Vehicle mechanic

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as a vehicle mechanic. In other words, I repair cars and vans, carry out maintenance work and install accessories on cars.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

My father was a car repair shop entrepreneur, so I’ve accompanied him at the repair shop since I was a little boy. Ever since primary school, I knew that as an adult I’d find my way into this field. I’ve also been building cars as a hobby. So, the Vocational Qualification in Vehicle Technology was a natural choice for me.

Describe your typical working day or week.

My working days vary a great deal. Repairing cars takes most of the working hours during the day. If a major renovation is needed, it may take a whole day or even several days to repair a single car. On another day, I may be able to repair and service ten cars. In addition, I do some office work every day, that is, I process work orders and do invoicing, and reply to e-mails and the phone. I also order spare parts for cars and pick them up from the spare parts store.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

This is a one-man business, so I always work in the repair shop hall alone. I usually work on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. However, being an entrepreneur, I try to serve my customers as well as possible. So, in the high season, such as in the autumn, the working hours tend to get longer.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

In my opinion, patience is the most important characteristic. When I was younger, I was a bit hasty, but I’ve learned to consider my actions better. In this profession, you must be good with your hands. In addition, you must be able to withstand the pressures caused by timetables and problem-solving. Accuracy and diligence are essential. The work you do must always be good. Otherwise, you won’t get very far in this job.

The same characteristics are required if you become an entrepreneur in this field. Then you must know how to plan your use of time and schedule appointments in your calendar. When you’re an entrepreneur, the responsibility for your work and customers feels heavier.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best part of this work is variability – I don’t have time to get bored at any point. In addition, I’ve been able to realise my childhood dream. I can also combine my work with leisure: I’ve been able to take part in the Finnish rally tour as a car mechanic in addition to my daytime job.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

Every now and then, you have setbacks in this job. It starts to stress me out if I can’t find a fault in a car when there are other jobs waiting to be done. And time just keeps on ticking away while I’m looking for the fault. Situations like this require pressure tolerance.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a vehicle mechanic?

Repairs must be done carefully, so it’s important to remain patient and calm. Otherwise, some damage may occur. This is a responsible job, which is also about safety. You must ensure that all parts are properly fastened when you hand over a vehicle from the repair shop to a customer.

How do you see the future of your profession?

There will be plenty of work in this field. And the saying ‘you learn by doing’ also applies to this work. Finland has a rather old vehicle stock. Therefore, there are still many cars with conventional technology coming to the repair shop. Electric and hybrid cars are becoming more common. Repairing them will be an essential part of future maintenance and repair activities, but it requires special training. *Read the interview with Saku Heino, who acts as a vehicle mechanic.

Photo: Sami Mäkinen