Charlie, Lem, Blake, Randy, Scotty, Barnie, HeRo engine builders...

Well for my writing class I have to do an interview with someone who has a career doing what I want to do when I am older. I have questions that need to be answered and turned in on Monday. I am allowed to do this instead of a face to face interview. You guys are a great source of info and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to answer these questions. It will also help me out with the job itself.

What made you want to go in to this type of career?
Why do you like doing this for a living?
Have you always wanted to do this?
What was your first day on the job like?
What is the most rewarding thing about your career?
Is there anything you regret about making the choice to go in to this field of work?
What have you learned from this experience?
What advice would you give someone looking to do this for a living?
How much training were you put through to become certified in this field?
How many requirements did you have to meet to be able to become so great at what you do?

Different questions like that. But if I wanted to I could take that interview with the guy that climbs cell phone towers that was posted and turn it in. Just kidding, that's illegal.

Stay in school and do something worthwhile...............leave the car stuff as a hobby.......

These kids working here have no idea what they are in for.........well a week with me they get an idea.................lots of being a pita.....


As far as requirements for being great at what I do................you dont need any when your a HeRo.................

I plan on staying in school until I get my degree and everything and become certified.

I don't want to do what you do, I would hate myself (no offense). But a machine shop/engine building shop would be great. Even at its hardest, I would rather do this then spend my life in a cubical. I am thinking of the whole picture, not just the good stuff.

whoops wrong thread.................

bb429power wrote:I plan on staying in school until I get my degree and everything and become certified.

I don't want to do what you do, I would hate myself (no offense). But a machine shop/engine building shop would be great. Even at its hardest, I would rather do this then spend my life in a cubical. I am thinking of the whole picture, not just the good stuff.

No offense taken..............this job pays the bills but it sucks ass. I didn't go to school to do this, I've always had a mechanical knack, I worked at an independant for 10 years prior to the dealership...........I have the schools required for my certs I work in...........just for papers sake.

richter69 wrote:whoops wrong thread.................

That's right, get that crap outta here!!!

That's good that you have your certs. There were so many people that went straight from high school to working for Ford or GM and then later on, whoops. They never went to college and they're out of luck. I hate to see that happen.

I never went to college............so ids your mom gonna bring you to tech seminar???

richter69 wrote:I never went to college............so ids your mom gonna bring you to tech seminar???

I can drive myself dammi! I don't think I'll be able to go down to KY for it, how long is the seminar anyways?

One day, Saturday. Some show up early friday and chew the fat and some stay a little longer sunday for the same.

schmitty wrote:One day, Saturday. Some show up early friday and chew the fat and some stay a little longer sunday for the same.

Okay, I bet yall go to Texas Roadhouse!

To be truthful ... if I had to do it in today's world, I wouldn't.

Back 40 years ago people COULDN'T buy everything they needed in this business. You mostly had to make whatever you needed for a high performance engine or find another application which you could use to work if you modified it to fit.

There were few people who had the talent or brainpower to accomplish this and that is mainly why I started in this field fresh out of high school; self satisfaction for producing the end product.

Now days, people can BUY almost everything needed and just about anybody with half a brain who can work with their hands can do it; if they have some patience.
It just isn't the same mindset as then; nowhere near the same feeling of accomplishment ... I pigeon holed myself into this position and if I really didn't enjoy seeing the outcome of a well designed and built engine ... I would have been doing something else, years ago.

After work doing their regular job, everybody's an engine builder ... just ask 'em.

rmcomprandy wrote:To be truthful ... if I had to do it in today's world, I wouldn't.

Back 40 years ago people COULDN'T buy everything they needed in this business. You mostly had to make whatever you needed for a high performance engine or find another application which you could use to work if you modified it to fit.

There were few people who had the talent or brainpower to accomplish this and that is mainly why I started in this field fresh out of high school; self satisfaction for producing the end product.

Now days, people can BUY almost everything needed and just about anybody with half a brain who can work with their hands can do it; if they have some patience.
It just isn't the same mindset as then; nowhere near the same feeling of accomplishment ... I pigeon holed myself into this position and if I really didn't enjoy seeing the outcome of a well designed and built engine ... I would have been doing something else, years ago.

After work doing their regular job, everybody's an engine builder ... just ask 'em.

yep ive heard that a million times

I honestly have no clue what I would do for a living then I have wanted to design new parts, build engines, ect. for some years now and I have been focusing on that and have geared myself towards it. I have a plan, but if I didn't do that then, I don't know what my career would be to be honest with you.

I still need to have the "interview" done by Monday. I might have to make stuff up, teacher wont know the difference. But that is my last resort.

Whatever I do for a living, I of course want to be able to afford racing and building engines. Plus I want to be able to have the time to race and all, I don't want to work in a cubicle. I need to do something that wont make me go nuts, what do you guys do for a living? Maybe I should explore some other options.

