Learn How To Become A Professional Collision Repair Technician

Are You Interested In A Collision Repair Career Pathway?  

Why choose collision repair as a career pathway?

Hands-on: Why should your job be boring and dreadful? You can earn income doing the things you like to do. If you're someone that likes working with your hands, a high-tech environment and you enjoy being able to step back and see the results of your work; then collision repair may be a good fit for you. High income potential: I-Car Education Foundation completed a survey, showing the average income that a collision repair technician earns. You may be surprised that the average income of $51,312 is higher then many other comparable trades. In fact, the top 10% earn $88,460. Although, just like with any career, you shouldn't expect this your first year on the job. These are the incomes you can expect to make with experience and commitment.

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What Are You Passionate About

     

I recommend that you find what your passionate about and do it. Let's face it, no one wants to spend the rest of their life hating their job. Life is too short...make each day count. While you're thinking about your passions, I'll tell you about mine and a few other stories.

Donnie's Story

I started working on cars as a hobby when I was a kid. My father, brother and I enjoyed tinkering around with cars. In high school, I enrolled in an auto mechanics class. This class allowed us to perform the mechanical aspect as well as body work and painting. There, I painted my first car. It was a 1974 Camaro. It took me the entire year to repair all the small dents and get it painted. However, the paint job turned out awesome. I was impressed with the satisfaction of being able to stand back and see the end result. This was when I discovered that I was passionate about the collision repair pathway. From there I attended a school for collision repair and entered the field of collision repair. In 2004 I decided to take the skills that I’ve learned and teach it to others. I remain passionate about collision repair and teaching.

Jenni’s Story

Auto Collision Repair fulfills a dream for me and provides a way for me to grow in my passion. My story isn't typical. I didn't grow up with all my family being car people, although my dad did teach me use my hands and to find solutions. It really started as a silly hobby when I was ten to identify cars on the road by their headlights/tail lights, and body lines etc., and people’s fascination of this only encouraged me more. When it came time to go to college, I couldn't decide. I really hated the thought of continuing education in just general studies until i figured out a degree choice, of which none of them I could see myself doing for any length of time. I wanted to pursue something that was more a part of me that I could do for the rest of my life. I consider myself artistic and my dad encouraged me to combine that with my love of cars and pursue Auto Body. I had doubts that I’d like the repair part of it, but my drive to do custom paint and the thought of being around cars, and car people all the time was enough for me to enroll at Butler. The first year was a bit awkward, I was the only girl in the class and having my own set of tools was new to me. So now I'm almost done with my second year of the program and I have gained a lot of confidence in what I'm doing, and actually love the repair part too. I've found out that when I graduate there are many different jobs you can have within the industry; many different choices of what you can be good at.

Read More Passion Stories

 What if we can teach you a skill that you are passionate about and earn an honest decent income? Would that interest you? If so, keep reading to learn what we have to offer. If it is a fit for your needs, we’ll help you take the next step. If not, I suggest finding what you are passionate about. Fair enough?

 

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Collision Repair Career

Job Security        

• As long as people continue to drive vehicles, there are going to be accidents.
• As long as there are accidents, there’s going to be people required to repair those damaged vehicles.
• The roads are getting busier every day with traffic as population grows.
• Job not outsourced - Vehicles involved in an accident will not be shipped overseas to have repairs completed and shipped back.

This means JOB SECURITY for technicians Job EnvironmentMost automotive body repair technicians work indoors and work a standard 40-hour week, Monday through Friday, although some, including the self-employed, work more than 40 hours a week. Source: US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Still not sure if collision repair is a fit? This may help you determine if it is or not.

This is how I-CAR says it: “If you’re someone who enjoys working with your hands, has a mechanical aptitude, takes pride in your work and is passionate about cars, then you might consider a career in collision repair. In spite of many stereotypes, the collision repair field can be very rewarding for individuals who possess the right skills and desirable attitude. In fact, most people are surprised to learn that a collision repair technician’s income, on average, is better than comparable trades. Also, an experienced technician has high-income potential, excellent job security and ample opportunities for career advancement within the entire Automotive Industry.”

