It Started On 420...

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B16RacerN2NR

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On 4/20/09 I started UTI with plans on getting into BMW STEP. I found that STEP is very extensive and they ask you to not work the first 2 months in the program because of your need to study and do homework. Well, since I have kids and rent to pay, not working was just not feasable. I was going to try and tough it out but if it ended up not working out, I would have to pay them for any training they gave me.

So then I decided to go and do the Diesel and Heavy Equipment program. This would require a temporary move to the UTI campus in Avondale, AZ. No big deal. I figure I can work at Pep Boys or something while i'm there to help pay my rent and stuff. If all else fails, I can just use the extra money from my student loans for my living expenses. Then I find out I qualify for less money in AZ than I do in CA, therefore, I wouldn't have much extra left over in my student loans.

Damnit... So what do I do? What extra program should I take? I'm determined not to leave UTI with just basic core because that would put me with 70% of UTI's graduates. I wouldn't stand out to any employers.

So I decide to do the SMOG program. Everyone is raving about how much SMOG techs are in need and how much more they get paid. Word on the street was that they get paid an average of $4 more per hour than a regular tech. I call around to various shops all over So Cal and see what the demand and pay for SMOG techs are. I found that they did get paid a little more but the average was like $1 more and they weren't in any huge demand. The huge demand was for SMOG techs with 3+ years of experience. Then, I also find out that the SMOG program doesn't really certify you for anything. It gets you "ready" to do the state testing. And on top of that, SMOG is only good/valid if I stay in CA. So I decided against SMOG.

I still got a little time before i'm done with core to finally decide what I want to do. Then all of a sudden, my current campus decides to bring in the Diesel program. So i'm thinking "fuck yeah. Now I don't have to go to AZ and I get that extra CA money"

I go to sign up and get bitched slapped again... Turns out the Diesel program won't be actually set up and ready to go until 1 year after my current graduation date, which was 4/16/10 at that time. Fuck, I can't wait that long. I gotta work and provide a better life for my kids asap.

Then a couple weeks later, the Mercedes-Benz program shows up to my campus. So I say "oh fuck yeah" and i'm all over that shit.

The program was pretty good. It could be better but it's a new program so they are finding out the pros and cons as we go along.

Now i'm sitting here with a few job offers. All with Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Downtown LA Motors, Evansville IN, Huntsville AL, and Tacoma WA. i still haven't fully decided where to go but a for sure decision will be made in the next 2 weeks.

So now this whole school thing ends tomorrow. 9/10/10.

Time for graduation, bitches!!! :D

Overall, I ended up finishing both Core and Mercedes-Benz with a 4.0 GPA and grabbed a few Student Of The Course Awards along the way :D

It's been a tiring journey but I did it. I don't know how i've survived on very little sleep the past 18 months or so.

Wish me luck EVERYONE!!! :D
 
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Congratulations, you busted your ass and it will pay off soon enough. Be sure of that.
 
yeah congrats i did the same thing but i went to the Volvo SAFE program in avondale. it was a good thing you didnt move out there because there are no job i know by experience because i just came from there. i graduated from core with witha 3.67 (really dint take it serious till the end) i graduated Ford FACT with pretty much a 4.0 and i graduated volvo with a 4.0 but i didnt get any SOCs so once again congrats and good luck at any one of those dealers.
 
Congrats. I remember about 5 yrs ago I was considering going that route and going for the MB or BMW dealerships. Just outta curiosity, what kind of pay are you realistically looking at making here in So Cal at a Benz dealer? How much did school end up costing you?
 
I can mail you the box of my SOC pins if you want them. I haven't found a use for them yet, lol
 
Don't you love how the oil filters are in the benz =)

Congrats, send me some free parts/specialty tools when you get the chance to snag some.
 
Congrats. I remember about 5 yrs ago I was considering going that route and going for the MB or BMW dealerships. Just outta curiosity, what kind of pay are you realistically looking at making here in So Cal at a Benz dealer? How much did school end up costing you?
I've only spoken to 1 dealer in So Cal. So I can only speak about pay from this dealer. They are starting Techs @ $16 an hour. But, this is not what they have offered yet. They are asking Techs to supply their own tools and according to California Labor Laws, if you have to supply your own tools, you are guaranteed double per hour of the current minimum wage rate.

I can mail you the box of my SOC pins if you want them. I haven't found a use for them yet, lol
Lol, every dealer, except the So Cal dealer, gives two shits about them. How many and which ones did you get?

Don't you love how the oil filters are in the benz =)

Congrats, send me some free parts/specialty tools when you get the chance to snag some.
Lol, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are a lot more Tech friendly than people realize. The ease of their oil filters is just the beginning :)

My instructor had a few tools he was giving away. I'll see if there is anything that would be useful to you.

