aesthetics82

I am currently a student at UCSB earning my degree in aquatic biology. I have about a year and a half left. After graduating I would really like to pursue a career or even part time job in the automotive industry. That is where my true passion is. I love cars and driving them fast. I have been to a few HPDE events and I love it. I try and go as much as possible but it's hard being a college student with little money. I want to get involved in the automotive industry in some way. I would love to be a test driver/evaluater for a car company or even race in NASA. I really just want to drive cars and get paid, thats the bottom line. I'm sure everyone one of you would love to do that as well. Bottom line, what advice would u have to get involved and make my dream career more of a reality? Thanks.
-RJ

07

Dont be a Dealership technician............. unless you *** everytime you drench yourself in swamp ***.

end rant

GSpeedR

Driving cars and getting paid? I think all you got left is being a taxi driver.

It's too late to become a full-time race car driver imo. Go to a Bondurant School when you graduate and pray you're amazing.

Realistically, USTCC pays out even if you get last place. It won't even cover your racing but, hell, you're getting paid. I would get a job that pays enough and try out amateur racing when you have the money to properly do so.

As for an automotive job...get in line...I'm first. If your school has an FSAE team, join it; it will provide great experience. Your aquatic biology degree will greatly assist the cultivation of endangered sea urchins in the Southwestern Mediterranean but it's not going to do much for you in the auto industry. I bet you can pick up girls with that though, which is job #2 in my book.

Sean O'Gorman

Aquatic biology major looking for a career in the automotive industry? I don't see the connection, but then again, I never saw the connection between racing and lawn mowing until I saw that pic of .RJ's wheel after his off course excursion at VIR, so who knows?

Honestly, to be a driver, it requires alot of money. Someone racing in Champ Car might be making $85,000 a year and you might be thinking "hell yeah, I'd race even if its only for $85,000", but you have to take into account the fact that before that paid drive, there was still thousands or even millions of dollars spent on the driver in karting, Barber Dodge, Atlantics, Champ Cars, etc. before he landed his first paid drive. Where does that money come from? Usually either family money, or personal wealth. Sponsorship and prize money usually doesn't cover the bills until you get into the big time. The ROI simply isn't there outside of NASCAR.

Everyone is going to suggest to you to get rich; that is the easiest way, but its not the only way. I have a friend who dropped out of high school his junior year in order to get home schooled and get a GED at 16. He went to work for Archangel Motorsports in Grand-Am and ALMS for several years because he wanted to race cars. He got to race karts, go to the Panoz school, Formula Mazda, Grand-Am Cup, and get some testing miles in the team's Lola B2K/40 and other vehicles that Gunnar Racing owned. When I talked to him in January he said he was making little progress in the driving department and was going to just concentrate on crewing, but last week he ended up getting named to drive the teams Lola at the ALMS race at Mid-Ohio later this month. It is extremely rare when a driver makes it to that level of the sport without any significant financial backing (although his dad was involved in sports car racing as a manager for various teams), so it was very cool when he informed me of his landing the ride.

Another way to potential make a career in racing would be to land a sponsor. This is also something very difficult, because like I said before, the ROI when it comes to road racing sponsorship is pretty low. Who wants to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on sponsoring a road racer who only is viewed by several hundred or thousand people when you can go the cheaper route and sponsor someone in stock car racing and get much more exposure, often times for less money? But, there are always opportunites out there if you try hard enough, and if you can convince a sponsor that they will see a sufficient increase in revenue, they'll be more than happy to pay for you to race. Seeing as I'm going to school for marketing right now, I hope to someday be able to use my marketing knowledge to do just that.

Tyson

jobs @honda... kinda old list a friend forwarded me. gives you an idea of what the industry expects.

