Yea I worked at a body shop too and hated it, but realized i would only enjoy it if I OWNED it. I say go back to school, get a degree, and go from there. I graduated from college this past May and got hired by a big company right out of college..however, I think i will be going back to get my masters next fall.

 

Use the school money to buy a Vette and everything else will fall into place.

D. Ocean
Miami, FLA

 

the first step is to quit spending so much time playing on the CF and do something. Anything.

 

That's funny

 

First thing that comes to mind is how about going to college to become an automotive service technician? People who are competent in automotive electronics are in demand so you could specialize in that area to make yourself more sought after.

What aspect of cars do you like - repair & maintain, drive, buy & sell, design & build, modify & be creative? If you are not sure then try new things to help you to figure out what you might be interested in.

How about something slightly different than cars but still has a lot of similarities like working with aircraft, motorcycles or heavy machinery? Or perhaps automotive marketing?

One thing to know about yourself is whether you are the type of person that can have a job and hobby that are the same, and not get sick of the hobby because its the same as what you do all day at work. Once in a while I'll have a day where I have tools in my hand at work all day long and the last thing I want to do when I get home is go into my shop and work on the vette.

 

The military has $30K signing bonuses right now (not all jobs carry a gun in the desert). If you REALLY hate your job, you could have a new one tomorrow.

 

I was almost in the same shoes as you about a year ago, i did some college (about 4 1/2 years) and decided it wasnt for me and then i decided to look into technical schools and i found Universial Technical Institute, honestly it is the best decision i've ever made, I haven't graduated yet but I absolutely love the program and the stuff i'm learning. I'd recommend it to anyone, and if your really serious about i'd look into goin. If ya wanna ask me any questions about it feel free to PM me -Danny

 

Rich husband, worked for Anna Nicole Smith and countless others.

 

She became a member in november and she is already a senior member.

 

Maybe you can start your own Corvette website....be a moderator.

 

Start your own paint and body shop for classic cars!

 

Knowing what I know now...after a lifetime of fooling with cars....I'd figure out a way to get into a good trim shop. Not much dirt or grime. No real heavy lifting and trim shop guys are prima donnas. They get cars almost completely done....spend a few hours doing the interior and charge 1000s of $. I don't know what their houly rates are ...but shops charge 100s of $ an hour for labor because few people know how to do it. They have a captive audience. I have known people, with real classic cars that had to be scratch built..no kits...spend 15-50 K for interiors.

 

motor city is on the right track. keep working no matter how much it sucks. a job pays the bills. in the mean time if you like classic paint and body ..do it on the side.
find a freind or aquaintance, then do their car. redo the vehicle Gratis, just have 'em pay for materials. make sure you put extra touches in it. the car will be a rolling business card. people will see the work.word of mouth is a great seller.
the next few job you undercut the big shops cost-wise keeping profits low. you do good...you will be noticed.
it worked for me fixing Honda Gold Wings. i rode an old 81 that i traded from a salvage yard. once fixed up a guy noticed my bike and asked about fixing his. well, he told his friends with the Cristian Motorcyclist Association. within 3 months i had all the work my home garage shop could handle. had a waiting list for people....why ,because i was cheaper,faster and honest.

 

Desi, Turtlevette, Missleman, Fevre, and Yellow73sb weren't joking.

 

i hate my job as well. i sit around telling people what to do and play on CF. oh wait, maybe my job isnt so bad. nevermind. life is all in how you take it.

 

Perhaps someone should introduce her to this:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

D. Ocean
Miami, FLA

 

why is this post here?

 

You're only 20. Find out what type of education you need to get a job @ the Corvette plant in B.G. There is a union, benefits, and building an awesome car in every aspect.

 

some of us are new here and have not yet learned how to take advantage of the entire forum yet. we post where we feel comfortable expressing our feelings.

 

I tell you a bit of advice, do NOT mix hobby and pleasures with work/earning a living, physical crap like repair gets boring after a while, and industry allways manages to change something along the way after a few years, and keeping up is not what you need to hear after being in something 20 years....
that's what happened to me in the TV repair business in the 60's and 70's, made good money at that, but after 15 years it was OVER, no more money to be made, too much junk and pitch it tronics....changed over to design/engineering/tech aide work, lasted another 5 years.....shut down the industry...
went into home remodeling, tired of that too after 20 years....

I wish I found a boring government job some 49 years ago, and stuck it out in some agency and collected a good retirement check by now....but NO, I followed something I was 'interested' in.....false lead, do NOT do that....follow something that offers a decent career,....you may want to get a job in the school system, fixing busses,cars, repairing/body shop....you young enough, and being female they get a point on the EEO hiring regulations, so you got a foot in the door there allready....just do the same decent/good work, and stick around for 5 years, then when you get burnt out, you switch to something else within the same school system, do NOT LOOSE your accumulated time toward getting tenured....under any circumstances....you maybe can't afford the fancies house in the world , but you can get one close enough and safe enough soon enough to see you through for ten years or so,.....

A friend of mine down the road here in Dania, Florida--north of Miami, joined the local Dade co. schools after getting out of the Navy, started as a buss mechanic, and xferred into library support, so he is now well tenured and lost in the beaurocracy and basically can't be fired....got his house, got his diving life, got his long list of girl friends, and so forth....

GENE