hobby becoming a job. advice needed
 

Some advice needed...

Been playing with cars since high school. Eventually got into the trade and became a certified tech because I didn't have the grades nor the money to go to university. Mostly doing casual work, contracting, and parts sales on the side for a long time. Fun but not very steady income. Eventually got the grades and resources, went school and got BBA and a bunch of other diplomas. The thought process was that it would help me transition to the corporate world. Couldn't get into any non-car related desk jobs without tons of experience or get close to matching the income I was paid as a tech. Ultimately landed a steady decently paying job being a tech at a high end shop/dealership. Some may view it as a dream job for a car nut, but I dread going to work. Losing all passion for the hobby. I don't want to do anything car related anymore. The toys I used to love building are collecting dust in my garage.

:pokerface:

I don't see a question anywhere but a lot of people (myself included) that start working on cars as a hobby, lose passion for it when it becomes a job.

I guess my question would be how would you, the reader, deal with this situation. And, as someone who has already experienced this type of problem, if there is any advice to offer.

If you've got your BBA, why not use that to eventually work your way into a non-tech position at the company you're currently at?

Most people I see in the trade were taken in by the hobby and interest but loose it later on after doing it day in and day out.
Its like anything really, if you enjoy it but do it to often you begin to not enjoy it as much.

Tastes also change, priorities change life moves on but a career as an auto tech can be very rewarding with the right shop, so if I were in your shoes I would continue doing what pays well and what you are good at and perhaps find another way to enjoy cars or add another hobby to the list.

I detail cars as a hobby, make a few $$ here and there from it as well but I dont think I would enjoy it as a job every day. I started this for the same reason you are dealing with now. I have known cars since I can remember but lost a lot of interest due to my job, but detailing made me interested again, just in a different way....if that makes any sense.

Doing anything for a long period of time you will lose interest. All I can say is, if it pays well, continue doing it for now. I would say go for a walk everyday during work; it helps.

fuck.. thank goodness i ain't a gynecologist

i have a passion for cooking but i would never work as a chef.

you're still young.... get out and try something different.

What exactly about your field of work are you dreading? I work in the field also, but don't have as much experience under my belt. Like you, I got into it in highschool and have been in the field ever since (in the field for about ~5 yrs)

I think the best part of being able to work on cars is being able to deliver a service to a happy customer, to be able to fix something someone else couldn't. To me, that's satisfying enough alone. I think as a tech you have to take pride in your work. Being a tech also brings new things all the time. Different cars with different problems. It mixes it up, changes pace, and you're always learning. Once you stop being curious, I'd imagine it'd get old real quick.

That being said, I don't see myself fixing cars forever. I see it as building myself as a person to always improve. I do want to stay in the industry, and as a technician it opens up a lot of paths for different things. if fixing cars isnt your thing anymore, you can always branch out into the advising side of things with service/parts and managing

I hope I was of some help.

The most important question is, how old are you?

since i was 10 all i ever wanted to do was become a mechanic because i loved cars so much. then as i got older i did a couple of co-op programs with school and realized how miserable most mechanics are and i realized that i would grow to loathe cars if i worked on them all the time.

I've heard some people say that turning a hobby into a career is their dream job, but usually, those positions aren't labor intensive positions (eg: sports, fashion, art, etc...). I remember talking to a coworker a while back about this exact same topic. He's extremely proficient with working on cars and has a lot of experience. I asked why he didn't want to make it into a career and he said that he only enjoys it because he's working on his own cars or his friends cars. If it were to turn into a job, it would be like any other labor intensive job.

I know the market is tough for BBA grads without experience, but hang in there dude. Once you get your foot in the door, a lot more opportunities can branch off. What concentration did you do? It's a lot harder to find a job with certain concentrations but don't give up. Also, don't be too picky about your first job... apply to any relevant position, or any random position at a large company. There's a lot more exposure and opportunities for growth at a large company, for example, I work at one of the larger companies in BC and I've had a lot of coworkers start off at more generic entry-level positions but switched into other teams/departments shortly after. Shoot me a pm if you wanna talk more, cheers.

Wow, this thread makes me not want to approach my dream job.