JobsAndCareersWithSarahWillingham2016 - 263

FOCUS :

AUTOMOTIVE
£20,000 and £30,000, with plenty of
opportunities for overtime.
What's the route into the job? Most
roadside recovery technicians will already
be qualified motor mechanics, having
trained and worked in a garage or car
dealership. You can also take approved
college courses in vehicle maintenance,
repair and technology. Apprenticeships
and in-house training schemes are
sometimes available.

Car rental agent
Working in customer service in a car rental
company involves handling the bookings
and administration for leasing cars to
individuals and companies. This may be in
a small local rental company, or a large
international company, like those found at
airports. You'll be dealing with customer
enquiries, explaining lease agreements,
checking and monitoring vehicles for
damage and mileage, and maintaining
good relationships with business clients.
What skills do I need? You need to be
genuinely interested in cars and have
a good understanding of different models.
You also need excellent communication
and sales skills, and must enjoy dealing
with people. Good business and
administrative skills are essential.
How much will I earn? Salaries start
at about £12,000, plus bonuses or
commissions, rising to £20,000 for
a team leader.
What's the route into the job? No formal
qualifications are required, although
you'll need to demonstrate good

standards of maths and English.
More important is the right personality
and ideally some experience of sales
or customer service. Apprenticeship
schemes may be available too. On-the-job
training includes courses in customer
service and business administration,
and accreditation by the IMI.

Car body repairer
A car body repairer assesses, fixes and
replaces the damaged parts on the body
of vehicles - for instance, after a scrape or
collision. This can include removing and
fitting panels, filling holes and areas of
rust, smoothing out dents, and creating
bespoke panels to weld onto the vehicle.
You'll also refinish the vehicle - priming,
paint spraying and waxing - to make it
look as good as new. Jobs tend to be in
body repair workshops, car dealerships
and bus and coach companies.
What skills do I need? You'll need to be
practical and methodical, good with your
hands and able to use tools. It helps to be
self-motivated and a perfectionist. Good
communication skills are also important.
How much will I earn? Salaries start
from around £13,000, rising to £28,000
as a lead technician.
What's the route into the job? The most
common route is an apprenticeship
scheme in body and paint operations.
This normally requires GCSEs in relevant
subjects, such as design and technology.
There are also college diplomas such as
vehicle accident repair body technology,
with day release for practical learning.
Some people go into body repair after
working as a mechanic.
To find out more about

Words: Catherine Francis. Images: Shutterstock. Wage information
provided by National Careers Service unless otherwise stated.

apprenticeships, qualifications and
accreditation in the automotive
industry, visit www.theimi.org.uk
For apprenticeship vacancies and
employment opportunities, visit:
www.autocity.org.uk, www.
notgoingtouni.co.uk/sector/
mechanic-and-automotive and
www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
You can also contact individual
companies and car manufacturers to
find out what kind of apprenticeships
they offer.

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 2 6 3
http://www.theimi.org.uk http://www.autocity.org.uk http://notgoingtouni.co.uk/sector/ http://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
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