O.T. What next?

I need some help from some experienced men. My wife and I have talked this over for months and still no reasonable answers. I have been a mechanic for just shy of 20 years and served as shop foreman for over a year now. The problem is that I am rapidly growing bored with this career. What does a guy do that has no marketable skill other than tractor and engine repair and has no experience other than dairy farming. Any ideas on where to go from here?

I was a fully certified mechanic for 26 years and toward the end I hated it. It wasn't just the daily cuts, contusions, burns etc., or the constantly being covered with oil. I was sick of the customer attitudes. They were acting like the high prices were all my fault. I quit that career cold turkey and found a job as a production test technician and later a manufacturing engineering technician in a factory making complex $1M medical equipment. With the electro mechanical background of all sorts of cars it was like a full time vacation and like taking candy from a baby compared to the other techs. Best part was that the dirtiest I got was eating lunch. Only thing I forgot was; If you're even only a half way descent mechanic there is no such thing as unemployment particularly during poor economies. When my medical company (or others for that matter) fell on hard times the engineering staff was the first to get cut and since it was easy for me to work my way up to the top of the salery bracket I was the first to go (the whole division is now being shut down).

Most people that have been in a profession for 20 plus years are in your shoes!!! If you are 50 years plus it gets harder to find a good job or retrain for a new profession. No easy answer.

I have a lot of people come in here needing to change their direction. In the past ten years this has been mostly due to the economy and lack of employment in their field. My first advice would be to do something to make your current position more fulfilling. Being a boss can be a very good thing if you are a good boss. I don't know the work environment and you did not say if you have hit the ceiling as far as advancement, but in my work history I always tried to make things better where I was first. If that doesn't fly, then you can retrain at a vocational school or community college. A hard road indeed, with no guarantee of success...but the option is there. The thing is, you may grow bored with your new career even faster than you did with the old. My concern would be that the issue is not with the job. The issue may be with you. Perhaps you and your wife should find an objective person (or two or more) to bounce your issue off of. You may find out you are not bored with the job at all. Maybe you have other things on your mind and are using the job as a scapegoat? Just some thoughts. And one more...maybe you should have a hobby that does not tie in so closely to your work? Good luck.

I certainly can agree with hobby not tied in to your job. Like being an auto mechanic by day and restoring an antique car by night!!!!

If you have experience on a dairy farm and LOVE that type of work, you would be an asset to any large dairy, esp. with your mechanical skills. Persevere, there is a spot for you. Good Luck.

Ben

I'm 47 and have been working on tractors, both farm and construction, since my early teens. Heck, at 15 or so I saw splitting tractors and putting in clutches by myself.

I've often thought about getting into something else a little easier, but I truly love what I do. Yes, getting dirty, skinning knuckles, etc can get old after a while, but the job requires a set of skills that not that many people now days have, and that makes every day different for me. Today I'll be in the shop welding up something, tomorrow I'll be 40 miles away working on a dozer, and the next day I'll be 300 miles away doing a line boring job 100 feet up in the air on an industrial crane.

In other words, there is always something new to see, or do, and every job has it's own set of challenges. To me that is what keeps the work exciting.

As far as something else to get into for you, what do you enjoy doing? In my case I've thought about gunsmithing. I enjoy the mechanical aspect of the guns, and I enjoy shooting. Heck I'd love to start building them from scratch too. With the way things are right now even the small gun shops are having no problem keeping their bills paid, so even selling them makes sense. As far as the first idea od gun smithing, out of all the local shops to me, only one has a gunsmith and, from what I am told, he keeps a backlog of at least a month. If your good at what you do, and especially if you get into working on the 'specialty' guns (((like the guys on TV at red Jacket used to do))) there will always be a market for your skills.

I also had a neighbor that told me the other night that jetski repair was big if your in an area with a lake. The guy he uses to repair his, again, keeps a several week backlog and charges $80 per hour. I imagine he makes good money given he works out of a two car garage behind his house, so the overhead is low.

Ultimately if your anything like me, it's the mechanical part of the job that you enjoy. Maybe them putting you in a supervisory position, instead of being in the shop, is what is making it so boring now. I know for me that would kill my enthusiasm for the job as I have to be hands on to keep my interest, as well as to give me the job fulfillment that keeps me getting up and going back for more ever day.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Could you.....

teach automotive repair? (at a VoTech? Become a trainer?)
work for a parts supplier?
find a job with a manufacturer of automotive parts/tools?
change to a different aspect of repair (body work, motorcycles, etc.)?
find a job working with non-automotive engine applications?
open your own shop and be your own boss?
find a job where you would travel to different job sites?

or do you want to leave mechanic work altogether?

Could you.....

take some evening classes and train for a different career?
make financial changes (retire debt, reduce expenses, save more) that would allow you to retire sooner and work part-time in a no-stress/no-bs situation?

