Career Day Expectations:
For my Career Day, I shadowed my mentor; Brandon Williams of Lael's International Auto Service in Oceanside, Ca. For my internship here, I will be working hands-on on cars, as well as learning the customer service and front office aspect in addition to Human Resources.
I believe that a typical work day here will consist of checking in, and then picking up the invoices for whatever jobs you are assigned. Seeing that you are paid by the job, people are more driven to work hard and finish their work in the time allotted. If you finish early, you have more time to get a head start on other projects, which will allow you to make more money. A day here is pretty straightforward. Work all day, then take a lunch, then finish working. It is all pretty anticlimactic. For the front office, a day consists of taking in new customers, entering their information in the system, and giving their requested project to the technicians. There is a one hour lunch every day.
The main policy here is just to finish whatever project you are working on, and have good customer service. Of course there are small expectations, such as how to use the lifts correctly, but overall the protocol is just to finish work in a reasonable amount of time.
The dress code: Dickies pants, work boots, and a uniform work shirt. I feel as though this is appropriate as it is safe, and allows for workers to be easily distinguished.
My experience was here was pretty nice. The people were accepting, and were very nice about having a new person in their midst. They all seemed excited to have me working with them. Everyone also has a relatively good sense of humor. I had a great experience shadowing Brandon, and I look forward to working with him.
Some skills that I have learned in school that apply to working here consist of the following; Problem identification and solving are necessary when figuring out what is wrong with a car and deciding how to fix it. Teamwork is quite helpful when completing a multi-technician project on a car. In addition, people skills are quite useful when interacting with customers.
Blog Post #1:
I have just finished up my first day here and I must say that I am pleased. There are a number of things that I find great and/or striking about working at Lael's Intl. Auto Service. The thing that strikes me most about my workplace is how efficient it is. Seeing that is a small shop with only four technicians working, the fact that tens of jobs are finished throughout the day is pretty substantial. What strikes me most about my colleagues is how welcoming they are. Every person is always happy to have a new person working among them. In addition, they all try to make me as happy as possible and laugh as frequently as possible. This makes me feel welcome and allows me to do better work, seeing that I am more comfortable. What strikes me most about the job itself is how intricate it is. There are so many small aspects of being a technician that I didn't even take into consideration. Loosing something as small as a rubber gasket could me the total loss of an entire vehicle. The people that I work with are so highly trained and are so capable that it amazes me. I am quite excited to see what the future holds and especially what my biggest auto project will be. I am also excited to test drive high-end cars. I am a little worried about working in the front office. It tends to stay a little busier and I am a little unsure of how well I will handle it.
Blog Post #2 (Interview):
Brandon Williams first came about working at Lael's Intl Auto while he was still in the Marine Core. Seeing that his ex-wife was stealing a large portion of his earnings, he needed a second job. Brandon took up a job at an auto-body shop located in Oceanside, CA. This was convenient as he was stationed in Camp Pendleton. While working at the auto-body shop, an automotive repair shop moved into the same building. Brandon got along very well with the owner, Lael Leone. Some time into working at the shop, Brandon was deployed to Iraq. While in Iraq, he went through a divorce with his wife. After returning six years later, Brandon was hoping to take up the same occupation that he had before. Unfortunately, the auto-body shop was no longer in business. However, Lael's auto services was still in business. Seeing that he knew the owner very well, Brandon was employed there, and still works there to this day.
Brandon has stated that a typical day at Lael's Intl auto can be sometimes a drag, yet still has its benefits. Working in auto-repair proves to have many stressful aspects that can take their toll on a person. Bodily injuries are very common, and there are always constant aches for the technicians. While there are these negative aspects, working in a small shop has its benefits too. Everyone in the shop has a very close personal relationship. Seeing that, there is always happiness and humor among the technicians. This eases some stress of working as a technician.
Brandon has also stated that a lot of strategy is needed to work as a technician. Seeing that you get paid by the job, the faster you complete them, and more jobs you complete, the more money you can make. By using a lot of strategy, you can get jobs done faster and make more money.
Brandon has suggested for me to be a technician in the first part of my life. It is a good job that provides opportunities for better jobs in the future.
Blog Post #3:
After working with Brandon Williams for some time in the technical part of the shop, I have begun to transition to more of the office aspect of the business. Currently I am assisting our "receptionist", Ken. Ken handles any new customers as well as managing the technicians. It is with him that I will be completing my project.
For my project, I will complete the organization of all of the shop's stock inventory. I will take note of everything from core batteries, to oil filters as well as fluids. I will spend most of my time accounting for these, and organizing them within their areas.