Requisition Nbr.: HCU10713NAS
Date Posted: 2/11/2004
Company: HCU
Job title: Sr. Tech Specialist
Division: Honda Federal Credit Union
Job status: Full Time
Location: Torrance , CA
Manager: Steven Brandon
Pay grade: 19
Pay range: From $49831 to $77239
Shift: 1st
Job description: Responsibilities include deployment and maintenance of ATM customization loads, deployment of pin encryption keys for ATM machines and ATM transaction Acquirer. Also responsible for ATM audit requirements specification and compliance support for ATM and other Windows based monetary transaction systems including ACH Payroll. Job includes quality assurance and compliance requirements analysis, test plan development, and documentation of software configurations and builds that effect the ATM and other Windows based monetary transaction systems. Other job responsibilities include development and monitoring of change management procedures and documentation. CORE COMPETENCIES: Interpersonal Skills, Communication, Technical Skills, Planning Organizing, and Customer Orientation

Requisition Nbr.: HPD10830NAS
Date Posted: 3/23/2004
Company: HPD
Job title: Associate Dyno Engineer
Division: Honda Performance Development
Job status: Full Time
Location: Santa Clarita , CA
Manager: Ron Kamiya
Pay grade: E1
Pay range: From $54991 to $85237
Shift: 1st
Job description: The purpose of this job is to provide engine testing using HPD's engine dynamometers and conduct the data analysis from the test performed. Will be also responsible for maintenance, scheduling and operation of one engine dynamometer. This will include prioritizing task within the cell to meet shipping and development need and will be responsible for quality and quantity of output of this dyno. Requirements include BS degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on internal combustion engines and associated fluid dynamics and thermodynamics is highly desirable; minimum 1-3 years direct dynamometer testing of high performance race engines including setup and maintenance, development of test procedures, data acquisition and analysis; engine mapping and calibration experience highly desirable; hands-on experience of test equipment inspection, maintenance and minor repair; previous data analysis, summarizing and reporting experience; proficient in Word, Excel, database and data acquisition software. Core Competencies: Results Orientation, Planning/Organizing, Customer Orientation, Technical Skills, and Decision-Making Judgment.

Requisition Nbr.: HPD10888NAS
Date Posted: 4/15/2004
Company: HPD
Job title: Engineer
Division: Honda Performance Development
Job status: Full Time
Location: Santa Clarita , CA
Manager: Ron Kamiya
Pay grade: E2
Pay range: From $63239 to $98021
Shift: 1st
Job description: The purpose of this job is to oversee development engine tests at the track particularly on the development car and engineer the engine installation for lease engines for the Indy Racing League series for Honda. The Engineer is responsible for providing quality test data in response to test request at the race/test events as well as oversee the integration of the engine into the approved chassis. The associate will also oversee one to two technicians for the season. Requirements include: BS degree in Mechanical Engineering with emphasis in Internal Combustion Engines, or equivalent work experience; minimum of 2 - 5 years of experience in a track support role with a professional race team a plus; extensive hands-on experience with internal combustion race engines and related electronic and mechanical systems; previous bench testing experience in both prototype and race ready hardware; previous report writing and database experience; strong PC and software knowledge including MS Office and Pi Research system; ability to work under minimal supervision in a team environment is essential. Core Competencies: Honda Specific Knowledge, Challenging Spirit, Communication, Technical Skills, and Decision-Making Judgment.

Requisition Nbr.: HPD10826NAS
Date Posted: 3/23/2004
Company: HPD
Job title: Race Team Engineer
Division: Honda Performance Development
Job status: Full Time
Location: Santa Clarita , CA
Manager: Ron Kamiya
Pay grade: E2
Pay range: From $63239 to $98021
Shift: 1st
Job description: The purpose of this position is to provide high performance race engine engineering trackside support to the lease engine teams for the Indy Racing League series for Honda. The Engineer is responsible for quality engine performance at the race/test events as well as train new associate engineers. The associate will be assigned to a Powered by Honda driver and team and will oversee one to two technicians for the season. This position requires extensive travel. The qualified candidate should possess: BS degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Internal Combustion Engines or equivalent work experience; minimum 2-5 years of experience in a track support role with a professional race team a plus; extensive hands on experience with internal combustion race engines and related electronic and mechanical systems; previous bench testing experiences of both prototype and race ready hardware. Must also posses the ability to work in a team environment with minimal supervision. Core Competencies: Challenging Spirit, Communication, Technical Skills, Decision Making Judgment and Honda Specific Knowledge.

Sean O'Gorman

Somehow I don't think that first job fits in with the rest.

