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MMI question

Discussion in 'General' started by Banditracer, Apr 30, 2018.

  1. This. If you are going to spend money on a technical school do one that offers a good opportunity for ROI. My cousin has a mech eng degree but always wanted to be a mechanic. He’s now an aviation mechanic, makes more than he would as an engineer. Travels when he wants to for work (he’s at a point he can be somewhat selective), loves what he does and gets other job offers like mad but he’s loyal to his company and they pay him accordingly.
     
    Wingnut likes this.
  2. condon66

    condon66 Member well known

    That's about what they are making here in a union at Penn State University.
     
  3. Slider82

    Slider82 Well-Known Member

    A wise old man I once worked with put it perfectly, "A mechanic fixes things, a technician replaces parts".
     
    Wingnut and condon66 like this.
  4. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    Maybe I'm thinking this wrong but with the number of dealerships and shops closing the doors wouldn't there almost be a glut of average and also really good motorcycle mechanics out there?

    Someone was talking about HVAC techs. Want to make the real money on that? Get a clearance and companies will throw money at you.
     
  5. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    I guess the difference between mechanic and technician is colloquial semantics. Either you're a part swapper or you know why a particular part needs repaired/replaced.
     
  6. MELK-MAN

    MELK-MAN The Dude abides...

    i suppose the demand for qualified mechanics can depend on where you live.. My buddy that owns Axis powersports at Croom motorcycle park, Brooksville FL, is currently backlogged 4 weeks for new work. His tech of 4 years left to work in a family business, and he literally can't even get someone to apply that will fill out a decent resume. A couple guys didn't even know what a resume was ! He's having to do a lot of the work on his own and have his wife work the counter, and has a guy working 2 days a week part time (that guy has a good healthcare job full time).
    if anyone knows someone in FL, or is willing to locate near Brooksville, contact them .. pay is commensurate with skill level (actual, not stated). https://www.facebook.com/axispowersports.atcroom/
     
  7. MELK-MAN

    MELK-MAN The Dude abides...

    but a word on MMI, Devry, Wyo tech, etc. Had a college roommate that went to work for a hedge fund. He was like a detective, and while studying this industry (private schools and tech schools). Literally pretending to be a student and then infiltrating some admin paperwork.. he found the placement claims they make to be incredibly overstated. Massively.

    These schools are money making machines, in part, counting on govt. subsidies for much of their income. They would be claiming students that were not in class, and had long since dropped out, were still attending to keep their tuition subsidies rolling in. As some have stated, you MIGHT come out of a school like these with more debt than the job you find can pay off any time soon. Proceed with caution, ensure you are gonna get out of it what you expect...
     
    Wingnut, aaronson and TurboBlew like this.
  8. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    seems to be "interchangeable" for a lay person. A qualified _________ should be able to assess & diagnose the condition of a vehicle in ____ hours for X amount of dollars.
     
  9. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    "Assess" and "diagnose" sums it up rather well.
     
  10. Banditracer

    Banditracer Dogs - because people suck

    Good info so far, thanks. I decided to have him do his work study here, he and mom are stopping in late this afternoon so they'll be reading this later.
     
  11. Motofun352

    Motofun352 Well-Known Member

    My maintenance shop (when I was supervising) was responsible for all the plant's chillers. These were BIG Freon 12 based units. We had a federal liability to control the Freon so licenses were required by all the mechanics as part of their certification. During the bi-anual recertification class the instructor informed me that while the mechanics were potentially liable for a $2000 fine if they screwed up...I was the one who was going to jail! Damn how those guys loved that. They jokingly started a fund to collect the 2 grand just so they could send me to pokey.
     
  12. Banditracer

    Banditracer Dogs - because people suck

    He was just here, this caught his eye and got him thinking.
     
  13. Spitz

    Spitz Well-Known Member

    I work on car/ trucks and I could care to look at them at the end of the day. I don't even like working on my own shit. I'd say if he likes motorcycles, keep it as a hobby and not make it a "job" unless he's super serious. I lost interest in going to car shows and stuff, but I still like heavy trucks and equipment that I used to as a kid.
     
  14. ToofPic

    ToofPic Well-Known Member

    Back in the day if you worked in a dealership,like Honda..they would pay to get you certified for free.
    You could get all kinds of free schooling with Honda back in the 80's.
    Honda would send reps around,and you could talk with them,and they would sign you up for schooling.
    If I were getting into turning wrenches I would look into jet skis,or any marine engine degree.
    Harley also use to pay well to work on that junk.
    Look at whats selling,and head that way:)
     
  15. Dan Dubeau

    Dan Dubeau Well-Known Member

    People spend disposable money on disposable toys. Getting into fixing seadoos, boats, sleds and motocycles because you like riding them is a sure fire way to develop a new hate for them.

    There is good money in fixing expensive things. Things like aircraft, heavy equipment, heavy trucks, transportation (buses, trains) mining equipment, etc. They make people money, and if their broke down, they're not earning anything. It pays to be a problem solver, when there is a problem that's costing somebody money.
     
  16. baconologist

    baconologist Well-Known Member

    That^ all day everyday is pude d gawd truth!
    Don’t forget the higher stability in these markets also.
     
    beechkingd likes this.
  17. CBR723

    CBR723 Well-Known Member

    It's been awhile since I worked at dealership but before I left I was 90% or so complete with Honda courses in Atlanta. All the manufacturers have some in house training and they are free to you. Your dealership would have to pay your salary and hotel atleast mine would. I do not know if it's still a thing but Honda had it where if you had at east one tech that was 100% schooled by them it was more discount on parts, when your ordering couple 100k in parts every year that is substantial. If it is still a thing you would think it would be a profit priority but I left dealer before completing I was seeing a bad trend in management and was not certain if things were going to be well in future. I am in aviation now as structures tech/position lead and I love it. There are days you know it's going to be bad but just power on through and do the best work you can.
     
  18. Wingnut

    Wingnut Well-Known Member

    I have friends and connections all throughout the globe in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, commercial operators, corporate flight departments, oil companies, gov agencies, medivac, all sorts.

    Do aviation to get paid and work on bikes as a hobby.
     
    pscook and Boman Forklift like this.
  19. Scotty87

    Scotty87 Lacks accountability

    Hell no. HELL no. Those things are more disposable and never a priority for someone, to a higher degree than even sportbikes! Talk about volatile.

    Aviation, heavy trucks. People (more importantly companies) NEED those.
     
    Wingnut and Slider82 like this.
  20. Triple X

    Triple X Well-Known Member

    That's what I did.
    Corporate aviation.
    If he can get his pilot's license even better.
     

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