AUTOMOTIVE CAREERS

Your local automobile dealership has substantial entry level positions, with no limit on advancement opportunities, and even internships in a variety of areas that may interest you. Dealerships employ more than 1 million people in the United States today, in a wide range of occupations including management, administrative support, sales, financing, service and repair. Here are some of the exciting opportunities that may exist at your local automobile dealership:

Salespeople
Salespeople are the front-line professionals representing dealerships, as well as the manufacturer of the products they sell. There are over 186 million vehicles on the road in the U.S. A salesperson's job is to make sure that when one of those vehicles is bought in their dealership, that it's done in a professional and pleasant atmosphere. Retail salespeople help customers decide what kind of vehicle they want and what features suit their needs. In addition to having vast knowledge of the vehicles they sell, good salespeople are highly motivated, enjoy working with people and are able to express themselves well. Most new sales professionals receive extensive on-the-job training, which in some cases could include classroom learning. Success in automobile sales depends largely upon a person's ability to win the respect and trust of prospective customers. Entry-level salespeople make about $25,000 per year, and top salespeople can earn $50,000 per year, or more.

Service Technician
Keeping cars and trucks in tip-top condition becomes more and more of a challenge every year. Automotive service technicians must continually adapt to changing technology and repair techniques as vehicle components and systems become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to understanding how automobiles work, service technicians must have extensive knowledge of mechanical, electrical and computer technology. They must be able to diagnose the cause of a problem, and repair it. Technicians use the latest in diagnostic and repair equipment including computers. Successful technicians are mechanically inclined, have good reading and math skills, and a desire to succeed in a highly skilled profession. Refined diagnostic problem-solving skills are essential, and chemistry, electronics and computer training is also a plus. Qualified technicians are paid very well, because they are in such high demand. Annually, the estimated 840,000 service technicians in dealerships perform over 200 million repairs. An entry-level technician earns about $20,000 annually, and the best technicians can earn $80,000 per year or more. Technicians who work on heavy-duty trucks can earn even more.

Top training programs to become a service technician are few and far between. The best way to prepare for a career in this exciting field is with programs like Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES). Locally, AYES partners students from five participating high schools in Illinois and one in northwest Indiana, with participating Chicago-area dealers. The program includes part-time internships during the school year, and two full-time summer internships, helping students develop both their technical skills and their skills as valuable employees. The AYES program concludes with students receiving a student achievement certificate with their high school diploma.

Participating dealers advise their AYES student employees to further their education by enroling in the manufacturer's training program and become manufacturer certified Master Technicians. Students are encouraged to continue their automotive education with general education courses at a local community college, and to earn an Associates Degree in Applied Science.

Service Consultant
Service consultants, sometimes called service advisors, are basically interpreters between customers and service technicians. They schedule vehicles for service, and translate the problem a customer encounters into technical language for technicians. Service consultant also keeps customers informed about the repairs to their vehicles. Service consultants must know how vehicles work, and posses good conversational skills.

Parts Department
Working in the parts department of an automobile dealership means knowing where parts are located, what they do, and what vehicle they belong in. Parts department employees can encounter inquiries from their own service technicians, independent repair shops, and customers who do their own repair work in a single day. Some Parts Department positions include the pick-up and delivery person, parts helper, shipping and receiving clerk, counter salespeople and Parts Department Manager. They need a technical background, which many gain from working in the service department, good organization skills, a keen eye for detail, and they should enjoy working with people.

The Parts Department Manager in responsible for the hiring, training and supervising of Parts Department staff, as well as organizing merchandise, displays and advertising.

Office Manager
A dealership’s Office Manager is responsible for organizing, supervising and coordinating administrative operations include payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable, inventory control, benefits management and human resources.

Financial and Insurance Manager
The Financing and Insurance Manager establishes relationships with financing and insurance companies and sells those products to vehicle purchasers at a dealership. To be a financing and insurance manager, you must have good math skills and excellent interpersonal skills.

General Manager
The top administrative position at a dealership is the General Manager, who is often the dealership owner as well. The General Managers is responsible for the successful operation of the entire dealership. This position requires excellent business management skills and experience in all dealership departments.

Porter
The job of porters is to wax, shine, buff, wash, polish and maintain control of the new vehicle inventory. In many cases, porters drive vehicles for receipt and delivery, and drive courtesy vehicles/shuttles. Being a porter is a great entry-level position at the service end of the automobile dealership.

For more information about AYES programs, visit http://www.ayes.org/ or contact Jim Butcher at (630) 424-6020.