I've thought about this same kind of question, but when it comes down to it, I love what I do. If you don't love the work any more, it would be tough to stick it out. Are you sure it is the work you don't like, or is it something else about your situation that is the problem? My Dad is about two years out from retiring, and I think he still enjoys his work, but he is really tired of "the job" and the bs that goes with it.

First off it depends on where your located. If it is in the middle of now where than you have limited options. If your even close(50 miles) to a larger urban area then there are many options for fellows with Mechanical ability an experience. I have a very good friend that switched to a beverage company servicing their drink machines. Another one trained and is an auditor for auto repair claims with an extended warranty company. There are jobs out there that your skills would switch over to. The issue is where they are in relation to where you are currently living.

As for switching to a larger dairy farm. You would be right back doing repair work in short time. They would switch you to doing their repairs internally over sending things out. So that would not be much of a switch.

Also as to your current job. Being a shop foreman is a HIGH stress job. The average turnover in an Ag dealership for the shop foreman or service manager is 3 years. Guys get burnt out too quick most of the time. Just because your a good mechanic does not make you a good foreman. It is a different skill set. Actually I could make a good argument that good mechanics make bad foremen on average. Many really good mechanics do not like working in groups. They tend to be more independent/loner type of personalities.. This does not help when your a foreman as managing a group's work is the goal. So you can be at cross purposes with your "natural" instinct. Also most shop foreman's do not make much more than the top mechanic does at the same shop. Especially if the foreman's job is salary. A good mechanic with over time usually makes more than the manager/foreman if they are salary. So there is not much "reward" for the extra responsibility.

Just going by the time your saying you have worked as a mechanic I would say your 45-50 and that is when guys really start to look at where they are in relationship to where they thought or wanted to be in life. Reality is usually less exciting than what we dreamed of. LOL

I don't mind getting dirty and I certainly still love the first start up of a fresh overhaul. What it mostly boils down to is all of the old pros that I worked with my entire adult life are retired or have passed away. The fresh out of school guys are cheaper to hire than seasoned techs so I find myself babysitting almost all the time. Most of the other guys here will know exactly what I'm talking about here, but how is that people can know everything and be so arrogant fresh out of school and in one case, never went to school, just decided to be a mechanic. My idiot boss hired this guy with no experience whatsoever. I didn't take this job to be a teacher especially to people that don't want to learn. I don't even like working with people period.
I tried my own shop a few years back and go tired of being a bill collector so I came back to where I am now. I've also tried to resign the foreman position with no luck.

If you are an experienced dairy farmer with mechanical skill, anyone will hire you for anything. I don't care how old you are. You are the exact employee everyone is looking for.

Put your wife to work. Maybe a second or weekend job if she's working already. Then you'll have time to work on old tractors and go to threshing shows and tractor pulls. Be sure she makes enough to keep fuel in your truck and tires on your trailer. I really don't see a problem with this. Now...IF... she also has all her household chores done then you really should offer to take her with you on Sundays to help with the driving and turn the crank on the trailer jack.

T.E.C. That is exactly what I was meaning. Your not the type to enjoy managing other people. You enjoy working and working with others of equal skills not training people with little to zero knowledge.

It still comes down to where your located. If there are any population centers around you then finding a job more suited to what you want should not be hard. The key is to be truthful with your self on what YOU really want to do. That is harder than you think. After you have decided on what you want then you need to work at finding a job that "fits" what you want to do. This more than likely will mean switching employers and even maybe moving.

Here is one thing I KNOW. No job is worth doing long term if you really dislike what it is. There is no amount of money that is worth that stress on a daily basis.

So!!!! 1) Figure out what you really want to do. 2) Work getting there just like you would a "real" job. GOOD LUCK and keep us in the loop.

Thank you JDSELLER

(quoted from post at 11:00:19 08/09/15) ... Any ideas on where to go from here?

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You do not give your age but if you have only been working for 20 years you must be young enough to go back to school. Do not be afraid of radical career change! I put in a full 21 year career in law enforcement and "retired" at 42. Went to school and got a computer science degree and put in another 20 year career working in that field. Two honorable careers but they had no relation to one another. I honestly do not understand how anyone works in any field over 20 years without the boredom killing them.

Assess your interests and do not be afraid to make a move!

I think you will find that most people have worked several jobs during a lifetime. I taught school for 30 years (machine shop, welding and drafting) and loved it. Retired in 1999 and worked as a laborer for a construction company, except when they needed a welder, for another 11 years. I enjoyed that also. Keep an open mind, there are a lot of options available. Ellis

My life has been lived in approximately 10 year segments, with a new career every ten years or so. Everything from the Marine Corps, to a printer and newspaperman, to auto body, to auto sales, to insurance claims adjuster, to insurance inspections, to public office. And, along the way, I've been a perpetual college student.

