I have been thinking for the past few weeks to possibly get a different job. A little backround on myself. I am 23 and currently work the Parts Counter at a Volkswagen Dealership. I have been with the same Company "#1 Cochran" for over 5 years now and my job has changed 6 times. I started out as a lot attendent while i went to college. I graduated with an associates degree in Business Management in 09 which is so broad and not really that useful. I couldnt figure out what i wanted to do with myself and was offered a Job as a Service Writer Apprentice for GM. Well 3 months later everything tanked with GM and they moved me into a call center. Months later after people got moved around i was transfered to be a "service writer" at the quick lube franchise they had at the time. Then finally March 2010 i had a real job. I was promoted to Service Writer at the Subaru Store which at the time i had a WRX and i loved it. Well things were up and down and my boss was a tirrant but i was making good money. Then they decide to close a building so they can move Subaru into it because it was bigger. Well a manager thats been there 10 years needed a job and i was the last 1 in as a service writer (out of 3) so they moved me to Volkswagen which made my travel go from 2 miles 1 way to 20 miles 1 way. Problem im having is im not making as much but my bosses are the best ones iv had so far. The possibility to make more money is much greater being a service writer then parts counter because of how the commission is set up. Im affraid that if i get a Service Writer Job elsewhere im going to end up back with a tirrant boss. Now that iv experienced both sides (good pay and good work enviroment) I kinda want to try to find that happy medium. So at this point im stuck. Im gonna be 24 in October and i still live at home.I live in Pittsburgh and id have to say the average wage would range 50-60k and im making maybe mid 30k which is nice for living at home but not enough to move out and get a house while still making car payments. I see tons of professionals on here daily and im looking for advice or maybe look into certain areas for possible jobs. As far as interests go i love cars and i enjoy interracting with people. If i were to make the same or a little less then i do know but have opportunity to grow with promotions and pay raises would be ideal. Any input would be appreciated.
same here, dealerships environment is not for me anymore.....I just started my own detailing company, once thats takes off ( good monthly income ) I will be focusing on that.
Im mobile. Im still working full time at service as a Audi tech, and I will be detailing 5-8 pm ish at the same dealer also. my goal is to make over 50G before im 30 yrs old ( simple ) I found detailing more fun for me and im better at detailing VS being a Audi tech. so thats why I made my career change! also I don't really like following rules, tho im a team player ( always the YES man ) but when im detailing I feel much more freedom, I tell a customer it takes XYZ time and I deliver VS at the dealership : I need that car done an hour ago!! hurry the F up.
service write is the person a customer sees and tells their problems to correct? And they just write up the work order.. My friend sounds like you have a nice job in a good dealership. Others would kill right now to have a steady job. Ive heard of people applying to 60 -70 different places with no one calling back. I would say right now, keep the job you have and be happy that you are making 30. Since you are living at home you can save. I live on my own with my girlfriend and i make about 20k. I wonder what the poverty level is. Anyways. If i were you, I would stick with the job.And maybe not look to purchase a house. A house is like a car on a loan. It is not yours until you spend 30 something years paying for it. And then it becomes yours.
As a good service writer, you are expected to sell the customer more than what his problem is...oil changes, various, filters, mileage based inspections, alignments. injector cleanings, flushing etc. These are high profit type work so the more they do the more profit service group makes.
IMO pecka13 nailed this. Keep your job, at least for the present. The economic recovery, such as it is, is still very fragile. At 23, single and living at home(?) $35K is a very decent income especially in Pittsburgh which has very low housing prices and cost-of-living for a major city.* I assume the C5 in your avatar is yours, nice car, but you probably ought to be thinking about a lower car payment and gas costs and saving more money. My advice: keep your job, save money and don't make rash decisions. Personally, I'd take less money and good management over significantly more money but a-holes to work for. There simply isn't enough information about you and your skills in the post to offer informed specific career advice. * Its a shame about your crazy beer laws and Pittsburgh weather is kind of gray but you could do far worse for places to live.
I would have to disagree on sitting back and letting this thing ride out. If you want better things in life, you have to work harder! money doesn't just fall from the sky. it all depends on how bad you want it. so if no one is hiring.. with all the time you spend looking for a job, you could of started your own company and be self employed. all it took was $125 for me. so get up from your feet and help move this economy forward ! becuz if we don't then someone else in the world will with their's..
Good advice on the first part, bad advice on the 2nd. Keep the job. Sell the car. Buy a house. A house is ALWAYS an investment (of course there are circumstances where they aren't). But nows the time to buy. The market will go back up..just like it always does. Its cyclical. I make right under 30k and can completely understand the purchase of the Z (hell id have two if i still lived at home) but it was a def a living the moment purchase. Sell the car..save up for a year..and go buy a house. It's a much more future oriented decision.
