like to work long hours and have customers screaming about the shitty service. I'm OK with those things. I've calmed down and really just want a job where the stresses of work are commensurate with the pay. The only time I had that was when I was in a little print shop making printing pads.

There are some other advantages to this — I probably wouldn't have to cut my hair or remove my tattoos. I would have a pretty good idea of what I'd be working and who I'd be working for. Also, because of corporate sponsorship, the cost of the degree is lower and there are plenty of scholarships available.

This is something I've always wanted to do and never really looked at it as an opportunity because I felt that so many forces in my life were pushing me elsewhere.

Wow. I put all that down in 16 minutes.

Anyway, if you opponauts have any insight, let me know. I'd like to hear your opinions, and if any of you are currently working in the field, I would like to hear more about it.

Thanks,

WhiteTrashSteve.

Brian Silvestro > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:20

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Do it.

RW53104 > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:26

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Go for it. I'm currently just about done getting my Bachelor's, but it's still a life goal of mine to get a tech school certificate in auto mechanics.

Aside from living out one of my dreams, that seems like a good alternative in that you are still going to school, getting a better career, but with less financial burden. I guess the big question is which of these worlds (automotive mechanics or whatever you are currently in school for) will make you happier, and which is more worth the work.

Best of luck! Don't stop- any progress is still forward momentum!

Textured Soy Protein > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:27

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Was there a particular career track you had in mind for this bachelor's degree?

I work in the staffing business, so I deal with people who need a job all the time. In my case I hire people for specialized technical positions where I have to screen out lots of people based on lots of qualification.

I'm a firm believer in going to school (whether it's tech school or a PhD) where at the end of school, it puts you on track for some kind of specific career. Partly because of my work experience, but also because I went to college without much of a plan in mind, majored in English, endured endless questions of "so what are you going to do with that, teach?" and through luck and guile I managed to build up a good resume in spite of not having a specialized degree. But I got lucky. Because for a lot of the other English majors out there...well the world always needs baristas.

So if you have a school option you have that you can afford, and gives you a clear path to a career, that's a good option.

BadgerSpeed > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:29

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Very sorry to hear about your financial aid. That sucks. It seems to me you have some hard decisions to make along with a dose of reality check.

First, figure out if the major you are in now is something you like or better yet, love. Unless it is basket weaving or something that truly will make zero money when you graduate, I cannot over emphasis how important it is to like your career. If you like your career, you'll make it work, work hard and the money will come.

Second, you need to sell your car and other similar 'luxury' items that are not a necessity and hunker down. Get a beater, eat Ramen, no more tattoos, etc. and make it work. Granted I don't know the full story of how you acquired the car but at the bare minimum you could sell it for some decent coin and the insurance will be much cheaper on a beater. Do I want a nice car like yours? Sure I do, and my household has a nice 6 figure income to support it. However, now is not the time so I drive a 155k rusted beater that won't pass the next inspection (grrrr). I'll be shopping for a used cheap reliable car.

Textured Soy Protein > BadgerSpeed 01/09/2014 at 17:31

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He doesn't have an M5, he just posted a picture of one.

bradledy > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:40

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I'm a young guy so I don't have much advice to give you. Just wanted to say that us opponauts are here for you and we care!

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > RW53104 01/09/2014 at 17:41

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Thank you for the kind words.

I re-enrolled in school at 33 with the romantic idea that I would finish my English degree, write, and teach. Well, in North Carolina, the environment for teachers is downright hostile when it comes to public schools. In private schools, I would have to line myself up with a church to even get a shot. Or I would have to stay in school until I was 45 or older to get a PhD and teach at the university level. I don't want to do that. I like cars more than living things, animals more than people, children more than adults, and adults more than teenagers. Ultimately I wanted to teach middle school. However, that goal is approaching the limit of attainability. Also, with the BMW program here, there's a humanities requirement — I guess since they assume that customers who lease high-end German cars are more educated than your typical GM customer. I've already finished all the humanities requirements anyway. And I'll still be able to sit around and write when I want to.

I may actually be romanticizing things, though. My dad was a reasonably decent mechanic and my wife's dad and stepfather are both pretty good. I have a cousin who has a custom shop in PA and he specializes in Mopar stuff.