In order to do this. I will need a large amount of patience and persistence. This work will be very confusing as there are thousands of stock items in the shop. I will need a great deal of strategy in order to complete this project efficiently in the time allotted. The only support that I will need will be from Ken himself. This will only be simple questions such as what order he would like certain parts to be in.
I look forward to completing this project.
Blog Post #4:
When working as a technician, the only time you really find yourself advocating for yourself is if you don't know something, or need another person the help you complete your task at hand. I have advocated for myself many times. Seeing that I am completely inexperienced in working as a shop technician, I require lots of help from lots of people. Whether it be simply asking where something goes, or something as extreme as asking for help removing radiator hoses and connecting new ones, I advocate for myself quite a lot. Just today, I was tasked with draining the oil from its mobile canister into the large, shop canister. I almost tried to do it myself by just dumping it in. However, I decided to state that I needed help. Another technician, Valentin, showed me that you have to hook up an air compressor to the canister, close all the valves, and then slowly let the air compress into the chamber, pushing out all the oil. I constantly ask for help with things like this. I have also asked for help fro another technician while completing a task. In order to flush out brake fluid, you have to hold the valve open while another technician pumps the brakes. I have done this many times. A lot of tasks require to people. In addition to this, one must advocate for themselves when joking around with others. This happens a lot more frequently.
Looking at the rule of being an intern to remember, I would say I have done a great job of this. I am constantly joking, always there when people need my help, and in addition, done some really stupid things that will always leave an imprint in peoples' minds. I would say my most memorable moment was either breaking a screw within my first hour of working at the shop, or closing the back of a BMW before I connected the battery. This required me to take the entire back seat out, and crawl into the trunk and reconnect the battery. Either way, I believe that I have left a strong imprint on my fellow technicians. And just to ease worry, every other person has done something one hundred times worse than me.
Blog Post #5 (Photo Essay Starter):
For my Career Day, I shadowed my mentor; Brandon Williams of Lael's International Auto Service in Oceanside, Ca. For my internship here, I will be working hands-on on cars, as well as learning the customer service and front office aspect in addition to Human Resources.
I believe that a typical work day here will consist of checking in, and then picking up the invoices for whatever jobs you are assigned. Seeing that you are paid by the job, people are more driven to work hard and finish their work in the time allotted. If you finish early, you have more time to get a head start on other projects, which will allow you to make more money. A day here is pretty straightforward. Work all day, then take a lunch, then finish working. It is all pretty anticlimactic. For the front office, a day consists of taking in new customers, entering their information in the system, and giving their requested project to the technicians. There is a one hour lunch every day.
The main policy here is just to finish whatever project you are working on, and have good customer service. Of course there are small expectations, such as how to use the lifts correctly, but overall the protocol is just to finish work in a reasonable amount of time.
The dress code: Dickies pants, work boots, and a uniform work shirt. I feel as though this is appropriate as it is safe, and allows for workers to be easily distinguished.
My experience was here was pretty nice. The people were accepting, and were very nice about having a new person in their midst. They all seemed excited to have me working with them. Everyone also has a relatively good sense of humor. I had a great experience shadowing Brandon, and I look forward to working with him.
Some skills that I have learned in school that apply to working here consist of the following; Problem identification and solving are necessary when figuring out what is wrong with a car and deciding how to fix it. Teamwork is quite helpful when completing a multi-technician project on a car. In addition, people skills are quite useful when interacting with customers.
Blog Post #1:
I have just finished up my first day here and I must say that I am pleased. There are a number of things that I find great and/or striking about working at Lael's Intl. Auto Service. The thing that strikes me most about my workplace is how efficient it is. Seeing that is a small shop with only four technicians working, the fact that tens of jobs are finished throughout the day is pretty substantial. What strikes me most about my colleagues is how welcoming they are. Every person is always happy to have a new person working among them. In addition, they all try to make me as happy as possible and laugh as frequently as possible. This makes me feel welcome and allows me to do better work, seeing that I am more comfortable. What strikes me most about the job itself is how intricate it is. There are so many small aspects of being a technician that I didn't even take into consideration. Loosing something as small as a rubber gasket could me the total loss of an entire vehicle. The people that I work with are so highly trained and are so capable that it amazes me. I am quite excited to see what the future holds and especially what my biggest auto project will be. I am also excited to test drive high-end cars. I am a little worried about working in the front office. It tends to stay a little busier and I am a little unsure of how well I will handle it.
