There's nothing more beautiful than a well-designed car body. From Ferrari to Porsche to Lexus and BMW, the swooping lines of an automobile are often a thing of beauty. It's for that reason that so many people consider becoming a finishing and automotive body technician. But how can you be sure if this career is the right one for you? Here are 5 steps to help you with your decision.
STEP 1: Do your homework.
Make sure that you know what an auto body technician does. In a nutshell, the job is about repairing a car's bodywork. That includes removing damaged material, replacing it with new parts, sanding the body, painting it, etc. But there are many more subtleties there that you may not be aware of. Do some research and get all the details.
STEP 2: Do a self-assessment.
In order to be a good auto body repair technician, you need to have strong technical knowledge of cars, but also, a good sense of aesthetics. Does this sound like you? Patience is also a requirement of the job. Do you think you have the patience to sand and work on car bodies to ensure that the final product is flawless? Think about it, and be honest with yourself.
STEP 3: Follow an car body repair technician around for a day.
One of the best ways to find out more about a job is to follow around someone who has that job and watch them work. How does one do this? One way it to simply visit a local automotive body shop and volunteer your help for free for a day, under the condition that you spend the day with an auto body repair technician.
STEP 4: Visit an auto body school.
Auto body training schools usually have open houses, where prospective students can visit the campus, and learn more about the program. Use these open houses as an opportunity to talk with teachers, and ask them about the Auto Body Repair Technician courses and the career outlook for the position.
STEP 5: Enroll in an auto body trainingschool.
The last step is to enroll in an automotive body training school. By totally immersing yourself in the program all day, every day, you'll truly develop an intimate understanding of the job, and you'll know if it's right for you.
So if you're seriously thinking about becoming an Automotive Body Repair Technician, follow these 5 steps to know if it's really for you. If it is, enroll in an auto body training school and get going!