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The decision isn’t an easy one to make. If you already have some experience working on vehicles – or even if you don’t – your decision about enrolling in automotive school can be a difficult one.

For those who have already worked in a shop or taken on a few projects for friends or family, you might be wondering why you should invest your time and money in an automotive repair certification or degree? After all, you’ve already developed some of the skills you’ll need in the field.

For others with little or no experience, you might be deciding if an automotive career is a good career choice in general. With all the other job options out there, is it the best option for you? Or is there another path you should follow?

Regardless of what situation you find yourself in, automotive school is going to be a necessary step for you to develop a successful career in the field. If you’ve been asking yourself, “Should I go to automotive school?”, then you are have already caught on to an important question that could change the direction of your life.

4 Reasons Why Automotive School is a Must
Understanding what opportunities and options automotive school brings you will help motivate you to pursue your education. Here are four reasons why automotive school is a must for a career in the automotive repair profession:

• Making a decent salary –When you begin looking in an automotive career, you may hear stories about what some technicians make without earning a college degree. Many of the stories are true – and in some extreme cases, an automotive technician can make a salary that rivals a doctor. But more realistically, many automotive repair professionals make about $40,000-$50,000 a year – and it takes a certification or degree to earn this base salary. By putting in longer hours and doing whatever it takes to succeed, you can earn an even larger income.

• A foundation for something greater – An automotive degree or certification will help open other opportunities for you down the road in other potential roles. For example, you can use what you learn to enter a career in management, sales, instruction or own your own business. Without a degree, you will be limited to only automotive jobs that rely on your ability to use your trade skills.

• Connections – Have you ever heard the phrase, “Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know?” You’ll need both to make it in automotive repair. A great first step in making contacts in the automotive profession comes through your instructors who have contacts in the business or who can set you up with a lucrative internship. As time goes on, you’ll be able to repay other new individuals to the field by connecting them with your own network of professionals in the industry.

• Pick up and move – One tremendous benefit of a career in the automotive industry is that your job is not limited by geography. If you don’t like being tied down to one area, you can find a job almost anywhere in the United States or around the globe. But you will need a degree or certification to get your foot in the door.

Carefully considering your path
Take a “long range” perspective when deciding if automotive school is something on you want to take on. Don’t just consider what you want to do with your life now, but look even further into the future. What do you want to be doing 20 years from now? If you have aspirations to be in management or own your own business, then looking at automotive schools is a definite choice you should make.