Blog Post #2 (Interview):
Brandon Williams first came about working at Lael's Intl Auto while he was still in the Marine Core. Seeing that his ex-wife was stealing a large portion of his earnings, he needed a second job. Brandon took up a job at an auto-body shop located in Oceanside, CA. This was convenient as he was stationed in Camp Pendleton. While working at the auto-body shop, an automotive repair shop moved into the same building. Brandon got along very well with the owner, Lael Leone. Some time into working at the shop, Brandon was deployed to Iraq. While in Iraq, he went through a divorce with his wife. After returning six years later, Brandon was hoping to take up the same occupation that he had before. Unfortunately, the auto-body shop was no longer in business. However, Lael's auto services was still in business. Seeing that he knew the owner very well, Brandon was employed there, and still works there to this day.
Brandon has stated that a typical day at Lael's Intl auto can be sometimes a drag, yet still has its benefits. Working in auto-repair proves to have many stressful aspects that can take their toll on a person. Bodily injuries are very common, and there are always constant aches for the technicians. While there are these negative aspects, working in a small shop has its benefits too. Everyone in the shop has a very close personal relationship. Seeing that, there is always happiness and humor among the technicians. This eases some stress of working as a technician.
Brandon has also stated that a lot of strategy is needed to work as a technician. Seeing that you get paid by the job, the faster you complete them, and more jobs you complete, the more money you can make. By using a lot of strategy, you can get jobs done faster and make more money.
Brandon has suggested for me to be a technician in the first part of my life. It is a good job that provides opportunities for better jobs in the future.
Blog Post #3:
After working with Brandon Williams for some time in the technical part of the shop, I have begun to transition to more of the office aspect of the business. Currently I am assisting our "receptionist", Ken. Ken handles any new customers as well as managing the technicians. It is with him that I will be completing my project.
For my project, I will complete the organization of all of the shop's stock inventory. I will take note of everything from core batteries, to oil filters as well as fluids. I will spend most of my time accounting for these, and organizing them within their areas.
In order to do this. I will need a large amount of patience and persistence. This work will be very confusing as there are thousands of stock items in the shop. I will need a great deal of strategy in order to complete this project efficiently in the time allotted. The only support that I will need will be from Ken himself. This will only be simple questions such as what order he would like certain parts to be in.
I look forward to completing this project.
Blog Post #4:
When working as a technician, the only time you really find yourself advocating for yourself is if you don't know something, or need another person the help you complete your task at hand. I have advocated for myself many times. Seeing that I am completely inexperienced in working as a shop technician, I require lots of help from lots of people. Whether it be simply asking where something goes, or something as extreme as asking for help removing radiator hoses and connecting new ones, I advocate for myself quite a lot. Just today, I was tasked with draining the oil from its mobile canister into the large, shop canister. I almost tried to do it myself by just dumping it in. However, I decided to state that I needed help. Another technician, Valentin, showed me that you have to hook up an air compressor to the canister, close all the valves, and then slowly let the air compress into the chamber, pushing out all the oil. I constantly ask for help with things like this. I have also asked for help fro another technician while completing a task. In order to flush out brake fluid, you have to hold the valve open while another technician pumps the brakes. I have done this many times. A lot of tasks require to people. In addition to this, one must advocate for themselves when joking around with others. This happens a lot more frequently.
Looking at the rule of being an intern to remember, I would say I have done a great job of this. I am constantly joking, always there when people need my help, and in addition, done some really stupid things that will always leave an imprint in peoples' minds. I would say my most memorable moment was either breaking a screw within my first hour of working at the shop, or closing the back of a BMW before I connected the battery. This required me to take the entire back seat out, and crawl into the trunk and reconnect the battery. Either way, I believe that I have left a strong imprint on my fellow technicians. And just to ease worry, every other person has done something one hundred times worse than me.
Blog Post #5 (Photo Essay Starter):
Each morning when I walk in, I fill out my time sheet and have Brandon sign it.
After filling out my time sheet, I will consult with Brandon at his desk about what needs to get done.
After creating a "Game Plan" for the day, Brandon and I will consult the board to see what jobs we are assigned with, and arrange them based on priority and severity.
After deciding on what job to complete, we need to retrieve the vehicle from the lot. In order to do this, we must retrieve its keys from the key-board.
After bringing the vehicle into the bay, we are able to repair it.
