How to become an Automotive Electrician
If you have a mechanical mind and like to work independently, then becoming an automotive electrician could be the career for you. This can give you a stable job, where you’re able to set your own hours while helping people. If this sounds like the job for you, then read on to find out how you can become an automotive electrician.
What do automotive electricians do?
Automotive electricians naturally focus on electrical repairs and installations. But rather than working in homes and other buildings, they carry out the bulk of their electrical work in vehicles. Common tasks during a working day include installing wiring and electrical components, maintaining vehicles’ electrical systems, diagnosing electrical issues, fixing wiring and electronic issues in a car and generally overseeing safety features that involve electricals.
Work environment
With any job, the working environment is important. Being well-rested and working in a safe, supportive environment can provide you with many benefits during your career. In this profession, you’ll usually be working indoors, in a garage. Most of the work is conducted standing up or in an awkward position to reach into deep areas of the car. As a result, it’s important that you’re fit enough to stand and squeeze flexibly throughout the day. Fortunately though, there are few risks associated with this line of work. You could potentially suffer a burn or an electric shock, but the damage should be minimal. Some automotive electricians will work as contractors, but typical employers include mechanic and repair shops and car dealerships.
Education and training
There are several different routes if you want to become an automotive electrician. If you know you want to take this path at an early age, then you could consider getting a degree in electrical engineering. Alternatively, you could serve an electrical apprenticeship to gain a grounding and introduction as an automotive electrician. From there, you should seek specific, on the job training to help you hone your skills. At this point, you should be in an excellent position to find steady work and begin your career.
Salary and prospects
Electrical work is an excellent path to choose, largely because technology is always growing more widespread and more complex. As a result, there should be strong demand for electricians in the future. Salaries are strong for this career and if you work in a quality garage or as a busy contractor you could earn around £40k per year.
Working as an automotive electrician can be an excellent career step. And by taking out motor trade insurance, you’ll have peace of mind that your garage will avoid any nasty financial surprises.