I was actually talking to a dealer in MD but they decided against offering me anything because they've had problems with California guys getting home sick after a year of work and leaving.

congrats
sounds like its all working out very nicely for you
good luck
Thanks. it's working out so far. Nothing has been set in stone yet but I will be fully happy when it is :)

Graduation is in 5 hours. Woot!!!!! :D
 
dont you hate that. i know i hated that part of the job searching. thats why i got turned down because they too thought that a california boy way gonna get home sick and leave after a year. wtf i sighned a contract saying i was willing to relocate.
 
I don't even remember how many I got - I had a shitload though.
 
Congrats dude. It's a long road, but put in the work - and you did - and it WILL be worth it. It's funny to think I started the whole thing back in 10/07 and graduated from Audi 7/09.

Good luck with whatever dealer you go with. Take some advice from me;

-stay hourly as long as possible. People may tempt you with going flat-rate, but especially at a highline dealer you need to learn as much as possible.

-Have some confidence in yourself. I'm horrible with this to this day and I still get butterflies everytime I fire up a new engine or rebuild that I work on.

-Don't be afraid of big jobs, take your time and learn how to do them the right way.

-Develop habits and stick to them. It helps you be consistent and helps you from missing things.

Have fun. :cool:
 
good job man :thumbsup: rep for sticking with it, im currently in the vocational automotive class at my high school and have been looking at either UTI or OTC when i graduate, my bro went to UTI and did great, so thats why i like that school so much, but OTC came in the other day and they seem to have a lot to offer also
 
dont you hate that. i know i hated that part of the job searching. thats why i got turned down because they too thought that a california boy way gonna get home sick and leave after a year. wtf i sighned a contract saying i was willing to relocate.
Yeah it's BS but from a business point of view, I can see where they were coming from. Evansville, IN offered to pay my full tuition if I signed a 5 year contract.

I would do LA dude. Unless you want to leave.

Congrats!
I don't "want" to leave. It's just the better deal has come from an out of state dealer. If Downtown LA offers me enough money, i'll stay.
 
Congrats dude. It's a long road, but put in the work - and you did - and it WILL be worth it. It's funny to think I started the whole thing back in 10/07 and graduated from Audi 7/09.

Good luck with whatever dealer you go with. Take some advice from me;

-stay hourly as long as possible. People may tempt you with going flat-rate, but especially at a highline dealer you need to learn as much as possible.

-Have some confidence in yourself. I'm horrible with this to this day and I still get butterflies everytime I fire up a new engine or rebuild that I work on.

-Don't be afraid of big jobs, take your time and learn how to do them the right way.

-Develop habits and stick to them. It helps you be consistent and helps you from missing things.

Have fun. :cool:
Going flat rate has me a bit worried when it comes to the Downtown LA dealer. All the other dealers tell me that they are flexible on their techs getting to flat rate. They understand everyone is different. The Downtown LA dealer tells me I should be good enough to go flat rate within 4 months :eek:... But then again this came from the Service Manager's assistant and I got the feeling that she really didn't know what she was talking about. It was like she was there just to fill time.

Thanks for the advice :)

good job man :thumbsup: rep for sticking with it, im currently in the vocational automotive class at my high school and have been looking at either UTI or OTC when i graduate, my bro went to UTI and did great, so thats why i like that school so much, but OTC came in the other day and they seem to have a lot to offer also
UTI is a very good school. The only complaints I have is that they let anyone in and they treat you like you're still in High School.

You're going to have to deal with guys who don't want to be there and who don't belong there. They just waste your learning time by the instructors always having to spend more time with these dumb asses. Instead of kicking these guys out, they just try and deal with them the best way possible. At a regular college, these guys would have been kicked out the first day of school.

Good luck with what ever school you choose and Thanks for the Congrats :)
 
congrats mang, good luck out there in the workforce

also, i disagree with assclowns getting kicked out of college the first day. they stay for about a quarter, and when they lose their financial aid due to shitty grades, they leave. :)
 
congrats mang, good luck out there in the workforce

also, i disagree with assclowns getting kicked out of college the first day. they stay for about a quarter, and when they lose their financial aid due to shitty grades, they leave. :)
Thanks and LOL @ shitty grades
 
UTI is a very good school. The only complaints I have is that they let anyone in and they treat you like you're still in High School.

You're going to have to deal with guys who don't want to be there and who don't belong there. They just waste your learning time by the instructors always having to spend more time with these dumb asses. Instead of kicking these guys out, they just try and deal with them the best way possible. At a regular college, these guys would have been kicked out the first day of school.

Good luck with what ever school you choose and Thanks for the Congrats :)

thats what i dont understand, if youre gonna go to a college just for a degree dont go to a tech school with people that actually want to be there and most already know somewhat what theyre doing, i think they should have some kind of system to seperate the 2 different types of people in the school into different classes so the people that wanna be there can get stuff done

/rant lol
 
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