Blog Post #6:
As preparation for my final presentation, I am going to briefly run through a few topics that will be brought up during such presentation. The first being how I made a meaningful contribution to my workplace. I did this in a few ways; I always had a good attitude, I always made people laugh, I did whatever I was told, I would do the work nobody else wanted to do, and I made the lives of my coworkers easier by helping to complete some if their tasks. All of these things will leave a meaningful impact on members my of workplace. The next topic is how my work as an intern is meaningful to my education. By working as a technician, I was able to learn my hands-on skills early. I became quite good at the deconstruction and reconstruction of vehicles. This knowledge of how things work allows for me to get a head start on the topic of engineering, the field I would like to educate myself in. I will not be going into the field blind; I will know what I am doing.
Part 2:
In this part, I will also be detailing a few things I will talk about in my final presentation. They simply have a little bit different of a basis. The first being what new appreciations I developed as an intern. The biggest of the new appreciations I developed would have to be time management. Every job is time sensitive, seeing as most techs are paid by the job in hours, before beginning the job. This meaning that they are allotted a certain amount of hours to complete this job. By completing jobs in a shorter amount of time, the techs are able to move on to other jobs and make more money. If a job is completed slowly, then techs lose money. Following this topic, the next is how my view on life beyond high school changed or developed during my time as an intern. Going into this internship, I was under the impression that a hands-on job is the best way to live life. While it is fun for a few years, it does not have as many benefits in the long run. Most techs end up tired every day, wanting to go home. If it wasn't for their personal relationships with their colleagues, they would most likely quit. Seeing this, I definitely am interested in the field of engineering and design.
Blog Post #7:
Pt.1 (Photo Essay)
Blog Post #6:
As preparation for my final presentation, I am going to briefly run through a few topics that will be brought up during such presentation. The first being how I made a meaningful contribution to my workplace. I did this in a few ways; I always had a good attitude, I always made people laugh, I did whatever I was told, I would do the work nobody else wanted to do, and I made the lives of my coworkers easier by helping to complete some if their tasks. All of these things will leave a meaningful impact on members my of workplace. The next topic is how my work as an intern is meaningful to my education. By working as a technician, I was able to learn my hands-on skills early. I became quite good at the deconstruction and reconstruction of vehicles. This knowledge of how things work allows for me to get a head start on the topic of engineering, the field I would like to educate myself in. I will not be going into the field blind; I will know what I am doing.
Part 2:
In this part, I will also be detailing a few things I will talk about in my final presentation. They simply have a little bit different of a basis. The first being what new appreciations I developed as an intern. The biggest of the new appreciations I developed would have to be time management. Every job is time sensitive, seeing as most techs are paid by the job in hours, before beginning the job. This meaning that they are allotted a certain amount of hours to complete this job. By completing jobs in a shorter amount of time, the techs are able to move on to other jobs and make more money. If a job is completed slowly, then techs lose money. Following this topic, the next is how my view on life beyond high school changed or developed during my time as an intern. Going into this internship, I was under the impression that a hands-on job is the best way to live life. While it is fun for a few years, it does not have as many benefits in the long run. Most techs end up tired every day, wanting to go home. If it wasn't for their personal relationships with their colleagues, they would most likely quit. Seeing this, I definitely am interested in the field of engineering and design.
Blog Post #7:
Pt.1 (Photo Essay)
The first thing an employee does when working in a shop is checks in with the managers in the front in order to inform them that they have arrived. In addition, they will receive any special work or instructions that is necessary for that day.
After checking in, a technician will go their service bay. It is here that they will bring in ay car that needs work that is assigned to them. The computer is necessary as it can provide crucial information regarding the completion of a job.
Jobs that need to be completed are hung up on a board outside of the office. Technicians check this board regularly in order to see what their next task will be.
All key that belong to in-service cars are hung up on a board outside the office as well. This board allows for organization and quick access to any key that is needed at the time.
Any working shop needs to be cleaned regularly. Each morning, either the technicians or the lower-ranking shop employees will mop their service bay or the entire shop in order to remove all the grime from the day before.
Organization is also a necessary aspect of any functioning shop. It allows for more efficiency as less time will be wasted looking for parts. Above is a freshly organized European Hose Clamp Rack as well as an organized lightbulb cabinet.
Safety should always be everyone's main priority. There are many dangerous tools in a shop. One of the most dangerous is a car lift. While the one above seems simple, there are many things that could go wrong when operating that people need to be aware of; Always lock the lift, place the lift feet correctly under the car or it will smash the underbody, etc...
Some jobs require more than one person in order to complete. Teamwork is an important skill in any automotive shop.
The ability to express individuality is nice to have in any work environment. Pictured above are murals of an employee's favorite automotive brands.
