career diplomas

[hotrod24]

ok i have been thinking that i want more info on body work and engine work ok i would like to get my auto body diploma and my auto mechanics diploma would it be a good idea or not and i would like to make a career out of it now i would be doing it from pennfoster to and it is $900 for both

[zieg85]

If you have the passion for it, I say go for it.  When I wrenched for living before my present career I didn't like doing it outside of work.  Now I love it as a hobby.  I took a course for home inspection just in case I need to fall back on it should I be let go, you never know in this day and age...

[JRConnieK10]

We have a school around here that I was looking at they offer courses in welding, auto mech, and auto body. I think I'm going to take one on welding it's in the evening and its only like $195.00 per course. Then if it goes well I might take more. Like zieg said it never hurts to learn more. So I would say go for it.

[hotrod24]

yea i have the passion for it i love it that is why i want to do this and vile and everybody on here that does it is so cool

here is the links

http://www.pennfoster.edu/autobody/index.html

http://www.pennfoster.edu/autorepair/index.html

[Blazin]

Do it up bud

[zieg85]

I think an excellent opportunity would be in paintless dent repair.  I don't know what they earn but I bet it is a healthy wage.  My company car had a couple of hail dents and a spot on the hood where a limb had fallen and whacked it pretty good, effecting a 6 inch around area if it had to have been fixed the conventional way.  It was an in and out in a day thing but the body shop called around 3 saying the "outside guy" hadn't come yet... not to expect it that day.  Well at 4:30 I got another call saying I could pick it up anytime, it was done.  I think the bill was over $600 that I signed for.  I could not tell where the repairs had been done.

[smitty77]

A little education never hurt anyone.  And as stupid as it sounds, sometimes that "piece of paper" can help you get a job.  Especially in this economy, anything to make you stand out from the other dozen applicants to a job will most surely help.

Money and time well spent, IMHO.  Even if it doesn't pan out as a career, I would suspect you can make some scratch on the side doing bodywork for cash.

Good luck!
Smitty

[Blazin]

I will tell you however that i have worked with a couple guys over the years that went to tech school for auto body. They didn't have a clue when it came to little tricks of the trade, and what to do in a pinch. In other words if it wasn't in the text book they couldn't handle it. While you are doing your schooling get friendly with a shop or two. Let them know you are going to tech school, and would just like to hang around and watch. Plus if they like you and you get good reviews from the teach it might get your foot in the door.

[choptop]

I worked in a garage, and also did moble mechanics for a while. I changed to my present job because I no longer enjoyed working on ,y own stuff. Its hard for me to enjoy a hobby when I have to do it for a living. We worked on everything from pintos, to Mercedes, to International trucks, and a few tractors. After working on some of the foreign garbage all day, I had no ambition to work on my own stuff. After what I learned, the you could give me a Mercedes, but Id have it only long enough to sell. I used to love them.

[hotrod24]

well guys you talked me in to it lol but as soon as i get the frame how i want it and buy parts i will start on the body work and by that time i will be doing the course or in the middle of it but since i have not done body work but for here and there it will help me out with this project and i can help out others and even get a good job because there is a shop in town that i would like to work at all they do is tear down cars and trucks and build back up they even told me if i would bring my truck down there they would restore it lol

[VileZambonie]

$900 for both? Just 1 year in my auto program is about $26k

[hotrod24]

i guess i am doing good on the money part

http://www.pennfoster.edu/autobody/Tuition.html

[Lt.Del]

Hey, if you get a good job later with the diploma, perhaps you can get a computer keyboard with punctuation marks. 
Just joking, go for it!  If you have to turn in papers, don't forget the periods, commas, semicolons, etc,...It'll make it easier to read. 

[hotrod24]

ok well i ordered more info on the auto body subject and i will go from there

[choptop]

Auto body is a blast. I took it in college and enjoyed it. Im just to picky to make a living at it. It would take too long.