

Knowing everything about the profession of an auto mechanic, about what his place of work is, is very important for many people. It is useful to find out how the training is carried out and what salary can be received. Additionally, it is worthwhile to deal with the duties of auto mechanics and other items of the job description.

Description of the profession
The high relevance of auto mechanics is questioned by few due to the widespread use of cars. But not all people know the intricacies of this profession and what specialists in this position do. It’s not just about repairing vehicles in the spirit of “replace this, transfer this wiring to another contact, change the oil and check the hydraulics.” A real auto mechanic comes into contact with people by default. Customers do not always know the structure of machines, the principles of operation of individual devices and engineering terminology.
It is this specialist who should listen to complaints and understand what exactly is behind them. Sometimes the wrong direction of troubleshooting means spending several hours on unnecessary procedures. Auto mechanics are also involved in monitoring the condition of the car. They are contacted if there are no obvious problems, but the car needs to be checked. For example, after an accident, a long downtime, depreservation, a certain mileage, or before a responsible trip that should not be disrupted. The automotive industry is constantly improving. New technologies are constantly emerging. In a few years, you can become a highly demanded master.
It is impossible to get into a large service station from scratch, especially those that repair expensive cars.

Pros and cons of work
One of the advantages of this profession has already been named — we are talking about its constant demand. The number of cars does not even think of decreasing, moreover, it will only increase. The complexity of the design of modern transport is quite high, and the probability of its successful repair in the garage is reduced to almost zero. Therefore, specialists who can cope with various problems are unlikely to remain idle. Those who are well versed in technology and engineering will find something to their liking. Earnings are almost guaranteed. The threshold for entering the profession is low, a complex education is not needed (although it will be an advantage). Those who want to develop in one direction or another in repairing cars can definitely become first-class narrow specialists. Potentially, there is an opportunity to work individually, although here more and more firms are crowding out private traders. Established professionals can earn extra money.
However, there are also weaknesses in the activities of an auto mechanic. First of all, even with the current level of technology, the need to “pull weights” and make efforts has hardly decreased compared to the 1960s. You will have to come into contact with vapors of gasoline, solvents, oils and many other unsafe substances. A risk factor is the danger of electric shock.
In addition, many mechanics often work outdoors regardless of the season. Sometimes you will need to work overtime, outside of any schedules, if there is an influx of applications or urgent orders come in.

Job description
Responsibilities
Depending on qualifications, automotive mechanics can inspect and repair:
- running parts;
- motors;
- anti-lock systems;
- fuel equipment;
- gearboxes;
- nozzles;
- crankcases and other parts of the car.
The described operations as a first approximation should be known by a specialist of any profile. You also have to regularly check the alignment, engage in tire fitting, balancing. Any ongoing repair, diagnostic manipulations and their results must be entered in the technical sheet. When appropriate, the mechanic must use personal protective equipment. He is also instructed to inform the customer of the repair and / or officials of the enterprise about the results achieved and other important facts.

Knowledge and skills
Any auto mechanic should know:
- principles of operation of the main equipment of the car;
- the functioning of the part of the car in which he specializes;
- arrangement of key nodes;
- the main nuances of the operation of electrical equipment;
- types of ignition systems;
- the subtleties of the operation of auxiliary equipment and signaling.
The professional standard in the specialty “auto mechanic” indicates additional knowledge and skills. In particular, this is a full range of routine maintenance to keep cars in good condition. Also, specialists are required to advise visitors on the service and execution of all required documents. In addition, they must:
- be able to independently control the timing and scope of work;
- be able to keep a warranty account;
- be able to keep records of components and assemblies used in the repair;
- know everything to advise managers on the development of the service.
ETKS adds more skills such as:
- knowledge of the properties of materials;
- understanding of anti-corrosion lubricants and oils;
- technical test standards;
- knowledge of the dimensions and tolerances of parts;
- knowledge of accuracy classes;
- knowledge about the device, principles of operation and methods of using control and measuring equipment.

Personal qualities
This point also needs to be given special attention. Auto mechanics are required to have first-class vision and hearing. Even a slight violation of these perceptions, as well as the sense of smell, leads to disqualification in the profession. Other important nuances:
- excellent three-dimensional thinking (the ability to imagine what works how);
- decent physical shape;
- the ability to respond quickly;
- high intellectual level;
- ability to work diligently;
- pickiness in the diagnosis of cars and their components;
- willingness to thoroughly follow the instructions of the management;
- endurance;
- observation;
- self-discipline;
- precise coordination;
- accuracy and accuracy of movements.
A responsibility
The mechanic must be responsible for:
- untimely or incomplete performance of their duties;
- misleading management, other employees of enterprises and customers;
- causing material damage;
- offenses specified in the current legislation;
- violation of labor regulations and discipline;
- waste of funds;
- violation of fire and electrical safety standards;
- non-compliance with other safety standards.

