Top 5 auto jobs that don’t require a college degree | Sponsored

For someone who isn’t going to college but is looking for a meaningful career with advancement opportunities, the auto industry could be a great fit – especially now.

The pandemic created a number of issues that have touched nearly every sector, and the automotive industry is no exception. Labor shortages, early retirements and career changes have left a void in the number of mechanics needed to keep the wheels turning.

Auto industry leaders are eager to bring in new recruits to fill the gaps and want to appeal to young people by showing them that many roles have potential for a promising career trajectory.

“We have a lot of technicians who’ve been with us for 25 to 30 years,” says Frank Downing, president of Towne Auto Group. “Between the training we provide and the training the original equipment manufacturers provide, they’ve developed into senior master technicians.”

With nine local dealerships, Towne serves Western New York for all of its new and used car needs. Downing said a college degree isn’t required for most dealership positions because of thorough on-the-job training.

Here are the top five auto jobs that don’t require a college degree: 

The role of a mechanic or automotive technician has changed a lot over the years.

“It’s not just turning a wrench,” Downing says. “Now, there’s so much more work with computers and diagnostics. It’s a lot more technology-based than it used to be.”

The image of a parent working on their own vehicle with their son or daughter by their side, teaching them in the process, just isn’t as prevalent as it once was because cars aren’t as simple as they once were.

“Cars have gotten more complicated as more technology is added,” he says. “It’s harder for someone to teach their kids how to work on cars.” 

At a dealership like Towne, a person could come in with no prior knowledge of how to fix a vehicle and still learn and be trained on everything they need to know.

Automotive body specialists or collision repair technicians work with metal and paint in a dealership’s body shop, repairing damaged car exteriors. Downing said both body shop metal workers and painters are well-paid positions that are in short supply.

“These are great career paths,” Downing says. “A lot of people start in the detail shop, then become painters and progress.” 

A huge component in the automotive industry is the sales department.

“We’re in the relationship business,” Downing says. “Anyone who’s hard-working and customer-focused can do really well in our industry without a college education.”

Salespeople have the opportunity to not only make commission on sales, but develop long-lasting relationships that lead to customer retention and brand loyalty.

With so much of the auto industry going digital, including people shopping for vehicles on their phones, dealerships like Towne basically now have two stores – one physical and one online.

“People on our business development staff help make sure that’s a great experience for customers who submit a lead online or by calling on the phone,” Downing says.

Business development staff are responsible for helping grow sales and service business for the dealership. 

The parts department is vital to a dealership, because “you can’t fix cars without parts,” as Downing says.

“When you work the parts counter,” he continues, “you’re supplying parts to the technicians to fix customers’ cars.”

Parts department staff work the retail counter and in shipping and receiving, and the opportunities to advance from there are limitless.

Within a dealership, Downing says employees can move up as well as laterally.

“There is a lot of ‘between departments’ trajectory,” he says. “We have new cars, used cars, finance, parts, service, body shop, administrative and detail – that’s basically eight different businesses in one. People can start in one position and end in another.”

To explore the variety of available careers at Towne Auto Group, call (716) 662-6500 or visit TowneAuto.com/careers.