Most people get into the automotive industry because of an underlying passion in cars (or trucks). It doesn’t matter if you’re a technician, a workshop controller, a service advisor or a service manager – the journey of your career so far probably started because you thought these machines were awesome and working with them every day made some sort of sense.
At some point though it’s easy to lose sight of this passion, as your love of the thing that once made you tick is harder to be inspired by when you’re under pressure to meet deadlines, hit targets, and pay your own bills. People get bogged down and disillusioned, and nothing good comes of that. You can’t flourish into an automotive professional whilst you’re stuck in a rut.
In chatting to hundreds of technicians (and their managers) every year, there are two things that the most inspired (and happiest) people in automotive have in common the most.
First up, these people have their own drive.
They have a drive perhaps to learn as much as they can, or to prove to themselves or those around them that they can achieve a goal. Perhaps they have a drive to improve their understanding of their trade, their role or the industry itself. In the best scenario, some of these people have the drive to help others do whatever it is that drives them, and that brings us to the other thing uniting some of the happiest automotive workers.
These people also often show that they are a leader.
Leadership doesn’t always mean you run your own team, that you answer to big bosses, or that you make the big bucks. Automotive leaders think, work and act in ways that show they care about what they do, and that people around them should care too. In automotive, the best leaders think about how they can improve and learn from every new challenge, rather than looking for easy fixes or a quick exit when things get tough.
If you’re wondering what your future in automotive is, or you’re digging deep when a job isn’t going well, we think it’s worth asking yourself about these things. What is driving you to do this job, and how can concentrating on this make things better? Hopefully you’ll also ask, can I show myself and others that I’m a leader?
Techs On The Move works with Australia’s most desirable automotive businesses, where managers across the country are always looking for people like this to grow their ‘A team’.
If you think you’ve got drive (and maybe some leadership) behind you and need a change, or if you’re looking for an environment where you can build on these qualities, drop us a line here: https://app-au.techsonthemove.com/job-seekers/register-with-us-candidate/