EMod Civic

Believe it or not, it's not that hard to get a job as a test driver. We just hired a recent grad, and I think we have additional positions open. Typically, we look for Mechanical Engineers. The catch is the jobs don't pay that well and are typically located in the middle of nowhere. Also, don't expect to be blasting around a track all the time puching cars to their limit. Most vehicle testing occurs under conditions that typical drivers regularly experience, so most of the driving is 'normal' speeds and inputs. There are lots of automotive jobs in the Detroit area. NATC in Nevada is usually looking for drivers. They are an independant test lab. A Monster search for 'vehicle' will get a lot of hits.

I did the test driver gig for a couple of years. It was fun, but gets a little boring after a while, just like any job. There's not a whole lot of career path if you want to stay a driver, but it is a great backgound job to get into vehicle design or vehicle component design.

-Chris

ragnaroek

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Requisition Nbr.: HPD10830NAS
Date Posted: 3/23/2004
Company: HPD
Job title: Associate Dyno Engineer
Division: Honda Performance Development
Job status: Full Time
Location: Santa Clarita , CA
Manager: Ron Kamiya
Pay grade: E1
Pay range: From $54991 to $85237
Shift: 1st
Job description: The purpose of this job is to provide engine testing using HPD's engine dynamometers and conduct the data analysis from the test performed. Will be also responsible for maintenance, scheduling and operation of one engine dynamometer. This will include prioritizing task within the cell to meet shipping and development need and will be responsible for quality and quantity of output of this dyno. Requirements include BS degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on internal combustion engines and associated fluid dynamics and thermodynamics is highly desirable; minimum 1-3 years direct dynamometer testing of high performance race engines including setup and maintenance, development of test procedures, data acquisition and analysis; engine mapping and calibration experience highly desirable; hands-on experience of test equipment inspection, maintenance and minor repair; previous data analysis, summarizing and reporting experience; proficient in Word, Excel, database and data acquisition software. Core Competencies: Results Orientation, Planning/Organizing, Customer Orientation, Technical Skills, and Decision-Making Judgment.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

sheit... i could *almost* do this job as is, and i've got (at least) 2 more years in school. funny thing is, powertrain isnt the feild i have the most interest in

fsae experience &gt;? college education ...im starting to wonder

GSpeedR

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondan00b &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">fsae experience &gt;? college education ...im starting to wonder </TD></TR></TABLE>

I think so. A real-world application of thermo, fluids, dynamics, etc. instead of examples in a text book. They complement each other pretty well, though.

jlucas

For the latest:
http://www.hondacorporate.com/careers/
http://www.hondaresearch.com/

Knestis

You can "work at what you love" or "work FOR what you love." I'd argue that you've constrained your options a lot by your choice of majors - which is not at all unusual. My bachelor's is in art...

I'll be among the first to get on the "ain't no such thing as a 'professional' road racer in the US" soapbox but that does NOT mean that you have to be independently wealthy to be afford to go road racing regularly.

If he doesn't huck big $$ at silly stuff, a person with a mid-level professional career can afford to run a competitive car in an affordable class. You will be more likely to actually get on the track sooner - if that's what you want to do - by working a career within your field for a few years, saving your extra scratch and learning about racing by working events or crewing.

K

Angry Joe

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondan00b &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

sheit... i could *almost* do this job as is, and i've got (at least) 2 more years in school. funny thing is, powertrain isnt the feild i have the most interest in

fsae experience &gt;? college education ...im starting to wonder </TD></TR></TABLE>

Bout time people started figuring that out

TeamSlowdotOrg

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> You will be more likely to actually get on the track sooner - if that's what you want to do - by working a career within your field for a few years, saving your extra scratch and learning about racing by working events or crewing.

K</TD></TR></TABLE>Absolutely. This is what I'll be doing even with a few semesters of FSAE experience if I don't get any breaks on trying to find a ride or other auto job out of school. That hands-on experience building, racing, repairing, tuning and budgeting your own private racing team (the team being you, the car, and beer) in the real world with real problems will make you much more marketable in the automotive industry than just waving your diploma and saying "Look! Me college! Me like race! Me want job!" You just have to make sure it comes up in the interview.

