Skills You Didn’t Know Automotive Technicians Need
An automotive technician is expected to have the knowledge to inspect, diagnose and repair most cars and light trucks on the market today, but automobile service centres are also looking for individuals that have great non-technical skills, such as writing, oral communication, critical thinking and problem solving. Each of these skills are just as important as professional expertise.
Good Writing Skills
Writing is a very important skill to have in an automotive career, as automotive technicians must be able to document what they did following the conclusion of a repair job. Each documentation must provide a detailed description of the repair work done on a car, in layman’s terms. They may also be asked to write a summation of the damage occurred in an automobile accident that could be used later as evidence in a legal matter.
Oral Communication
Sometimes, an automotive technician will show off their oral communication skills by working behind the service counter, and providing detail instructions to customers who want to make simple car repairs themselves. Also, they must give periodic progress reports to their supervisor on each car in the service area, and quickly inform customers via a phone call on the severity of the damage done to their car. Another added responsibility for an automotive technician is verbally relaying a parts order list to an outside supplier or receiving further instructions on how to install a part directly from the supplier.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a very important skill in an automotive career, as it helps an automotive technician to diagnose and judge the amount of time needed to repair a car. They use this skill to decipher the reliability of the information provided by customers and determine its relevance to the actual problem with the car. Others use critical thinking as a source to evaluate the usefulness of their working tools and if they’re compatible enough to assist on repair jobs for late-model cars. Critical thinking will also help to assess the condition of vital parts on a car, such as brakes, tires and the exhaust system.
Problem Solving Skills
Automotive technicians use their problem solving skills to help find suitable replacements for automobile parts that aren’t in-stock or simply weren’t delivered to the service center. Others use this skill to assist a co-worker on troubleshooting a car when they cannot resolve the problem themselves.
If you’re thinking about having an automotive career, then don’t forget to develop or improve your non-technical skills. Helping a supervisor resolve a conflict is just as important as fixing a mechanical problem with a car. A good automotive technician must be versatile and perform many roles in an ever-changing industry. Having good non-technical skills are designed to help automotive technicians advance in their automotive careers, as they gain more confidence in their ability.