You need to figure out what you want to do, at 23 living at home your fun time is pretty much up and it's time to take a serious look at what you want to do for the rest of your life. You have some education and my advice is to sell the car go back to school and finish off what you have started, which road is your choice.
He lives at home, he cant sell the house, it belongs to his parents. If it was me,I would get back to school, get the 4-year degree, hopefully, get a Masters, and maybe the economy will be better by then. I also vote for you keeping the full time job that you have, but keep looking around for a better fit for your best skillset and wages potential. There are still millions out of work, and competition is really fierce. I know of people who are well qualified, educated, have all the great qualities in one package, who have submitted hundreds of resume's, gone on almost as many interviews, second interviews, waited on hold for weeks, months, and not gotten hired. I dont think, unless you own a big shop, that can afford a big overhead, a few people, wages, insurance, etc., that Detailing will be the end all for most people. It may be a pretty good 2nd income but it wont be able to support a family, vehicles, and all the normal stuff, easily. . Do the math sometime, figure 100-200 details a year, times, an average price, subtract the cost of the business, insurance, rent, license, supplies, shipping, equipment, utilities-water, electric, gas, then figure how much your time is worth, hourly, it doesn't matter, count the number of hours you project to do that many details with how many people, = how much left... Perhaps once you get a good paying with a great future career, full benefits package, matching 401k, room to move upwards into Management, have your own place, stable payments, some extra cash left over, then you can see about getting into Detailing on the side, and see if it can support itself cost wise, and still bring in a little or a lot of extra income to your bottom line. Then think about all the hours involved in Detailing vehicles alone and with help, and see if that time spent, is worth it to you and your future family. Will you be able to split out your time enough to cover all the bases? Yes, you can schedule your Detailing jobs to fit into your off-time from your regular job, but be sure you are ok with all the hours you will spend out there in your shop. Good luck with your future plans ! Dan F
"The best years of your life" are not preset by anyone or group. You decide when they are. Don't forget, you only live once and never know when your last day will come. Never make a step sideways or backwards, only move forwards. If you can't, then don't. I say stick with the job you've got while keeping an eye open for opportunities, get rid of the car payments (if you still have any) by finishing them off or selling the car, eliminate all other debts and save for a house or condo. The car, once it's payed, it's yours, so that problem is solved. The house will always gain value (except certain unforeseen circumstances) and can be used for starting up your own company, which personally, I think is the best opportunity to make "lots" of money. Very few, are the self-employed people I've seen that are unhappy. I am an example: I'm 24, will be 25 in October. I have no studies other than my high school diploma and a single semester in college. I am in a steady relationship and live on my own (with my better half) We both make roughly 35-40K a year, but we both live in a place we could afford on our own should the other leave. This makes for very good savings/left over money at the end of every month. On top of my regular job, I also started my own detailing company last year which adds an additional 20-25 hours of work a week during "open season" (and an additional 5-10K/year) , but it's worth it. It's something I love and I am slowly building a niche clientèle, which in a year or 2, should be enough for me to live off of completely. I am not saying I am rich, or that I should be the envy or role model of anyone. I'm just using this as an example of what you can do. Education does not always equal success, because success is only defined by yourself, not others. As it's been said a little higher: Good things don't come to those who wait, they come to those who act! Good luck with whatever path you choose to travel! Cheers!
Yes the C5z06 is mine. I also have a 03 Impala as a daily which is paid off so the vette is only drivin during nice days. The vette will be paid off October 2013 and both of my parents have stressed to just keep the car since its a little over 2 years away.The idea would be to obviously not quit untill i found another job. Iv been working since i was 14. Ya the alcohol tax in pittsburgh (allegheny County) suck as does the alcohol laws Funny thing is both my parents are very supportive of me keeping the car. They tell me i only live once and to live it up as long as i can because i may not get another chance to own one. My mother moved out at 18 my father lived at home till 27 when he got married to my mom. He owned 2 trans ams untill they got married he sold them both and bought a 76 vette then sold that once i was born. Reason i stopped at an associates degree is because i could not figure out what i wanted to do. A girl i dated got a BA in the same field as me and she makes less then me and was told by employers that job experience is a must and the degree is kinda useless untill she gets experience under her belt. i kinda fell into the car business and i make decent money. I just want something that has better opportunity. I deffinietly agree. I know people that barely graduated highschool but started selling cars and now are finance managers making 100k/year. Also business owners that just have a highschool diploma own tanning salons and a gyro shop making 100k/year
Just to clarify im not ungrateful for my job or complaining that i only make mid 30k. Im just looking at my future and where my income potential could be in 5-10 years as a parts counter guy. It doesnt really increase much and thats why iv been thinking of changing my job.