And I recently found out why. When I was sworn in to public office, I was given a personality test, mostly as a gauge as to how I'd interact with the public. Among other things, the test showed I welcome a challenge, and can be very creative in finding ways to overcome a challenge, but after I've met the challenge I'm ready to move on to something else. Hence, every ten years or so I'm ready for the challenge of a new career. Not called good or bad, it's just the way I'm programmed. I can't imagine a more boring existence than getting a job right out of school, working at the same job for 40 or 50 years, and retiring. But, if it works for some people, and it obviously does, who am I to knock it?

Life is meant to be fun. So, I'd say look for something that appeals to you and go for it, even if it means retraining.

Good luck, and have fun!

I spent over 20 years as a teacher. Give that a whirl for a while. That mechanics job will look pretty god after that!

(quoted from post at 08:00:19 08/09/15) I need some help from some experienced men. My wife and I have talked this over for months and still no reasonable answers. I have been a mechanic for just shy of 20 years and served as shop foreman for over a year now. The problem is that I am rapidly growing bored with this career. What does a guy do that has no marketable skill other than tractor and engine repair and has no experience other than dairy farming. Any ideas on where to go from here?

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I'd try to hand back that foreman's job, for starters. I worked as a Tool & Die maker, got promoted to engineer, then took a supervisor's job.... If you want to lose your faith in humanity, become a supervisor!!

If you are the foreman, and have no say in who gets hired or fired, that really sucks. You have zero control over your environment.

I know it sounds like a stretch, but consider going into nursing. Some programs are still only 2 years, and you can have your pick of jobs, pretty much anywhere.

Look around and learn a new skill.I was forced into disability retirement at 59. Over 35 years on the road repairing generators. The only thing I knew was being a mechanic. Moved to this town at 59 went to work for my baby brother at the feed store he runs.I have learned a whole list of new skills.Talk it over with the wife,discuss the bad and good things about moving on.I understand about being a baby sitter to guys that are supposed to know what they are doing.

Move on before it causes problems at home. Been there done that.

When you figure it out, let me know.

Let me know what you find out-"wink". I just had my 25 yr date as a mechanic. I'm 54. I sorta still like the work but HAAAATE my employer. Why do I stay? The pay and benefits! If all these other "colorful" jobs others are suggesting had really good pay, everyone would do them...including ME. I can't afford to retire for quite a while but the thought of all the kneeling and squatting for 10 or so more years doing my job scares me. The problem I find is, other things just don't have the same pay or benefits. And NO ONE will hire anyone over 50. Plus doing my job all day (or night in my case) kind of ruined the interest in tractor restoring for me.

If you can figure out what you really enjoy doing, maybe you could do that on a part time basis, which might make your regular job easier to take.
I've been a frustrated farmer all my life - I work for a construction management company, but I'd much rather be going round and round, making hay
Pete

(quoted from post at 21:00:19 08/09/15) I need some help from some experienced men. My wife and I have talked this over for months and still no reasonable answers. I have been a mechanic for just shy of 20 years and served as shop foreman for over a year now. The problem is that I am rapidly growing bored with this career. What does a guy do that has no marketable skill other than tractor and engine repair and has no experience other than dairy farming. Any ideas on where to go from here?

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For the most part all I ever wanted to do was be a mechanic I was bless to be able to spend my life around some damm good ones... I would not trade my association with them for anything...

The problem is I got what I wanted but no one told me I would have to do it till the day I died... There is not many wrench'N jobs that have a good retirement...

I would look at it this way your body is going to give out on you, you may have 20 more good years if you are lucky... If you are not willing to keep up with evolution (new chit) get the ell out of it while you can...

A few I have worked with did just that but still wrenched in trades like a fork lift mechanic are in maintenance in a factory and have done well and happy...

When you went out on your own if you did not get payment for you work it was your fraught the very first question should be how are you going to pay me...

School may be a good thing if someone else is paying for it and keeping me up but if I am paying for it I don't know of one that is set up to move on with the program... Even a four year degree is set up to fudge off the first two years and its hammer down the last two years...

At the local Tinker Tech (community collage) the teachers in automotive Technologically could not make a living at pulling a wrench if there life depended on it... Its all set up to take daddy's money its what a government job is living off the T.I.T.

