40 yrs in a body shop ,and this is what the busines has evolved to. People that took interor decorating becoming estimators. Imagine the frustration of dealing with someone with no practical collision experiance. Explains the tech shortage problem.
I'm intrigued by this as a potential career choice, but in Canada it seems near impossible to gain any actual knowledge or experience with the most popular estimating softwares, unless you already have a job in the field somehow. Ofcourse to get a job in the field almost all places are looking for 1-2yrs experience with say mitchell and audatex; so it's an endless loop that can't really be broken into. This was all learned from me speaking with employers hiring for this position, as well as calling corporations like Audatex, Mitchell, and others to see if there was any way a member of the public could take any sort of course to gain the knowledge and/or experience that employers are looking for. It's definitely a frustrating field to break into.
Vale in Mechanicsburg, PA is where I went. CCC1 is the best and most used system. But, to start out the parts dept is the ideal place and it aided me when i made the jump. You will know what is needed and when it is needed to start and complete repairs. But, make no mistake writing the damage as an estimator in a shop is like being able to run as a basketball player. Its managing the repair and knowing insurance protocol, and of course "when is my car gonna be done?" is the biggest responsibility.
@@brianlogan4243 Really appreciate your insight. I've heard similar things about working in a parts role. I'm currently in talks with a shop for a hybrid role that will have me start out in parts and learn estimating on the side when available. Fingers crossed it all goes well.
40 yrs in a body shop ,and this is what the busines has evolved to. People that took interor decorating becoming estimators. Imagine the frustration of dealing with someone with no practical collision experiance. Explains the tech shortage problem.
I'm intrigued by this as a potential career choice, but in Canada it seems near impossible to gain any actual knowledge or experience with the most popular estimating softwares, unless you already have a job in the field somehow. Ofcourse to get a job in the field almost all places are looking for 1-2yrs experience with say mitchell and audatex; so it's an endless loop that can't really be broken into. This was all learned from me speaking with employers hiring for this position, as well as calling corporations like Audatex, Mitchell, and others to see if there was any way a member of the public could take any sort of course to gain the knowledge and/or experience that employers are looking for. It's definitely a frustrating field to break into.
Vale in Mechanicsburg, PA is where I went. CCC1 is the best and most used system. But, to start out the parts dept is the ideal place and it aided me when i made the jump. You will know what is needed and when it is needed to start and complete repairs. But, make no mistake writing the damage as an estimator in a shop is like being able to run as a basketball player. Its managing the repair and knowing insurance protocol, and of course "when is my car gonna be done?" is the biggest responsibility.
@@brianlogan4243 Really appreciate your insight. I've heard similar things about working in a parts role. I'm currently in talks with a shop for a hybrid role that will have me start out in parts and learn estimating on the side when available. Fingers crossed it all goes well.
@@OctaneStreet we specialize in high end cars. It's easily 80 to 100k a year with 10 years experience
Try and get into a Maaco that’s how I started