Hot Jobs for Mechanics

If there was one catchword to describe the best way to take advantage of the hot jobs available for mechanics in the United States, that word would be training.  Mechanics who have attended the correct post-secondary training programs are far more likely to land the most interesting and fastest growing opportunities in their field.

General automotive mechanics face some of the most appealing job growth statistics out of all of the mechanic specializations.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that over the next 10 years this sector of the industry will be adding jobs at the rate of five percent.  Many new positions will become available as a large percentage of currently working mechanics reach retirement age in the near future, opening up both top and entry-level jobs. 

Extended vehicle use is also predicted to continue to grow in the United States, which means that trained technicians who can performance maintenance and other repair work will continue to see strong demand for their services.  Owners are not simply discarding older vehicles and purchasing new ones as often as they used to, and as a result there is a greater need for mechanics who can help them keep their cars and trucks on the road for as long as possible.  Mechanics who have ASE certification in addition to their formal education will be able to make the most headway in this area of the job market.

Mechanics who can combine their love of working on cars with a willingness to learn new methods and techniques will also find a position in the burgeoning hybrid and electric car sector.  Although still currently small, the number of gasoline / electric hybrid cars and battery-powered vehicles coming to market in the next few years is growing by leaps and bounds, which will make specialists with experience in this area highly sought after.

Fleet mechanic positions also offer one of the hotter employment outlooks for recent graduates.  Corporations, municipalities, and governments have had to tighten their belts due to the recent recession, and this often means that funds targeting new equipment purchases are simply no longer available.  Faced with the need to keep their current fleet of vehicles on the road for a longer period of time than initially projected, these entities are hiring greater numbers of mechanics to make sure that things keep running in top shape during an extended service life.  Fire departments, police, and emergency services simply cannot afford to use vehicles which are unreliable, and this means that a high standard of labor-intensive maintenance is par for the course.

Mechanics who are willing to investigate applying their skills outside of traditional car and truck repair will also be able to find similar opportunities for fleet work at the industrial level.  Industrial machinery and heavy vehicles are also being called upon to work longer and harder in order to save on capital expenditures.  With some of these machines pulling 24 hour duty across multiple shifts, maintenance becomes even more important.

Hot jobs for mechanics essentially boil down to the same common theme:  positions exist for workers who are willing to find innovative and cost effective methods for extending the life of cars, trucks, and heavy equipment as long as possible.  An eye for detail and the ability to diagnose small problems before they become large and costly ones are characteristics that will help a mechanic to remain invaluable to his or her employer.  In an era of cutbacks, it is clear that the one thing that cannot be curtailed is maintenance, and in this respect mechanics have been handed a great opportunity to step forward and shine.