Many body repair specialists learn their trade on the job. They usually enter the field as helpers and will at first do many of the repetitive tasks such as sanding. They then advance to removing damaged parts and replacing them with new or repaired parts. Gradually they are assigned to repair small dents and scratches, and finally they learn to straighten frames.
It takes about three to four years of experience and on-the-job training to become skilled. Most places of employment require three to four years of apprenticeship. Unfortunately, there are not enough places to get this necessary apprenticeship training. There are a few programs available. Apprenticeship includes both on-the-job learning and classroom instruction where safety procedures, mathematics, and business practices are covered.
Courses in auto body repair are offered in some fourteen hundred high schools and colleges. Many of them are certified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). The I-CAR Educational Foundation promotes education programs. Top dollar in the field usually goes to formally trained technicians.
Automobile body repair specialists work everywhere in the country. The opportunities are distributed about the same as the vehicle population.
QUALIFICATIONS
There are not many special qualifications to becoming an auto body specialist. The most important thing is good health, since it is a strenuous occupation. Most employers prefer high school graduates. The body repair specialist needs a keen sense of shape and must be able to work well with his or her hands. Good coordination is a must.
The ability to use tools is also important. Auto body repair persons are usually required to buy their own hand tools as well as the basic power tools that are used every day. The shop, however, usually supplies the large power tools like frame straighteners. The average body repair person spends more than $2,000 for tools over a period of time. Persons usually accumulate their tools as they gain experience. In a few cases the shop will supply the necessary hand tools.
ADVANCEMENT
There are not many avenues for advancement in this occupation, which is pretty much a singular craft. Body repair specialists with supervisory ability may be promoted to shop foreman or shop manager. Many of the body specialists go on to open their own shops, and the percentage of auto body specialists who are self-employed is quite high.
Some automobile body repair specialists find excitement in customizing cars, but the market is not very large. Mostly, these persons make custom cars for themselves and a small, select group of customers. Another possible avenue is building special bodies for racing cars. In this case the body specialist may design and build the race car body from scratch. It takes a lot of mathematics and understanding of physics to design a car body for an Indy-type car. Air-flow and ground-effects principles must be calculated into the design. The United States Automobile Club (USAC) and other racing organizations all have specific rules and guidelines that must be strictly followed for safety and performance. An understanding of stress and the ability to design proper reinforcements into the body are critical.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of automobile body repairers is expected to grow as fast as most professions through the years to come, as a result of increase in the number of motor vehicles that will be damaged in traffic and the total number of cars on the roads. Accidents are expected to increase proportionately in spite of improved highways and better bumpers and safety features being built into vehicles.
Most people who enter the occupation should expect rather steady employment, since the automobile repair business is not very sensitive to changing economic conditions, according to the Department of Labor. However, when the economy is slow, many car owners are reluctant to spend money on cosmetic repairs to their cars.