I have spent my entire adult life involved with machinery in one way or another. In my early 20s, I had the idea that I wanted to move up to shop foreman or service manager. After a while, I realized that I would rather get my hands dirty, and that the management was just another P.I.T.A. that I had to put up with. Most of the time, I worked on what we called "heavy metal" at the time. That was heavy engine, transmission, and drive line repair. I did take a few years out to try my hand at factory work. I worked at a manufacturing concern that made high pressure compressors, pumps and valves. I learned a lot about metallurgy, pressure, welding, and general manufacturing. After nearly 30 years of pulling wrenches, I "retrained" to go trucking. Did that for about another 20 years. Learned a lot about things that most "normal" people never see on docks around the country.
Of the things I disliked about wrenching, the BS jobs are the ones that top the list. Squeaks and rattles, water leaks, and "laundry lists" were my nemesis. Stingy warranty pay was another irritant. Getting cheated out of pay was another, but the topper was seeing how guys got treated when they got older. Experience, knowledge, and skill were apparently no longer valued as much as speed and youth. Even if the speed was misdirected and ineffective. The handwriting was on the wall.
Overall, if you are dissatisfied with what you are doing, it might be worthwhile for your continued mental health to find a career better suited to your passions.

Stick to it. The next 20 will be better.
good luck
kenny

(quoted from post at 18:22:10 08/09/15) Put your wife to work. Maybe a second or weekend job if she's working already. Then you'll have time to work on old tractors and go to threshing shows and tractor pulls. Be sure she makes enough to keep fuel in your truck and tires on your trailer. I really don't see a problem with this. Now...IF... she also has all her household chores done then you really should offer to take her with you on Sundays to help with the driving and turn the crank on the trailer jack.

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Responses like that are why I would rather not be a foreman anymore. I was looking for some advice, not this kind of crap. If that was meant to be humorous, it was not.

You may not see this because I haven't been on here for a few days. But, if you like being a gearhead, and don't like working where you are now, what about going out on your own? A friend of mine was a top tier mechanic for the local JD dealer, but got the chits of it. So, he went out and bought a truck with a utility body on it, loaded up his tools and got some cards made out. He also had a large garage area at his home where he can take a machine and split it and have the tools to do it right. The rest of the time, he goes to the farm and does repairs there and in the field. He lets the war department do the billing, charges more than he could make at the dealership, yet far less than the dealer charged, and has built up a good clientele and business and has a good demand on his time. And, if he feels like going fishing for a day or two, he does. It's just and idea, but he is enjoying life, and making a good living doing it. And us farmers are happy to have him around for when we get stupid or feel overwhelmed by something that is routine to him. Good luck....

(quoted from post at 19:29:51 08/10/15) Responses like that are why I would rather not be a foreman anymore. I was looking for some advice, not this kind of crap. If that was meant to be humorous, it was not.

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Well you sure settled into being a foremen right quick, thinking the whole world revolves around you and that your opinion is the only one that counts. Well guess what? It isnt. Those kind of posts are for us, not so much for you so get over yourself. If you dont want to read stuff like that, dont post on a public forum. It really is that simple...

(quoted from post at 04:11:03 08/11/15)

(quoted from post at 19:29:51 08/10/15) Responses like that are why I would rather not be a foreman anymore. I was looking for some advice, not this kind of crap. If that was meant to be humorous, it was not.

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Well you sure settled into being a foremen right quick, thinking the whole world revolves around you and that your opinion is the only one that counts. Well guess what? It isnt. Those kind of posts are for us, not so much for you so get over yourself. If you dont want to read stuff like that, dont post on a public forum. It really is that simple...

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Okay, I'll delete my profile and won't visit any more. Before I go, I feel someone should inform you that your grammar and use of punctuation is terrible. If you want to make money quickly, you should sue your school.[/img]

(quoted from post at 18:20:17 08/12/15)

(quoted from post at 04:11:03 08/11/15)

(quoted from post at 19:29:51 08/10/15) Responses like that are why I would rather not be a foreman anymore. I was looking for some advice, not this kind of crap. If that was meant to be humorous, it was not.

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Well you sure settled into being a foremen right quick, thinking the whole world revolves around you and that your opinion is the only one that counts. Well guess what? It isnt. Those kind of posts are for us, not so much for you so get over yourself. If you dont want to read stuff like that, dont post on a public forum. It really is that simple...

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Okay, I'll delete my profile and won't visit any more. Before I go, I feel someone should inform you that your grammar and use of punctuation is terrible. If you want to make money quickly, you should sue your school.[/img]

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Nobody cares what you think. If you want to take your marbles and go home, nobody cares. A month from now, nobody is going to even remember you. You're simply not the precious snowflake your mommy said you were. But you should know, till you start TECtractors.com, you dont get to tell people how they can or cant answer your posts. Do you get it yet?

I shouldnt mention it but I [b:864956e897]know[/b:864956e897] you will be back to read this, of the 5 posts you put in this thread, 4 had spelling/grammar/punctuation errors in it. The most I see you teaching anybody is "lefty loosie, righty tighty".

Man, you are in the wrong place. To come to this forum and ask for advice on a life important issue is just plain nuts. Too many wack-a-doodles here. But good luck with your decision.