If you’ve ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like. This week, we chat to Madison Godfrey, an automotive technician at the Steer Group.
Apprentices, which is where I began my automotive career, earn around… £15,000 for the first year alongside studying. The salary once qualified is upwards of £40,000.
I work a 45-hour week… and get 23 days holiday on top of bank holidays. After five years’ service, we can earn an extra day of annual leave, and another after 10 years.
There aren’t a lot of freebies on offer, unless you count the branded air freshener… but we do get discounted rates on parts, which could be useful if you have a project on the drive at home.
Haggling isn’t generally appropriate… as we have fixed costs for labour, parts and supplies. It’s not something that comes up very often, and the majority of costs go through the insurer, so customers only have to pay the excess.
You should always get quotes from different people… if you’re not going through insurance for a repair. You shouldn’t just go to one place because a friend of a friend recommended it. Gather quotes from independent garages and local franchises of manufacturers and check what is and isn’t included, what costs are fixed and what is subject to change. Take your time to make an informed decision and it could save you a lot of money.
I would bring in mandatory driving test refreshers for people over a certain age… We are seeing a higher percentage of older drivers bringing in cars damaged in accidents. Reaction times diminish as we age, as does eyesight, and laws are changing all the time, so drivers really should be retested before they become a danger to themselves and others on the road.
