JOBS

Freelance Automotive Design Engineer,

Specialising in Engine design mainly but you have to go where the work is

I live in Essex, work in Leamington Spa at the moment

Get to design some really nice stuff, but don't always get to shout about it as a lot of what I do is highly confidential

When this industry goes quiet as it did a couple of years ago I go and do other stuff ;D

I`m a Decent Chippy, and do a lot of House renovation work inbetween engineering

2 years ago I`d had enough of what I was doing at the time (Designing Diesel Inlet ports for a Major OEM), so I sold my Bike and learned to Massage (Yes seriously ;D) and went out to Meribel for the Ski Season ;D

5.5 months of Snowboarding every day and massaging every evening ;D

The thing I have found is be prepared to change..... the only secure job nowadays is working for yourself....... and the more stuff you can do the more marketable you are

I have been in situation where I have worked for nothing to get a job.... turned up on sites and just worked to prove I could do it, then they have taken me on and paid me for the work already done

Sending out CV`s is just not enough now, as thats what everyone does, you need to get your name known some other way.

One company who I turned down 3 times for jobs as they messed about on a decision and I found something else, but each time they would ring me..... why ?

In the Filing cabinet of the engineering managers office was his stash of CV`s that he`d look through when new jobs came in.....

He would flick through them and pull mine out every time which infuriated him ;D

Why

Because all the cvs in that Draw were printed out as normal

Mine Was printed on a very nice, Parchment type Paper that was not white

Immediately your eye was drawn to it ;D

I emailed the CV in (which got printed off on white paper) but I also Sent the "Nice" one in by Snail mail

Thats what got me the first interview.........

J if you want some help then get in touch, I gave another mate in the same boat as you some help with his CV and he has just landed an engineering job.... had to lower his sights a bit to start with but hes in the system now

Remember we all have to start out and do time in "Grunt" jobs first..... its not forever and it gets you experience for the CV

If you cant get a job based on your current CV, then you need to do some work towards that CV

I've done that too - you have to have a bit of front to do it but it's worked for me

Scarily enough, I'm a building estimator.
Which means I have to cost and sort out the mess that the likes of SL start.
(opens can of worms)

I've priced a number of dealerships, some of which I've won and are now up and running.
Seat Leicester is one, opposite the Walker Bowl (not an architectural masterpiece I grant you) which is where I get my other car serviced now.

And while I'm at it, thanks for those pictures bringing back many memories of Six Ways in Walsall, eventhough I can't ever recall having been to your shop!

(probably though you didn't have a great deal for mine)

Used to work in a large Austin Rover (remember them!?) bodyshop in the late eighties when I first left school, but left the motor trade in the early nineties. After working for a few years as a hydraulics engineer, and then having numerous driving jobs, I'm now the Office Manager for a sameday courier company (Courier Company of the Year 2 years in a row ;D).
Dale

driving that car is an experience, ive drive it once and the wheel fell off ;D

not at £16 a litre for fluid! can be done, but you'll need a friendly oil salesman, it ain't cheap!

Anyway sorry and BTT

Logistics manager - making sure what the company needs is here when we need it

But it's job no'17 at 42!!!