Being able to coexist peacefully is also an important part of any workplace. Above, somebody else has painted their favorite automotive brand.
Having close relationships with your coworkers is very important. These are the people you spend most of your time with, and if you don't enjoy it, then it makes working much less pleasurable.
Pt 2 (Internship Project)
For my internship project, I organized and accounted for many different parts in the shop. This means all oil filters, batteries, coolant and oil bottles, lightbulbs, American hose clamps, European hose clamps, and more. All of these parts, I had to organize and reorganize, then record inventory for all of them.
I came about this project around the beginning of my second week of internship. I was still unsure what my project would be, and my mentor and I were still tossing ideas around. It was in the midst of this conversation, that my mentor had me complete a task in which I had to reorganize the shop's batteries and take inventory of them. After completing this task, I approached my mentor and advocated the idea of me completing organization and inventory for most parts in the shop. After this, I began doing organization and inventory on whatever I was told. This was a good project to have, as it wasn't urgent. I was able to work on my project whenever I had a break from working on automobiles or other shop maintenance.
This project is quite necessary for the shop. With all due respect, there were quite a few areas of the shop that were a little unorganized. This organization allows for the shop to not only look clean and organized, but to also operate cleanly and effectively. With this organization, less time will be wasted searching for parts, and more time can be spend working on automobiles and finishing them more quickly. Thus, making more money.
Below are a few before and after photos of my work as well as inventory that was taken.
Before:
Pt 2 (Internship Project)
For my internship project, I organized and accounted for many different parts in the shop. This means all oil filters, batteries, coolant and oil bottles, lightbulbs, American hose clamps, European hose clamps, and more. All of these parts, I had to organize and reorganize, then record inventory for all of them.
I came about this project around the beginning of my second week of internship. I was still unsure what my project would be, and my mentor and I were still tossing ideas around. It was in the midst of this conversation, that my mentor had me complete a task in which I had to reorganize the shop's batteries and take inventory of them. After completing this task, I approached my mentor and advocated the idea of me completing organization and inventory for most parts in the shop. After this, I began doing organization and inventory on whatever I was told. This was a good project to have, as it wasn't urgent. I was able to work on my project whenever I had a break from working on automobiles or other shop maintenance.
This project is quite necessary for the shop. With all due respect, there were quite a few areas of the shop that were a little unorganized. This organization allows for the shop to not only look clean and organized, but to also operate cleanly and effectively. With this organization, less time will be wasted searching for parts, and more time can be spend working on automobiles and finishing them more quickly. Thus, making more money.
Below are a few before and after photos of my work as well as inventory that was taken.
Before:
After:
Inventory:
Blog Post #8:
This internship has done multiple things to either prompt me to think about my future, or actually prepare me for my future. For starters, throughout the duration of my time as an intern, I engaged in many thoughtful conversations with my mentor in which we discussed plans that would benefit me most in my future. Most of these plans involved starting in the mechanic industry, and moving up in rank, or working as a civil engineer. In addition, there were a lot of heartfelt conversations in which we discussed the obsoleteness of the blue collar workforce and quite a lot of other aspects involving it. Actually working in and experiencing an automotive mechanics shop has provided me with an interesting perspective that one can understand only when experienced. Working in an auto shop is fun. It is a great work environment and shop friendships are more tightly knit than any others I have seen before. However, the work can become tiring. Experiencing the world of auto-repair firsthand hasn't deterred me from my desired major, Mechanical Engineering, or my desired starter job, technician. It has shown me that after acquiring a position of hard labor, I will need to move up in rank and job easiness as quickly as possible.
This internship has done multiple things to either prompt me to think about my future, or actually prepare me for my future. For starters, throughout the duration of my time as an intern, I engaged in many thoughtful conversations with my mentor in which we discussed plans that would benefit me most in my future. Most of these plans involved starting in the mechanic industry, and moving up in rank, or working as a civil engineer. In addition, there were a lot of heartfelt conversations in which we discussed the obsoleteness of the blue collar workforce and quite a lot of other aspects involving it. Actually working in and experiencing an automotive mechanics shop has provided me with an interesting perspective that one can understand only when experienced. Working in an auto shop is fun. It is a great work environment and shop friendships are more tightly knit than any others I have seen before. However, the work can become tiring. Experiencing the world of auto-repair firsthand hasn't deterred me from my desired major, Mechanical Engineering, or my desired starter job, technician. It has shown me that after acquiring a position of hard labor, I will need to move up in rank and job easiness as quickly as possible.