Littleton

If you want the ultimate: Contact http://www.accenture.com. Find out who the partner who controls the Williams CAD team. Good Luck!

allenp

"I really want a job in the automotive industry!"

You sure about that one?

I became a mechanical engineer (GMI '00) because of my love for cars and racing - I grew up around race tracks (dad's good friend is a 7-time SCCA club racing nat'l champ in FV, FF, FC) and thought that becoming an ME in the auto industry would be a practical way to enjoy cars. Huh. I wasn't quite correct.

Why? Well, maybe some people have a better experience than I. I work as a development engineer of clutch systems (I install clutches in cars and take subjective and objective measurements) for a major supplier to the auto industry. This means that I get to play with some neat cars - sometimes. But the majority of the work is repetitive and boring. And the data reduction is always repetitive and boring. Dealing with OE engineers (from Ford, GM, etc) is an exercise in futility, as they only take as much interest and ownership of the program as they can get away with to "check the boxes."

Maybe I'm cynical, but the OE auto industry in the US is full of disenchanted people just looking to make budget targets at the cost of performance - and no one has a passion for cars. At least not in the clutch part of the vehicle.

Go do something fun that gives you enough money and free time to enjoy cars on your own terms - not the paperwork-overloaded terms of the auto industry.

tnord

i thought i wanted to work in the auto industry for the rest of my life as well. my first job ever (mowing yards since i was 9 doesn't count) was at a nissan dealer detailing cars when i was 16. i worked as a detailer for about 5 years, then after college got offered a job in sales at the 2nd largest mazda dealer in the country. as the job market was ***-**** (this time last year), i took it. it ruined me. dealing with people that wouldn't know their *** from an oil cap was extremely frustrating and unrewarding. having to try and sell cars that i knew in my heart were junk was even worse. sales people for the most part are complete idiots. sales managers are only marginally better, even at a hugely successful dealership like i was at. i was building my miata at the time, and by the time i got home from 10hrs of bs a day, i didn't want to look at a car.

for me, racing is a way to get away from everything, a release if you will. now i work as a rental property manager, and can't wait to go work on my miata every weekend. i'll be entering an even more monotonous field, mutual funds, in the winter, and maybe i'll like cars even more after that.

i'd think twice about getting into it.

Sean O'Gorman

Great posts guys. I have a friend who was going to go to school to be a mechanical engineer because of his interest in cars, but he said he figured that he'd just end up with a job designing door *****, so he switched to chemical engineering. Another friend is trying to be a mechanical engineer, and she is always asking me if I have any inside connections to jobs in the motorsport or auto industry, which I don't.

Plus, every technician I know has gotten into it because they love working on cars. Heh, not after a week or so working at an Audi or Dodge dealership. Plus techs ALWAYS seem to make the most clueless budgeting decisions, like spending their rent money on a beat up old truck that they'll end up abandoning anyway, and then complaining how they have no money.

GSpeedR

I work with a lot of people who were in the auto industry before: Visteon, Honda, GM, who are glad they're out. If you hate bureacracy and the like, stay away from production based cars (especially GM). If you hate having a job you might not have next month, stay away from racing. So I've been told. I'm still doing it, though. I can always sell drugs later.

Jake

Um, yeah...

http://www.consumerreports.org...14517

Mechanical Engineering is a good start
Moving to Detroit is a good next step
Then use that background to do what you want

b18c1995

im really interested in working in the automotive industry too. Im starting college this fall and hopufully earn a masters degree in mechanical engineering. I want to know more about FSAE, and how can i find out if my school has this?

Tyson

not being in the "industry" at all but with a mechanical engineering degree, i think tho that if you want to work in the automotive industry, study mechanical engineering. however, if you want to be in the RACING industry, study materials science or aerospace engineering to study composite and lightweight materials or obviously aerodynamics. you can also do electrical engineering and study signal processing. but mechanical i think is too general to be of any use for a racing team which is so high end in engineering you need a specialty. a lot of mechanics in training at russell mechanics training program were mechanical engineers tho. but i realized a long time ago, that i want to keep my hobby and interest separate from my career and that i wouldnt want to be a mechanic on a team anyway. id much rather be an engineer and serve as a consultant or specialist than a grunt.

