I guess 20+ years of experience means nothing?

I need a job that pays more. I'm currently a valet but I was working as a tech (automotive technician) until I injured my back. I've been out of the tech field for 10 years. I guess the previous 20+ years means nothing?

 

Personally, I would never have hired someone if I knew they had a previous back injury.

 

You have a 10 year gap in your resume from being a service tech? That’s a long time. It’s not one year. I would assume that you have to re-up all your certs and with how much cars have changed in the past 15 years… probably back a square one from a hiring perspective.

 

My certs have expired but I see no issue with getting recertified. I was ASE master certified, Lexus master certified and Lexus hybrid certified.

 

hows Ur back.................

the gap o 10 years a direct result of Ur back condition ????

few will hire with preexisting conditions they may have to deal with

the future wont allow U to leap frog over others

the automotive industry is stepping on nadz introducing the next big thing......... ‘ E ‘ !!!

no 1 is going to want to hear about yesterdays ‘ used 2 be’s '

 

My back is good.
I was out of work for two years due to my back but that was because I was waiting for doctor's appointments and the insurance company to approve those appointments.
Once I returned to work, they put me as a valet.

Some employers never asked about my back and I either didn't get an interview or I got an interview but no job.

 

Maybe open your own off road shop... Plenty of stuff I would pay to have done but have no trust in shops to do. There's certainly a market in this area. Hope your back is a bit better now.
Be your own boss!

 

whoa guy
now we are into several circumstances

once U returned to work ( same venue as back injury ) light duty etc / workmans comp

beleve it or not that work history follows U whether U mention it or not

 

Any more the insurance vendor says No that is all she wrote!

I ran into the same issues a few times.

Besides the HR departments want younger kids with no experience that show up when the mood strikes them they can hire for cheap.

 

To put it lightly, you come with 'baggage'. Right, wrong, or indifferent, that's the way an employer looks at it. Good luck.

 

I would have to think in this job market that if you get your certs up to date someone will hire you.

My company hired a guy to spray knowing full well his spraying hand was in a cast. Had the **ck on light duty for a few months then he worked out pretty good for like 8 years. I'm sure this is an exception but it worked for him and he was a fuhktard.
You picked a good time to look for a better paying job but I'd also be looking at plan B

 

I’m now searching for full time no experience jobs.

 

If you want back in the tech game, especially at a dealership, you need to re-up your certifications. A LOT of electronics and diagnostic tools have changed in the last 10 years.

And never lie on a resume or application. Not only is it just plain wrong, it can be grounds for immediate dismissal, even years after submission and hiring.

Best wishes for a successful job hunt!

 

Totally agree.

I would not lie, but consider building it as a CV instead of a resume where you list your experiences and time in the field with key points of highlights. Write down your employer list at the bottom by name without job titles. This will convey your aptitude and experience first and then your history of employment loyalty second. When they ask you what you did when you were working with xxx dealership be honest but all you have to do is get your foot in the door and a CV style resume might be the ticket.

 

Since you have tech experience, what about a service writer position?

 

I would hate that job.

 

I have a phone interview on Wednesday in a field unrelated to automotive. Wish me luck.

 

Sometimes you have to decide whether doing something you don’t like is worth more than complaining about not having a job doing something you like.

Life isn’t fair, it isn’t always fun and it doesn’t go the way you think it should. As adults we are expected to deal with it and move on.

 

Not the same situation, but I was about 10 years into a career I enjoyed when I got laid off. No fault of my own, company downsized and my options to stay with them all involved lateral moves with severe relocations and no incentive (move assistance/raise) to justify my wife leaving her job too. I looked for something local and changed careers.

I took a $13,000 a year hit to salary, start over at the bottom, and work my way back up. I’m in a much better place now, better money and benefits, better work schedule, lots of opportunities thrown my way to learn new skills. I had to take a step backwards to take two steps forward. That’s hard to swallow sometimes but it can work out for the best.

 

I've been with the dealers for about 36 years in parts. Our Honda dealer is always looking for good experienced techs. With a 10-year hiatus from wrenching we would be skeptical as to your current model knowledge. Everyone understands how technical these vehicles are. Get your certs back first and then apply. We have one tech with a severe back injury that trains some of our younger kids. He can't lift shit but he sure knows where it goes and can show someone. A family owned dealer would probably give you a better shot than a corporate or dealer-group setup. The big dealer groups have more HR restrictions and tighter regulations about preexisting conditions. If you had Lexus training and certs then any Toyota or Lexus dealer should recognize the value of that training. It costs us a minimum of $10-12K to bring a tech up to Toyota master tech status. That's why you see techs that quit on Friday and return to the same job on Monday with a raise. Your previous training alone has value. Especially if you had hybrid certs. Don't forget that.