       

Potential Jobs

A collision repair and/or refinish technician are only a few of the possible career paths this training can lead you to. Others include:  

• Automotive Technician
• Collision Estimator
• Aviation Paint Technician
• Auto Assembler
• Customer Advisor
• Part Specialist
• Body Shop Manager
• Body Shop Owner
• Auto Damage Appraiser
• Collision Instructor

Ready To Take The Next Step?  

All We Need Is Your First Name and Email Address To Email To Send You A Free Series Of Auto Body and Paint Training.  If You Find That You Are Interested In A Collision Repair Pathway,  We Have A Virtual Training Course Prepared That Will Take You One Step Closer To Making Your Dream of Being A Professional Collision Repair Technician Become A Reality.

   

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Join The Collision Repair Expert Authors

Are you a body shop owner, supplier, offer a related service, educator, etc. If so, you have expert advice to share with the collision repair industry. We invite you to join us on CollisionBlast.com This is where the experts are the authors. Feel free to promote your business and/or educational contend that may help educate others about the collision repair business.

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Hi,

Donnie Smith here and I would like to invite you to join me on this training journey. I have spent my life working on cars and would like to share what I have learned with you for FREE. Why for free? Simply because I truly believe that people reap what they sow and this is my way of giving back.

My passion for working on cars started when I was a kid. I helped my dad and older brother work on cars as a hobby. In high school I enrolled in auto shop and painted my first car. After stepping back and seeing the finished product, I knew that I was hooked for life. After graduating high school I attended the collision repair program at WyoTech. Since then I have worked for body shops and a body tech, paint tech, and an estimator. I have managed and owned a body shop. For the past 6 years I have been teaching collision repair for an NATEF Accredited school that is also a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance. I stay up-to-date with the collision repair industry by attending training on a continuing basis, I am a member of ASA and the facilitator for the Educators Group on Collision Hub.

I am not bragging with all of my qualifications as I will be the first to admit that I do not know it all. I still learn everyday in this fast-paced industry. However, I do qualify to teach and I may be able to help you out if your interested in collision repair and painting.

GET STARTED

I am ready to share with you many of the tips, tricks, how-to’s, and resources. I also have many videos and resources of top trainers in both, professional and DIY to send you.

Here Are A Few Of My Qualifications:

*Graduated WyoTech in 1988 and Have Years Of Experience

* Associates Degree in Collision Repair and Management

* Obtaining a Degree in Professional Technical Education

* ASE Certified

* PPG Certified

* I-CAR Instructor Work Shop Certified

* Member of ASA

* Custom Paint Certificate From WyoTech

* Custom Metal Working Certificate from UTI

* Numerous Other Certificates in Collision Repair and Teaching

* Attend SEMA, NACE, VISION and Many Other Training Events

* Educator Group Facilitator on CollisionHub.com

*Technical Educator


So why am I willing to teach you for free when I get paid to do it for a college? Well, you’re probably interested in this for several reasons.

(1)You’re interested in collision repair as a career. If so, this will allow you to test the career pathway and determine if collision repair is a fit for you. If it is, I encourage you to further your education by enrolling in a college or technical school that provides collision repair. If you need help locating a NATEF accredited school in your area let me know. I have a list of all schools accredited throughout the US.

(2) You’re interested in this as a hobby (DIY). If so, I would like to give you a pat on the back and help you all that I can. Believe it or not, you play a crucial role in the industry. Without the DIY folks out there, there would not be any interest in the auto industries. Remember I said that I started working on cars with my dad and older brother as a kid? Well, we were just DIY people, which resulted in a collision repair career for me. I think there are many similar stories out there. I sincerely believe that it would improve any parent-child relationship. Your kids may not remember all of the TV shows or video games play growing up, but they will remember the times spent together working on a hobby, such as working on cars. Therefore, I want to give you all of the resources you need to make that happen. In return, you are providing interest and exposure to the collision repair career. It’s a win/win for everyone!

