What to do after high school?
 

I'm 17 and a senior in high school, and i'm trying to figure out what to do when i graduate. I want to work with cars trucks and motorcycles and thought about maybe going to UTI or Wyotech, but i've heard they aren't so great. My other thought was just to go right to work out of high school. I also need to find a job now to make my truck insurance payments. All the places around here though always seem to want experience so i figure it'll probably be harder to find a job. I don't really know what i want to do or should do, so anyone here got any advice?

If you got a way to get a education, be it a trade school or community college
go after it and get it and work also , along the way, learning has never hurt anyone, some of us older guys that have had labor jobs all of our lives, and are all cripbled up will tell ya learning is a good thing, and working hard also wont hurt you

Trade school if you can swing it, most definetly.

Most have night classes that accomodate days jobs.

Goodluck>Cp

Get as much education as you can. Don't make the same mistake as i did, i came out of HS, worked at hob nob jobs in the beginning, got married at 19, had 3 babies in rapid succession. I finally got my head out of my butt and started at a tool and die shop, went to school at nite, learned the tool and die trade, and wound up with a mechanical Engineering degree. All said and done i would have never gotten married so young (but my kids are great they are all college graduates) i later got into CNC programming and machining and have never in my life been out of a job in any state that i lived in, i've never been layed off and have never taken a day of unemployment in my life, and i'll be 72 in 3 mos. months and i still build engines on the side. I've also raced since i was 16 yrs. old and built every engine and car that i've ever ran. Bottom line get the education, don't fall in lust, and work at a fast food place at nite if you have to, too make you truck payments.
Yes i'm broke and on SS, but i have a $100,000.00 in cars and real estate that there's no market for at this time. So success is not always golden, but it's been and still is fun.
Like Mopar (i think) says i started with nothing and i still have most of it :lol:

JMO

Zip.

You might want to look at going into the military too. Yes, if you pick the Army or Marines you might see combat, but folks, God bless them, do it every day. But the training and long term benefits are worth it. Companies like to hire ex-service people because of them having their heads right. And down the road access to GI loans for further schooling and housing are available.

the days of buying a box of tools & going to work & expecting to make a good living are gone . automotive technology is moving at lighting speed, you need to go to school. without training you will end up in a small shop doing grunt work for low pay watching the guys that did get the training make a great living that you can actualy raise a family on . jmo, mike

Continue your education at all costs.

I enrolled in WYOTECH during my senior year of High School. I had plans of being a body/paint man for a living. The summer after graduation I got a job in a factory. Long story short I ended up NOT going to Wyotech.
I have since met 3 people who went to Wyotech. They were all 3 working with me in a factory doing nothing even close to what they went to school for. One of them could not find decent job around here.One said they did help him find a job but he could make more working from his garage while doing the factory work. The other said they found him a really good job but he got laid off due to this economy.

That said, It is always best to get your education. You will have an immediate advantage over someone who doesn't have it even if they are more skilled. Just how it is. On paper the guy with the education is worth more.

Stay in school. If you can't afford to stay in school, I would advise you to look into the military. Take the ASVAB test and see what kind of training you are qualified to receive. If you qualify for a technical school in electronics, equipment repair etc. Don't enlist unless you are guaranteed a good school. Have you father go with you to keep the playing field level. If you sign for a school, bust your butt and do the best you can. Keep your nose clean and you can get some excellent training. If you bust out of school though, you go where they want you!! After a few years, you'll be out and have some skills that will transfer to the civilian world. I would advise the Air Force as you have a better chance of staying stateside. Look at that type of work that you enjoy and go for that training. Good luck.