Of course the industry doesn't just consist of the people that design and test cars. It is a very large chain that starts at the corporate level, and ends at the local mom and pop auto parts store. Mechanics are part of the industry more so than people think. After all if it weren't for them there would be nowhere for people to go to get their cars worked on.
Not all of us can work on cars and a good mechanic can be a very rare commodity in some parts. The main desire for working in this field is to help people, but to what end? As stated above there are many among us that enjoy working with their hands and are mechanically inclined. But there are also those that want to make something to improve people's lives as well.
These people are often the ones that develop new air bags or better materials to construct frames out of. All automotive jobs have the ability to impact someone's life. It can be something as simple as changing a persons tires to designing a new engine. Jobs in automotive fields can be short term or long term depending on your level of commitment.
Some people just take a job in a parts store or their local garage just to pay the bills. While they do know what they're doing they often don't want to make a career out of it. That's fine too, you shouldn't stay in a field that you won't be happy in. That makes you unhappy and hurts the quality of your work.
There are also fields that fall outside the mechanical when it comes to automobiles. Despite maintenance and repairs some cars need new paint jobs. This may be due to damage or just due to the fact that their owners want a new coat of paint. Regardless it falls under the automotive category and is a field to consider.
Designing new paint types for cars is just as important as designing a new safety system. Paint is the defense between the skin of your car and the elements and it needs to be as tough as possible. Of course it also has to look shinny and be non toxic. Developing paints to be scratch resistant is still a main line of research in this field and is very high paying.
Regardless of how you want to help people there are a variety of automotive jobs to choose from. Jobs in automotive fields usually require some higher education unless of course you're a mechanic. There is a place for you regardless of if you want to design a new seat belt system or just work on cars all day. Rest assured that even the smallest of tasks can have major impacts on people's everyday lives. That being said you should always remember to be vigilant in your work and never take it for granted.