Plus the whole wrenching-on-cars thing appeals to the analytical, problem-solving part of my brain.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Textured Soy Protein 01/09/2014 at 17:43

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See my other reply to RW53104:

I re-enrolled in school at 33 with the romantic idea that I would finish my English degree, write, and teach

area man > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:44

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Sounds like a no-brainer to me. Go for the practical, hands-on major with the best+soonest chance of employment.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Textured Soy Protein 01/09/2014 at 17:49

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Correct — My wife and I have two newer cars that were purchased under better times. As it is now, we had to borrow a few dollars from our parents to make it through this month. Things are looking better on the job front for now — I've got two interviews for full time work tomorrow and Monday — and I've been hunkered down on the job trail for a while.

Textured Soy Protein > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 17:50

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Yeah I saw that after my post.

We actually have a lot in common. I majored in English, stopped going to school with about a year's worth of credits left, found my way into the staffing business where I turned out to be pretty good at it, worked my way up a couple promotions with the same company, and went back to school part-time to finish the English degree.

In my case, the degree has helped. I have a great resume and interview very well, but there were lots of jobs where they had a minimum degree requirement and I kept getting ruled out. I got my BA when I was 30, and started a new job (that required a Bachelor's-or-higher degree) less than 2 months later.

For your situation I would go for the BMW program. What I learned, the hard way, was that school is an investment and you should do the kind of school that will give you the best return on investment.

If you kept trying for this teaching plan, you would go further into debt, and your income prospects as a teacher wouldn't be that great. Whereas the BMW program sounds like you can get through it for not too much cost and you'll have a decent job at the end of it.

SPNKiX > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 19:59

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In five years you'll be asking "Why was cutting my hair and removing my tattoos even a concern?"

That said, this could be a great thing.

However, I know I went to school to be a car designer and decided in the process that I just loved cars, not really styling them. I am still a transportation designer, but not for cars so much. So that dream of yours might be a hobby dream as much as a vocational one. No shame in either.

If you can go to school and take a few years to get a degree, that's also an option. Once you have the undergrad degree, loans are easy to get for the master's, if you still want it. You can work your way through if you have the right job. Sounds like you've done some printing and you could find a job like that while you schoolify that might allow you to stay the course.

Because of your comment about not being able to get a job with an undergrad degree, I worry that you've been listening to the general state of discontent in this country rather than your deeper desires. The economy is getting better, and in a few years, when you're done, it will have improved further and your opportunities will have grown significantly. If you know what you want and go to a school that is good at that, then you will eventually find work. If you "settle" on a degree like communications (not that that is bad, but a lot of people gravitate there because they don't know what they want), you will graduate with a lot of other "not sure's" out there and be competing with them for "jobs".

But again, the BMW thing sounds pretty awesome and is an education in itself- you're going to grow there, so just go for a long walk and figure it out.

Just remember to talk yourself INTO something, not OUT OF something.

You asked...;)

c-lock0 > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 22:27

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Hey that sounds really rough, I can relate in a lot of ways. The dad thing, me and my brother dealt with growing up, he never really let us in on projects and never explained much just yelled and cussed. He does like working on cars and he likes photography but we didn't learn much about either from him. I went to school for photography (my passion) and my brother went to school to be a tech. I got my degree and made a crap wage being a post production specialist at the same place for dam near 6 years (eventually quit this year and moved to NYC looking for better work) my brother on the other hand who knew eff all about working on cars went to ITT and became and Audi tech after 4 years. Then he jumped around tuner shops for several years and eventually landed his dream job as a Porsche Tech at a good repair/ tuner shop. He is making a killing and I am still broke, I can hardly afford parts for my bicycle (I haven't owned a car since my batter Mk3 jetta 2 years ago) him on the other hand... E55 AMG, Porsche 965, Porsche 951 among other projects that would make you cry. So the car Tech thing might not be so bad. Plus once you learn enough you can always make cash on the side fixing neighbors and friends cars, and you can afford to have cars that you normally wouldn't be able to afford to repair. Oh my dad also has an e39 M5, and an e39 540i M so this really hits close to home. Again I own a bicycle, my dad he left school at 12 years old. Good luck!

Squid > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 22:28

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Ok, so I went through the A.S.S.E.T. program for Ford, I started in 2007 and finished up in 2008 right when Ford shuttered the doors on 9 or 10 dealers within the radius I found acceptable to drive to for work. I came down with a host of other medical issues but needless to say being a guy fresh out of "training" versus the guys with lots of years of experience I was shit out of luck getting a dealer job again. But just make sure your program is an apprenticeship program because you can learn all the theory but still not know what the fuck you are doing. I learned 95% of diagnosing cars by working in the shop rather than in the classroom.