If i had to do it again...............prolly get into the internet porn industry..........run the sites etc....I feel I would be good at it..........

The one thing which makes it worthwhile to me is how much I enjoy doing what I do; even though I'm almost in the "poor house".

Whatever you end up doing in the future, be sure that you don't dislike your job, (I know people who really hate actually going to work), and enjoy what you are doing. Even though it could be a pain sometimes, by making a vocation out of an avocation you'll never have to WORK a day in your life...

That's why I wanted to do it. Actually, what I REALLY want to do is race. Anyone looking for a driver? I want to make a smart choice and have a career that I like doing, one where I get up in the morning and actually desire to go to work. Even if its a little bit.

But I need to be able to afford my racing hobby as well. I need to find a balance between them, if I can get paid good doing what I love then hot damn I'll enjoy every day of life even more. I need to find work that IS play, get what I mean?

richter69 wrote:If i had to do it again...............prolly get into the internet porn industry..........run the sites etc....I feel I would be good at it..........

The teacher actually told us we couldn't do that as a career choice for this paper. Actually, she was talking about the workers of the industry. The guys work hard every dad *wink wink* *hint hint*

Justin, doing what you love is not a job and you will do more to enjoy life because of it. I have a problem doing the same thing every day, so farming is a great deal for me. There are never two days that are the same, but some days I do the same thing many times over. I really enjoy the freedom of what I do, and really enjoy watching the crops develop. It is a very time demanding job about 9 months of the year. In March/April I start preparing for planting and will finish planting late May, then it's right into hay and irrigation for the remainder of the summer. In mid September I start the harvest and usually finish late October. Winter months are a little more laid back, preparing the machinery for the next season and doing dirt work where needed. About every other year I will need to rebuild one of the many well pump engines, so my mechanical needs get fulfilled. On any given day, I need to be a plumber, electrician, mechanic, and welder/metal worker/fabricator. Computers and GPS technology are making serious inroads in ag every day. I have a tractor that steers itself via GPS and takes the place of a huge notebook for records. My sprayer has more electronics than the original moon missions. It will turn on and shut off the product to reduce overlap, and has a color monitor that shows a whole field while controlling rates. It makes spraying chemical and fertilizer way more efficient. It's no cake walk, I will put in over 80hrs/week in the summer and go for weeks on end with no day off, but in the winter, I can go and do lots of different things that most can't. Some years you make a profit, sometimes very substantial, but there are many years where you barely break even and are rolling pennies and have a banker waiting to shut you down and forclose on all you have worked for. With a little luck and some hard work you can have a good life and many good memories. BTW I turned 40 this year and have been doing this ever since I was 5. I was baling hay by myself when I was 7. My dad was forclosed on when I was 15 and the family moved and I worked my way through high school and college helping farmers. I now farm with my wifes family and dearly love it.

Dang, you've got your work cut out for you. Thanks for the info, I will probably do the paper on that instead with all the info you have given me. I will look into farming, worst thing that can happen is I don't like it and choose something else.

-Thank you, glad you like what you do for a living.

Glad I could help you out there Justin. There is a reason there are fewer of us farmers every year. It is a serious business like no other in the world. One mistake can make or break you and there are hard decisions every day. I don't think I could ever do anything else. I do some custom trucking in the winter months for something to help the income in lean years and to help pay for my trucks I use during harvest. One addage of farming that stills holds true is, "Farmers buy retail, sell wholesale and pay the freight both ways". One other is that " the 4X4 on our trucks stands for 4 weeks in the summer, 4 weeks in the fall, and 44 weeks vacation. LOL

You forgot to tell him farming is one of the most dangerous fields of employment you can be in.


Jim

I've looked onto engine building as a job / business, It's to compeditive and has very heavy overhead it do full time nowdays. I have alot of friends and family members with various auto related businesses and it isn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

My advice would be, do it if you truly enjoy it, but you will make a much better living and have a easier go of it in other fields. In other words go to a real university and get an engineering degree and keep the actual mechanic / auto field as a hobby, Your future will be much broader.

As long as it takes me to put one together I'd starve to death if it were my sole income...........

69F100 wrote:You forgot to tell him farming is one of the most dangerous fields of employment you can be in.


Jim

You are very correct there Jim. A neighbor had a hired man walk into a running corn head. It was one of the most gruesome things I've ever been around, another neighbor had his brother do the same. Lost both feet in that deal. Good old fashioned common sense goes a long ways in the business. I have had a few stitches, hyperextended joints, bumps, bruises and such, and I am very carefull in everything that I do. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger I guess.

I growed up farming down here farmed until I was 23,I started at 8 years old in the tobacco fields walking behind picking up what was dropped.At 9 I was driving tractors hairing fields, pulling wagons,pulling weeds out of peanuts.I have never been hurt bad farming as you said I have had some bumps and bruises.In a way I wish I would stayed in it but like you said they are long long hours in farming.

Jim