5 Opportunities for Advancement as an Auto Body Repair Technician

If the idea of making an old or broken vehicle brand new again sounds like fun, auto body repair might be the perfect automotive career for you. Not only is auto body repair enjoyable and rewarding but it’s also very lucrative. As everyday drivers struggle with the mounting price of living, they’d rather have their vehicles repaired than replaced. When accidents happen, auto body repair technicians are needed to restore vehicles to their working state. After you finish automotive training, what career advancements can you aim for? Here are just five of many!

1. Become a Journeyman Auto Body Technician

Once you’ve finished your training and completed a four-year apprenticeship, you’re ready to work as a journeyman auto body technician. Your responsibilities will include reviewing damage reports, planning and implementing repairs accordingly, removing dents, filling damaged areas with body fillers, and straightening bent or twisted frames among others. This position is a great starting point for exploring the many opportunities for advancement within the auto body repair industry. 

2. Work as a Mobile Auto Body Repair Technician 

Mobile auto body technicians perform the same duties as journeyman auto body technicians. However, instead of working in a traditional shop setting, they have all their equipment loaded onto a van and they travel to customers to do the job. This is very service appealing to those customers who need auto body repair services for minor damage, as it can be a hassle to take a car into the shop and possibly wait a while just for a little scratch. Other clients may have difficulty travelling to the shop for more urgent work. Pursuing this career as an auto body repair technician is extremely lucrative. In some cases, profit margins have the potential to be much higher than opening a traditional auto body shop due to lower overhead costs. 

3. Try Heavy Duty Auto Body Repair 

If you’re interested in trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles, there are plenty of auto body technician careers to explore. When you specialize in this area, the clients you’ll deal with will likely be trucking companies who count on you to have their vehicles back on the road and generating revenue as soon as possible. Duties may include sheet metal and fiberglass repair, accessory installation, wheel alignment, and accident repair. 

4. Become an Auto Body Shop Manager

Do you want to try your hand at a dynamic leadership role in auto body repair? Why not strive to become an auto body shop manager? This role will have you performing a variety of staffing duties like hiring, training, and motivating all shop employees. In addition, you’ll be responsible for preparing and implementing an annual budget for the shop. It’s also the manager’s job to maintain a professional appearance within the shop to attract clientele, among many other administrative duties. 

5. Open Your Own Auto Body Shop 

Are you interested in entrepreneurship and prefer to work in a traditional auto shop environment? Consider opening your own auto body shop! After training and developing the experience you need, it’s time to strategize. Establish what sort of auto body shop you’d like to open–what will set you apart? Determine the right location for your shop, nurture relationships with suppliers, and create a marketing strategy. 

All of these steps may seem overwhelming now but with the Refinishing Prep Technician course, you’ll learn all of the information you need to progress through your career confidently. You’ll learn how to do repairs like fixing and replacing doors, removing defects on vehicles, and repainting them, among many other essential skills. 

Ready to start auto body technician training? 

Contact ATC Surrey to learn more!