GET STARTED

Whatever reason you want to learn auto body and paint, it’s here for FREE. I will be sending you videos, articles, and websites from myself and other professionals in the industry. You will learn body work, painting, estimating, airbrushing, custom paint, success training, and much more. All I need is a first name and e-mail address to send it to.

GET STARTED

Technology; isn't it great!

It is a fact that new technology has changed the way we do business. Teaching is no exception. There a lot of new and awesome ways to teach and connect with students today. They have I-Phones capable of more than many of our computers. However, just like anything, it can be a two edged sword.

For instance, how many of you have ever said or done something a little out of line? Have you ever lost your temper? If so, you may want to be very careful. Several years ago I had a student tell me what the new "in thing" was to do. Several students would aggravate a teacher trying to get him or her mad on purpose. Once the teacher lost control, another student would secretly record the teacher using their cell phone. Then they would forward it to each other for a quick laugh. The problem is that a few of these have ended you on YouTube or GoFish. Of course, they only show the part of the teacher losing control. As a result, many teacher have lost there jobs.

I would never recommend wrestling with your students, but here is an example of a teacher being recorded and put online for the world to see. The students claimed they were messing around having fun. The student in the video and his parents refuse to press charges; nevertheless, the teacher has resigned.

The next time you lose your temper or say something you shouldn't, just smile instead, as you may be on candid camera.

This example is certainly out of line. I can't imagine why they were doing this. Maybe he is a wrestling coach... However, I have to admit, I would probably been upset if that was my kid.

What are you going to do...

What are you going to do...when you graduate? Will you be able to get the things you want? Make sure you make wise decisions, as it's already a challenge to survive in today's economy. It takes a lot of money to live.

Things you need to consider when choosing a collision repair training facility.

Enrollment has started and there is limited class space available. This is the time of year to enroll, in order to secure your spot in the classes you wish to take in the fall. Many students put this off until the end of summer or the last minute. However, some of them will find that the classes they intended to take are full. Many technical programs, like Collision Repair, have a low student per instructor ratio, which means very limited space available. Procrastinators may lose their spot to someone else.

Why choose collision repair as a career pathway?

Hands-on: Why should your job be boring and dreadful? You can earn income doing the things you like to do. If you're someone that likes working with your hands, a high-tech environment and you enjoy being able to step back and see the results of your work; then collision repair may be a good fit for you.

High income potential: I-Car Education Foundation completed a survey, showing the average income that a collision repair technician earns. You may be surprised that the average income of $51,312 is higher then many other comparable trades. In fact, the top 10% earn $88,460. Although, just like with any career, you shouldn't expect this your first year on the job. These are the incomes you can expect to make with experience and commitment.

Job Security: As roads and highways become more populated with vehicles, the results are more auto accidents. Unfortunately, the automotive industry is not finding enough trained technicians to properly repair these modern day vehicles. This means job security for you.

Work will never be outsourced: Think about it! Could you imagine a damaged vehicle being loaded on a ship, taken overseas, repaired, and shipped back to the customer...it's not going to happen. We need trained collision and paint technicians right here in the United States, in every state and every city to repair our cars. As a technician, you will never have to worry about your job being outsourced.

What are some of the things to consider when choosing a school to attend?

NATEF certified: Make sure the school is a National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) accredited. This gives you peace of mind knowing that the school has met the NATEF standards and is a quality school. NATEF is national recognized in the automotive industry and will give you a competitive edge, when you pursue a job. In order to be NATEF accredited, all instructors must be Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified to teach. This means that you will have competent instructors to ensure your success in the future.

I-Car affiliation: Make sure the school is affiliated with I-Car. I-Car is an organization that helps the collision industry with on-going training. They provide training to technicians already on the job and they provide curriculum and support to colleges and technical schools to prepare students for the world-of-work. I-Car is known throughout the collision industry and will give your potential employer another perk to hire you.

Where do I find a school like this and how do I enroll?

