Assistant Mechanic 

(Male, Age 38) from Mojave, CA

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 38 who works as a Assistant Mechanic in Mojave, CA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Assistant Mechanic
Salary $41,000
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week
Company Size (not answered)
Location Mojave, CA
Years Experience 4 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a school district as an assistant mechanic. The school has around 2,500 students. I also drive a bus as a substitute bus driver.

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
As a mechanic I service and give safety inspections on a wide range of vehicles and groundskeeping equipment. This includes vans, trucks, riding mowers, dump trucks, case tractors, and sweepers.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Retirement, health, vision and dental

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes. I enjoy working around others. It makes the day go by much faster.

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in a shop location. Many machines and car lifts. It is a fast paced work environment but one in which is enjoyable.

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 1
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 4
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 6

A day in the life of…

Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:

5am to 6am
6am to 7am
7am to 8am I am out driving a bus route. Picking up students at various bus stops and delivering them to school.
8am to 9am Get back to shop where I start on my safeties. This includes putting cars or trucks up on a lift. You then change the oil and filter and check various other things like tire pressure, tires, tranny oil, and radiator coolant.
9am to 10am Break at 9. Then back to work on the safeties.
10am to 11am The same. Working on cars and trucks. Sometimes this will include changing the tires on a tire machine. Or, the brakes might be changed.
11am to 12pm Work up to 11:30 then lunch break.
12pm to 1pm Back to bus driving as I go to pick up the small children at the elementary school to take them home.
1pm to 2pm Bus driving. This time I am driving the older children.
2pm to 3pm Finish my bus driving and back to the shop to lock it up and set the alarm.
3pm to 4pm
4pm to 5pm
5pm to 6pm
6pm to 7pm
7pm to 8pm
8pm to 9pm
9pm to 10pm
10pm to 11pm
11pm to 12am

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
It was a job advancement for the school district.

What was the application process?
Submit paper application, then an interview.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes. The interview consisted of questions about the automotive field and many questions on safety in the workplace. I was interviewed by two others. The head of the transportation department and a mechanic. It consisted of a face to face interview that lasted 15 minutes.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Technical questions about what I would do if an engine acted a certain way when it was brought to the shop. No start condition. Engine overheating. Engine running roughly. Also, there were many questions on shop safety. Like what is the first thing you do when you start to work on a car engine. Answer, disconnect the negative battery cable.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
No there was no training or preparation. Just my knowledge and experience.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No training.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
No. I took a coursework in high school aimed at going to college.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend that they get some king of training. Whether it be at a trade school (Wyotech) or college.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
They should be mechanically inclined. Able to diagnose and repair both small engines and large engines. Also, they should be able to work well with others as this is a job in which you come into contact with many other people.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes. At least two years at a technical school for automotive repair.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Start with classes in high school like auto shop. Then, upon graduation get enrolled in a technical school dealing with automotive repair or college classes dealing with the same.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I plan on increasing my experience in the automotive field with more technical and educational classes.

What are your current career goals?
I plan on being a diesel mechanic one of these days and eventually running the shop as senior mechanic.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No that is pretty much it. Thank you.

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 Custodian 12 years 30,000 a year Clean school buildings and grounds using basic janitorial tools. Keep school in safe and clean environment for students.
Prior Job 2 Attendant 2.5 years $5.50/ hr. Accept payment from customers. Clean station and bathrooms. Check oil and fill costumers cars at the full service pump. (Many years ago!!)

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:2.5

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.75 Cerro Coso Community College Social Science
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

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