110 South

I kinda know how you feel. I have some exp. from both sides of the fence in regards to the auto industry. For one I was part owner of Inline Four, maybe you heard of them, maybe not, but anyway, the aftermarket industry can be hit or miss at times and a lot of it "shady business". Could've been because at the level I was at(shop owner, retail, wholesale) and not a powerhouse like Options Auto. Now I work at a Honda dealership in the parts dept. For me, I like Hondas in general, so working at the dealership gives me the oportunity to get involved with Hondas entire line of cars and surround myself with extensive material and knowledge of all apsects of the Honda car, not just engine and suspension tuning. I make decent $$$ and I still have time to play with my car and race it. I look back and see that there is much more money to be made on the O.E. side than on the aftermarket side. Nobody needs a header or exhaust, but service will always be needed. Owning a shop was fun, but stressful when you have an ******* of a partner. My dealership also pays for my HPDE's since i do minor advertising with stickers and license plate frames.

Not sure what point im trying to get across, but I guess you can say, just jump in somewhere and see where it takes you. You'll never know where you end up unless you try it.

I wish you luck in your future endeavors.

-Brandon

EG TYPE-R

to the original poster i say do it if you have fun learning that subject. i was in exactly your situation a few years ago at UCSB but due to a change of fate (bad grades) i was forced to go to the local city college (SBCC) and eventually took a few auto classes offered there. after taking those classes i was hooked and have since completed an automotive degree there and have been working in a shop for the last 2 years. mostly while i was still in school.

ive loved my involvement in the auto industry thus far and plan to be a part of it for many years to come as a technician and hobbyist and eventual racer. with all the experience and knowledge that i have gained from work/school i have built a decent resume and should be working for the local BMW dealership as an aprentice within the next month or so.

whatever you do in life as long as you enjoy it then i figure your one of the lucky ones. i know i love what i do and make good money doing it and will make more as my skills improve.

granracing

I too would absolutely love a career in the automotive industry. It is a very tough search. Many of the positions either make little money, do not have job stability, hours stink, ect.

I have some connections at dealerships, but those jobs are tough especially since I absolutely love to race on the weekends. One of my sponsors is a car dealership and would really enjoy coming to the race events. But as they say, Saturday is the day they make it or break it. So getting a job a dealership defeats the purpose. Someone else I know owns a Honda dealership with a fairly large aftermarket division. I spoke with them, and they were very honest about it. Money is not that great, long hours (Sat. and often late hours), and it is not their primary focus.

I’ve even looked into being a mechanic. Besides the fact that a huge hammer is my favorite tool which might be frowned upon by a shop it is a tough position to be in. My buddy who has been in the auto service industry for several years and I were talking about it. Thought it could be an interesting idea for me. Work on cars (could be fun and help me with my racing efforts). I never realized what it really is like being a mechanic. Have to buy your own tools (I always thought the shop provided them) which can easily run you $10,000. Many mechanics move from shop to shop quite often. That’s why tool boxes come on wheels. J

Like most things in life, it looks like networking and meeting the right people is one of the most important things to get into the industry. A little luck and having the willingness to take some changes always helps too.

RangerHatch

Being fresh out of college i know you dont have much/any money! College loans arent peoples fovorite thing to do because we all know it takes lots of people more than 15 years to pay them off. Bottom line if you really want it that bad then you will have to deal with your debts and go with it.

My suggestions are to take classes at eaither Wyotech or UTI. Both institutes offer a wide range in autobody, engines, and so on. Also they do great enternships with companies COUGH**HONDA**COUGH and many other companies such as Ferrari, VW, Porshe, and a lot of other companies. I was going to go to Wyotech but i didnt want to pay for college my entire life and the Army came knocking and now and Army Ranger. Not that anyone cares but those would be great starts to your career. Also there is a NHRA school of somesort that a friend of mine just got back from and he LOVED IT! It teaches everything....also he was being paid to go.....like entership. I dontr know the school but if you wanna know i will find out for you and get back to you. Good luck and keep your dream alive!!! Do what makes you happy and you will never have any regreats. Good Luck