Other than an engineer, how does on find a career in the corporate auto industry? I was browsing the openings and they all looks so vague or limited.
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How does one get a career in the auto industry?
- Thread starter bobert486
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Well, the post is vague. :tongue:
What do you want to do? Turn a nut on an assembly line? Marketing for one of the big 3? Sales for a supplier? Auto show spokes model?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE? :biggrin:
ps - I don't know the above, I quit my job on my birthday in July. :wink:
Be a car czar for the Bamster.
Be a union official - organizer for the Bamster's UAW.
Be a union official - organizer for the Bamster's UAW.
Yes i know, my post was deliberately vague so I could see what people thought from all direction.
Finished my Masters a little over a year ago and ever since have been looking into law school. I'm currently employed at a good company but its not exactly what I studied, not to mention having a passion for. These past couple months have had me thinking, a lot. Honestly, I'd be lying to myself(and have been) if I didn't pursue a career in automobiles.
What do I really want in life(job wise), work in something along the line of product development & strategy. So I'm assuming its marketing related. My ideal position is to work with a team to creatively promote brand X's competitiveness and learning from consumers and using this data as feedback to the engineers on how to improve my company's products to satisfy the toughest critics. The entire online application is so damn frustrating because there is little to demonstrate my enthusiasm and experience for the industry. Grrrr how do people do it??
Don't think I'd cut it as an auto show model.:wink:
...avoid Detroit for starters
I know that sounds counter-intuitive... and pardon my obvious cynicism but when have you seen much out of the big 3 that gives the impression that they are listening to customers' feedback and channeling such feedback enthusiatically to design teams to create better products that people want to buy. There are massive communication gaps within the big 3 organizations that stall and prevent innovation and its really sad to see. I'm from Detroit and have worked behind several of those curtains pulling levers and adjusting dials of various sorts to support those communications. Yea it's halftime, whatever...
You may be better off in the supplier channels or aftermarket...
or get that law degree and work your way into corporate counsel in the Auto biz
I know that sounds counter-intuitive... and pardon my obvious cynicism but when have you seen much out of the big 3 that gives the impression that they are listening to customers' feedback and channeling such feedback enthusiatically to design teams to create better products that people want to buy. There are massive communication gaps within the big 3 organizations that stall and prevent innovation and its really sad to see. I'm from Detroit and have worked behind several of those curtains pulling levers and adjusting dials of various sorts to support those communications. Yea it's halftime, whatever...
You may be better off in the supplier channels or aftermarket...
or get that law degree and work your way into corporate counsel in the Auto biz
I knew that I wanted to be in the racing industry as part of my career, but like you I had little knowledge of HOW to get into it or WHERE to even start.
After finishing school, I decided that my time was best spent networking...this is probably the smartest thing I have ever done. I volunteered my time the "local" racetracks as pit crew and did odd jobs here and there to get to know people and the industry I wanted to work in.
Luckily, after meeting a few people I got into a position with a good reputation.
Best advice I can give you is to figure out WHAT it is that you want to do and try to go out and meet someone (anyone) in your field and talk to them. You'll get information regarding a career before you're even in it.
Network your butt off as much as you can.
HTH
After finishing school, I decided that my time was best spent networking...this is probably the smartest thing I have ever done. I volunteered my time the "local" racetracks as pit crew and did odd jobs here and there to get to know people and the industry I wanted to work in.
Luckily, after meeting a few people I got into a position with a good reputation.
Best advice I can give you is to figure out WHAT it is that you want to do and try to go out and meet someone (anyone) in your field and talk to them. You'll get information regarding a career before you're even in it.
Network your butt off as much as you can.
HTH
What are your bachelors and masters degrees in? That might help people help you.
I don't personally work in the automotive field, but came very close to doing so. I got my bachelors and masters in mechanical engineering. I worked on my school's Formula SAE team during my undergrad and worked part time as an engine builder/machine shop apprentice during graduate school. Also, my graduate project was implementing an engine dyno for the department. Out of this, I almost got offered a design engineering job with an auto racing brake manufacturer (one of the best in my opinion), but didn't pursue it after recieving an offer for a design engineering position for a (large) construction products company that didn't require relocation.
I know you said "other than engineering," but I figured I would share my history. The automotive/racing industry is not very easy to get into without knowing somebody or having a lot of very specific experience (the way I was doing it). My position now is very similar to one in the automotive industry and I am very happy with it. It also has better benefits and job security than the one that I could have taken in the racing industry.
I don't personally work in the automotive field, but came very close to doing so. I got my bachelors and masters in mechanical engineering. I worked on my school's Formula SAE team during my undergrad and worked part time as an engine builder/machine shop apprentice during graduate school. Also, my graduate project was implementing an engine dyno for the department. Out of this, I almost got offered a design engineering job with an auto racing brake manufacturer (one of the best in my opinion), but didn't pursue it after recieving an offer for a design engineering position for a (large) construction products company that didn't require relocation.
I know you said "other than engineering," but I figured I would share my history. The automotive/racing industry is not very easy to get into without knowing somebody or having a lot of very specific experience (the way I was doing it). My position now is very similar to one in the automotive industry and I am very happy with it. It also has better benefits and job security than the one that I could have taken in the racing industry.
One of my RX8 buddies got a job at Tesla here in California, the center of the technology universe.
There are more and more automotive companies opening shop here in Silicon valley. Stanford is purported to be building a HUGE dept for auto.
BMW, GM, Benz design studios are here. I think there are a few others like Bosch.
Work for cheap!
Honestly, I tried to break into the Auto Industry many years ago, but the starting salarys were pretty low compared with the Aerospace and Commercial Aircraft Industries.
Honestly, I tried to break into the Auto Industry many years ago, but the starting salarys were pretty low compared with the Aerospace and Commercial Aircraft Industries.
that's because A&D engineering can mean a matter of life or death.
Can't exactly park a broken jet on the nearest cloud.
I deal with the A&D and here's the pecking order:
A&D> Formula 1> le mans > other car racing > cars for the masses
