Career and specialisms in auto repair

As a car mechanic you get a trade where no two days are the same, where you work independently and help people every day. There will be cars on the roads for many years to come and thus also a need for someone who can help when they break down. The trade has several directions and possibilities.

You can work for roadside assistance and recovery companies, for highway assistance companies and rescue corps, and for companies that combine roadside assistance with workshop operation. The work is often in shifts, because cars break down around the clock and year-round, and you can find work across the country.

Much of the profession is daily roadside assistance: jump-starts, tyre changes, fuel, unlocking cars and small repairs that get the customer moving without transport. It requires broad technical knowledge and good customer service. Many jobs are solved completely on site, and the better you are technically, the more you can handle without needing to transport the car.

Recovery is a discipline in itself: getting vehicles out of ditches, out of difficult positions and transported safely. Some specialize in heavy vehicle recovery — trucks and buses — which requires more powerful equipment and great experience. Others work with recovery at traffic accidents in cooperation with police and rescue services, where the situation is complex and pressured.

• 01Daily roadside assistance and minor repairs.
• 02Passenger car recovery from ditches and difficult positions.
• 03Heavy vehicle recovery of trucks and buses.
• 04Recovery at traffic accidents together with police and rescue services.

Auto Assistance borders on the rest of the automotive industry. Many auto assistants have or gain mechanical knowledge, and some also work in workshops. If you understand car technology well, you can solve more tasks and advise customers better. The trade can also be a gateway to working more broadly with vehicles.

With experience, you can become the one who trains new staff, leads a watch or a department, or starts your own business. Experienced salvage workers are valued because judgement and routine cannot be learned in a short time. The one who can do the technique, the safety and the customer service has a strong position in the trade.

Auto Assistance suits you if you are technical, can keep your head cool under pressure, can work independently and like helping people. You meet people on one of their worse days and make it better. If you choose the trade, you choose work with responsibility, variety and the clear satisfaction of getting someone safely on their way.

“The best thing about the trade is the relief you see in the customer when help finally comes — and you know it was you.”