Yesterday’s auto repair mechanics near Fairfax Station, VA, better known as “grease monkeys” has changed hugely since the muscles cars like the 65 Pontiac GTO or the 68 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 ruled America's highways. The car you drove use to make a statement about who you were. You needed a car to go out and socialize with your friends, and to hang out at the local parking lots.
Back in the day, Fairfax Station, VA auto repair mechanics evolved through the love of cars and young men trying to keep their car purring or roaring, so it sounded good to all your peers. Car engines and other systems were much more straightforward. Most of your high schools near Fairfax Station, VA offered auto shop. If you knew the basics of a combustion engine, with little or no formal education beyond high school, you could easily become an auto repair mechanic near Fairfax Station, VA.
As vehicles have become more complex in Fairfax Station, VA, today’s auto repair mechanics have to know so much more than their predecessors. Nowadays an auto repair mechanic has to be both mechanical and technical savvy, customer service oriented, and be able to master computer software programs for data retrieval, record keeping, vehicle management and diagnostics. The most important skill for an auto repair mechanic is still the knack for troubleshooting and has been since the first car was assembled.
Schools are declining in auto shop classes because of the high cost of electronic equipment required for the automobile industry. Auto repair mechanics are now turning to trade schools, technical institutes, community colleges, four-year colleges and through apprenticeship programs to get the education needed for the modern day technical field of the automotive industry.
Most employers near Fairfax Station, VA only want to hire auto repair mechanics who are certified with two years of hands-on experience and passed the certification exam. The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence offers more than 40 exams in a series of certifications. The automotive series includes:
- Automatic transmission
- Brakes
- Electrical/electronic systems
- Engine Performance
- Engine repair
- Heating and air conditioning
- Manual drivetrain and axles
- Suspension and steering and light vehicle diesel engines
As many of the old timers near Fairfax Station, VA are retiring, there is certainly a need for newer, more savvy, technical auto repair mechanics who are well-educated, problem-solving, and proficient in technology. This is a field that won’t be going away anytime soon.