1. Call the school to set up a time you can visit with them and ask to tour the collision repair program.
2. Is the collision program accredited? If so, who are they accredited through?
3. Are they affiliated with I-Car and what curriculum do they use?
4. Ask if one of the program instructors are available to speak with. You can ask them program specific questions. This will give you a better feel of the program and the instructors.
5. What is their student per instructor ratio?
6. Find out what requirements, tools, tuition,and fees are required.
7. Have them explain the difference between a certificate and an associates degree. (some technical schools do not offer associates degrees)
8. Does the college have any articulation agreements with any other schools, which allows the student to transfer into a four-year university?
9. Once you feel you have made the correct decision, ask them to direct you to an advisor. The advisor will walk you through the steps to get you enrolled.

or

Post a commit on this blog or contact me directly and I will help you find a college in your area. The key is to act now. Waiting may cause you to lose out on this opportunity.

Here are a few resources for you:
Collision Career Video
Collision Career Information
Collision Resources

Donnie Smith
"Challenges Produce Champions"

The Discipline Problems in Our Schools from the 1940's to Now.

Why the change in students behavior over the last 70 years? By looking at history we can tell something has gone wrong with the way our children are being raised. A study performed by the Dallas Baptist University gave some of the top offences made in school in the 1940’s. These major offences included, running in the hallway, chewing gum, not putting paper in waste basket and making noise. However, these did not seem like big offences when I graduated in the late 80's. I remember fighting and alcohol being among the top offence at that time. Years later, I started teaching collision repair to high school students in 2004. This was my first teaching job and my first time to be back in a high school since I graduated. This opened my eyes to a whole new generation of kids. Top offences in schools now include every felony possible from running in the hall way to murder. In fact, here is a link to an article and video, where 9 third graders brought a knife, duct tape, handcuffs, and other items to school with the intentions to harm their teacher. This is quite alarming to me and reinforces us that we are dealing with a different group of students these days. Many people believe problems increased when most schools stopped spanking students at school. Others believe that spanking only lowers a students self esteem and produces violence. I believe both sides holds truth, but discipline must start at the home. Therefore, the same issue of spanking children exist in the home today. Does spanking teach our children discipline or not?

I know there are a lot of good books, theories and resources offering solution to resolve this issue. I know that spanking our children and Bible study have been taken out of schools, but I would like to point out what the Bible says about raising children. Here are a few verses on the matter: Proverbs 22:15 "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 23:13 "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." Proverbs 29:15 "The rod of correction impairs wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother."

By reading these verses it seems apparent to me that the Bible teaches us that we should discipline our children by spanking them. The Bible also teaches us love. If we are going to spank our children I think we need to demonstrate we love them too. If we spank our child out of anger, we teach them violence. If we spank them out of love we teach them respect. If we only threaten to spank, we teach them how to lie. However, if we follow through with what we say, we teach them honesty. Sometimes it is easier to threaten or overlook things, but if we want our children to respect and obey us, we need to be consistent with what we do and say. We can't do one without the other. For example, if we love them dearly, but never discipline them, we will spoil them. If you always give to them without asking for a small sacrifice or something in return, they will become un-thankful. However, I believe the other side is the bigger problem we face. Which is, if you discipline, insult, spank, or beat a child out of anger just to punish them, they may not understand why. Therefore, we teach them to react in anger and become out of control. I believe the schools are being populated with these three types of kids: the spoiled, the un-thankful, and the ones that feel unloved and out of control. Of course, there are a lot of outstanding students as well. However, I sincerely believe you could trace many of the problems students have to one of the above three reasons. So, I believe that spanking is effective if done correctly for the right reasons.

What else can we do to help raise our children right? I don’t think discipline and love alone is enough to assure our children will go the way we want them to. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." How do we do this? I think to "train "we need to demonstrate how by leading by example. Who are you going to trust more on your next flight; a pilot that has been flying for years and has took off and landed time after time safely, or someone that has been reading about flying and knows everything there is to know about flying, but has never actually flown? My point is, that just because you know the truth and speak it does not mean they will hear what you are saying? For instance, if you smoke and tell your child of all the hazards of smoking; are they going to hear "causes cancer" or "Mom and/or Dad does it, so it’s not that bad?" If we don’t want child to be involved with drugs and alcohol then we need to stand up and be the first to say "no" to drugs and alcohol or whatever it is we don’t want our child doing.