Be forewarned that being a tech can be fun at times but it can also be very stressful and some difficult to diagnose problems follow you home and consume your mind. But make sure you have a chance to work in each department and find your niche. Some guys like heavy line work and pulling heads and motors, some like to play with trannies (pun always intended with this. . .), some like the A/C and electrical and interior bits, some like the brakes and front end work (which was me, it was also where you could make a shit ton of money on brake jobs. 2 hours labor flat rate per axle and getting 2 axles done in an hour = 4 hours labor in 1 hour = a potential 32 hours of pay per day if the work is there to support it.), and then there are those masochists who enjoy the drivability/tune department.

It can be a rewarding career path but just know that it takes money to make money in the tech business and soon you will be looking at a sweet Matco/Snap-On/Mac tool box and about $15,000 in tools. Sure Craftsman tools can get the job done, but your hands will hate you with in a year.

If you have an interest in working on cars I say go for it, but IMHO you are best off trying to get a job as a lube tech in the service department first to see if you can deal with being in a shop environment and the pace you are expected to work at.

I'm not in any way trying to dissuade you from this option, I just want to inform you of what it is like. Also, take advantage of the discount from the tool companies that offer discounts to tech students to at least get your box at a discount. Matco had a deal for our school which was 15-35% off of list price which really helps out when you realize that you need to drop $6,000 on a decent sized box to house your tools securely.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Squid 01/09/2014 at 23:09

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The program is an apprenticeship program. I already checked that out. It starts with 2 shop hours per week first semester and increases to 8 shop hours third semester and an "earn while you learn," program in the last semester. I've been in shop environments under high pressure and I like a fast-paced workplace because otherwise I get incredibly bored. Once I'm in the program proper, I plan on trying to get in anywhere I can — If I'm working full time I'll only need to make about $10/hr to make sure all the bills are paid. Plus with that low income I'll qualify for more financial aid.

Squid > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/09/2014 at 23:18

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The program I was in was a 6 weeks in class 6 weeks in the dealer working and learning while I also worked friday and saturdays while in school. It is quite a bit of work to get the modern theory down now but well worth paying attention to and keeping up with the certification updates as that is your gateway to more money. Since you aren't a young punk like I was you might have an easier time making friends with the old timers, you can't believe the amount of shit you can learn from the old guys. My advice to you with regards to the schooling aspect, don't settle for the prereqs for the tech classes, it will screw you if you decide to go back and get a 4 year degree. I fucked my self with an extra 2 years of schooling when I decided to go back for chemistry all because I took the lowest level non transferable courses while in the A.S.S.E.T. program.

Also, it will probably help you out over the long run if you are somewhat in shape as being a tech takes its toll on your body.

Good luck with your decision and I hope it works out for you.

BadgerSpeed > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/10/2014 at 07:35

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I never said he had a M5. He posted he had a German muscle car, i.e. not a beater. It's great that you could afford it in the past and I truly hope your interviews go well so you can afford it in the future, but wouldn't it make sense that you sell the unnecessary items to have more cash flow on hand?

BadgerSpeed > BadgerSpeed 01/10/2014 at 07:36

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Oh yes, and borrowing from your parents is hardly on sound financial footing even with job interviews coming up. Sorry, I'm not trying to be negative just trying to paint a realistic picture, which may be tough to hear.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > BadgerSpeed 01/10/2014 at 10:51

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Perhaps I wasn't clear. I posted the photo as, "here, have a pretty picture for the trouble of reading my story."
I have a Kia Soul and my wife has a B6 Passat wagon.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > BadgerSpeed 01/10/2014 at 11:00

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It wouldn't have happened if it wasn't an absolute necessity. Believe me: I'm fully aware of the gravity of the situation and do not need to be reminded about what is financially sound. The tone in your posts is honestly kind of condescending. If you read anything that I've said, you'll see that I know I've fucked up. Besides, people that weren't even born the last time I borrowed money from my parents are now licensed drivers.

BadgerSpeed > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/10/2014 at 22:25

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I apologize if my tone came across that way as that was not my intent. New baby has me on little sleep. Two main things that I'll repeat - follow you passion for work and success will follow; Hunker down and sell all the extras to get you on your feet again. Best of luck to you.