Discharges
Auto mechanics of the 1st category must already have an idea about marriage and methods for preventing it. They need to clearly understand what consumables are and how to use them. Additionally, knowledge of the norms of industrial sanitation is considered a duty. Such specialists are fully prepared to deal with basic maintenance. They also do airbags.
Tier 2 specialists can assemble simple knots. They can carry out fixing work and establish the electrical infrastructure of the car. During the work apply all spectrum of the electric and pneumatic tool. You will have to study the tolerances and qualifications. Mechanics of the 3rd category repair all brands of cars and service their motors. They are ready to work not only with cars, but also with trucks. It is imperative to know the subtleties of various metals and general safety rules.
A grade 4 mechanic clearly understands, among other things, roughness parameters and heat treatment techniques for parts. For the 5th category are required:
- readiness for adjustment and bench testing of complex units;
- ability to install electrical equipment according to the scheme;
- the ability to bring details to 6 or 7 qualifications;
- ability to deal with complex metalwork.
The 6th professional category often implies the presence of a technical education. Must know:
- features of cars, buses and trucks of various brands;
- technical conditions for the repair, testing and delivery of especially complex and critical parts;
- methods of complete restoration and hardening of car parts;
- repair work rules and methods of regulation of all major vehicle components.

Education
Usually, training in the specialty of an auto mechanic does not mean that you have to pass an exam in history or other humanities, since this is a purely technical profession. True, each educational institution may have its own approach, and you need to carefully check what it requires from applicants. You can start your journey into the profession after the 9th grade in colleges and technical schools with the appropriate specialty. However, it must be borne in mind that the requirements are steadily increasing. And therefore, only those who are ready to receive higher education at specialized faculties of institutes and universities can count on achieving real heights in their profession.
Therefore, the best strategy would be to graduate from school with the best possible knowledge that it can give, and then study in an engineering specialty of the appropriate profile. Of course, one cannot do without an emphasis on mathematics, which will certainly come in handy in practical work. Again, although what subjects you need to take is determined by a particular educational institution, in addition to mathematics and physics, it will most likely also be Russian. It makes sense to pay attention to classes in this subject from the school bench.
It must be taken into account that both with an average professional and a higher professional level of education, auto mechanics periodically need retraining in order to keep up with the realities of life.

Among the universities of the Russian Federation that train specialists in the repair of vehicles and engineers in related fields, we can distinguish:
- Ural Federal University;
- Petersburg University of Communications;
- Samara National Research University;
- Pacific and Togliatti State Universities;
- Ural University of Communications;
- Kuzbass Technical University;
- MSTU named after Bauman;
- NCFU;
- Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University;
- St. Petersburg Mining University;
- OmSTU;
- Voronezh Forest Engineering University;
- Tver Agricultural Academy;
- Fraternal State University.

You can try to study in secondary special educational institutions. Among them, a special place is occupied by:
- multidisciplinary college of Magnitogorsk Technical University;
- Moscow College No. 54;
- technical college of St. Petersburg;
- Moscow Polytechnic College No. 8;
- Moscow College of Road Transport No. 9;
- Nizhny Novgorod Automotive College;
- Nizhny Novgorod Industrial and Mechanical College;
- Motor Transport College of Rostov-on-Don;
- Ural College named after Polzunov;
- Chelyabinsk Motor Transport College;
- Omsk College of Professional Technologies;
- Omsk College of Transport Construction;
- Krasnoyarsk College of Transport and Service;
- Primorsky Polytechnic College.

Place of work
Getting into any job without a cover letter is hard enough. It is better to take care of obtaining such a document in advance. It will raise interest in your resume. Some companies are willing to hire candidates without experience — but in this case, you will not be able to count on any solid income. Rather, it will be at a minimum level or slightly higher. This level can only be considered as a stage in the formation of a profession. Often start with a job as an assistant auto mechanic. It is possible to take such a position even after graduation. It is impossible to make the next step in a career in a month, even if you make a thorough effort. It will take 1–2 years to gain experience and practical qualifications.
Before taking a solid position in a car repair company, you will have to get an education as an auto mechanic engineer. Smaller companies sometimes offer on-the-job training, but that opportunity is becoming rarer and rarer. Regardless of the level of education, only after a long set of experience will it be possible to take the position of a senior car service master. In addition to specialized services, you can also work in:
- bus parks;
- taxi companies;
- car depots;
- industry;
- logistics companies;
- motorsport centers;
- delivery services;
- agricultural and construction companies;
- various other organizations that own a more or less large fleet of their own.

How much does he get?
The salary of car mechanics in Russia is highly dependent on the place where you have to work. Almost the highest incomes are predictably achieved in the capital. The average level is about 50 thousand rubles. At the same time, only a fifth of all Moscow mechanics earn more than 68,000 rubles. It is worth considering that the level of income promised by employers in ads is not always provided. Therefore, in reality, income may be noticeably less. On average in the country, if you trust the ads, it is 30,000 rubles. Sometimes they say that in the Sakhalin region the average salary will be equal to 70 thousand rubles. However, the number of vacancies there is limited for objective reasons.
There are quite solid salaries in the YaNAO and in Transbaikalia — 67 and 52 thousand rubles. In St. Petersburg, a mechanic has an income of 50 thousand rubles. The same rate is assigned in Irkutsk. In Kazan, Krasnodar and Samara, the average wage will be 45,000. Therefore, it is obvious that such a profession is unlikely to be highly paid. It is necessary to understand the conditionality of statistics. Novice auto mechanics receive from 15 thousand when applying for a job. After working for 2–3 years, you can already reach the level of 25 thousand. To raise income to an average of 40,000, you will have to gain experience from 5 to 7 years.
It is obvious that it will not work to count on solid well-being. Even experienced mechanics can only claim relatively modest rates; plays a role, however, and the level of the service center.