I know everyone does not have the same religion preferences that I do. However, I believe this method will work with or without Christan principles. If we let out children know we care for them, we love them, but we correct them when they're outside of their boundaries; while leading by example, will produce respectful kids with high self esteem. If we (the parents) can help develop our children with these core ethic skills, our schools will be filled with higher quality students making it easier for the teachers to provide them with an education.

What suggestions or comment do you have about our childerns ethics today?

Here is a video about the attack.

No Child Left Behind; Is It Working?

Education plays a crucial role in securing a successful job today.  The days of going out and getting a job without prior training are gone, as minimum wage jobs are not enough to survive in today's world.  Bush has passed a bill called "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), which is to help all students receive a better education while in secondary school and to prepare them for a college.  The plan is to increase accountability for student performance.  At the same time, everyone got the perception that if every child can learn, then every student should attend a four year university.  There are reports that show that this bill, is in fact, working. 

Many studies have shown that four-year degrees are a good investment.  In fact, I am a big advocate of education, as I would encourage all students to pursue a bachelor degree.  Students that attend college and obtain at least a bachelor degree have a much greater chance of succeeding in their careers and more doors are open for these individuals. 
 
Again, I comment those that obtain at least a bachelor degree.  However, the problem is with the students that don't.  According to the National Assessment of Vocational Education, they report that two-thirds of America's young people do not obtain a four year degree.  This leaves almost 67% of people that do not have a four year degree.  What about these individuals?  What hope do they have of securing a decent and honest living? 
 
A problem with the (NCLB) is that it has left teachers teaching to "the test." Now how educational is it to teach someone how to take a test? I think teachers need the freedom to teach their students real education and how to survive in the real world.  After teaching three years of high school in Texas I believe the (NCLB) has created a huge gap between those who can and those who can't.  This is leading to a higher high school dropout rate.  I think the bill was an excellent idea; however, I don't believe it is working as planned.  What alternative solutions do we have available to help keep students involved with school so they will graduate?
 
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has the right idea to help solve this problem.  Arnold mentions, in an article by Time Magazine, that vocational education is the key to help students’ graduate high school.  Arnold says it this way ""I have talked to many kids who tell me they don't want to go to college, so why graduate?  They don't see an end goal. They can't visualize it."  I agree that technical education is the solution for the gap caused by the (NCLB.)  However, the budget the Bush Administration submitted to Congress earlier this year eliminates all Carl T. Perkins funding for Technical Education and plans to use it for No Child Left Behind.  This will be disastrous if this is pushed though, as it will affect the 67% of students that will not obtain a four year degree. 
 
In addition to graduating high school, technical education provides many career paths for students to choose from.  These careers are for people that may not feel like sitting behind a desk doing paperwork or talking on the phone the rest of their life.  These hands-on careers offer jobs that are high-skilled and high-tech, which offer high paying salaries comparable to many occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree.  You can receive the training for these jobs in two years or less in most cases.  This is good news for the individuals that may not feel like sitting in classes for an additional four plus years.  Our economy greatly depends on these jobs as well.  For instance, it's kind of hard to ship a vehicle overseas to be worked on when it is in need of repairs.  We need trained technicians right here that we can depend on to help us with these repairs. 
 
In conclusion, both four-year degrees and technical degrees are available to ensure success for students.  Our economy depends on both academic bound and technical bound students to survive.  Therefore, we must focus on our large number of students not attending a four year university.  We must not allow these students to fall through the cracks of educations.  We need them to graduate high school and pursue training that is a fit for their individual needs.  We must help them determine what their passion is at younger ages and help them along the determined career pathway.  This is what it is going to take to provide a thriving economy and to ensure that no child is left behind.   What do you think?

Are you ready to teach the next generation?

Take a look at what's headed your way; if it's not already.

Keeping up is today's challenge.