Hi,

I'm dutch but want to end my trip in Germany. Always liked the country, the food, the people and everything.

Thing is, I used to be a paper pusher in a huge international tech company and definitely don't want to that again.
So I took up welding last summer for the fun of it and because I want to work I a garage for a few years.

Two problems:
1) I speak crappy German. But that will be fixed quite quick I think.
2) As an office clerk I have zero (official) technical skills.

What changes do you guys think I have of landing a garage job somewhere? And is there something i can do the learn more about this so I won't arrive in Germany completely a technical?

Note: I have rebuild quite a few moped / cross bike engines. So I'm not a complete idiot I hope.

Blommetje

Edit: other tips regarding this are more than welcome !


Fortune and Glory, kid. Fortune and Glory.

Just a comment even tho it probably is a bit late. I learned a great deal about motorcycles by working in a wrecking yard for motorcycles that also did repairs. You can start by toting and carrying and then disassembling and work your way up to repairing with used parts.

Not late at all, thanks! I had the same idea and today I hung around two guys on a street corner.

To my surprise they fix exhaust pipes while you wait!

You drive up to the ramp, they remove the exhaust, use the spokes of an old bicycle wheel as welding material and within 15 minutes you're good to go!

Hung around a little longer but not much happened, will try again later. Off course, I want yo find a proper garage somewhere and 'work' for a month or so..

And I downloaded a huge German course so all those hours is spend in the busses here (burma) come to good use




Fortune and Glory, kid. Fortune and Glory.

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You can and download the FAA mechanics training manuals here,good basics on theory and operation of a wide variety of subjects.

AC 65-12A - [Large AC] Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics Powerplant Handbook – Document Information

AS for the German,as my wife says"I gave it back to the teacher",and much of that.

I'm responding, because I own a specialty construction company, and I get applicants wanting to learn my trade solely for personal reasons and not for becoming a craftsman, only to leave quite quickly. If you were applying to me, I'd not hire you. New hires don't make me any money for at least a year. They actually cost me money! Think of it, someone is training you and not producing work, and you are very slow and worse yet, will make mistakes that cost materials too.

So what's my recommendation for your interest? Sign up for a technical or vocational course or program on small engine repair or consumer vehicle maintenance. A better choice is to find motorcycle buddies in your community. Motorcyclists are very willing to show others how to do basic moto maintenance. Both of these options are going to be your best options producing the best results, from my perspective and experience.

Thnx LD Hack, I'll check my options. Although I would like to offer my work/learning process for no or a minimum pay. I completely understand your point of view regarding the hours/material that a new employee would cost (I would have said the same in my previous job) but if I can arrange a work-for-food kind of thing it may be a bit easier.

But nonetheless, point understood, will research the options!

Alex

Fortune and Glory, kid. Fortune and Glory.

That is a universal truth that is little understood by those coming out of various educational establishments nowadays.

There are quite a few voluntary systems to obtain work these days, internationally (and they have been discussed in the HUBB a few times).
Almost invariably the advertisers want people who bring skills to the job - to the point of asking for "cheap labour" in some cases.
In other cases it is just a matter of labouring manually.
Some of them offer accommodation and food included in the deal, especially if the work is related to farming or small-holding.

__________________
Dave

By the way, Germany has a very well established system of Fachhochschule which provides their assured standards of tertiary technical education, based on very high standards and associated certification.
Fachhochschule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are also technical institutions that provide the basis of all that level of education in Germany (below the level of a degree) but I don't recall the name of those - it is something like "technishe hochschule".
As a highly organised society I would be a little surprised if it is possible to be employed within a particular technical discipline in Germany without holding the relevant qualifications.

Good luck with your ambitions.

__________________
Dave

How to learn motorcycle mechanics.

Have a broken bike
Try and fix it
Break it some more trying to fix it.
Try and fix it again.
Break it some more trying to fix second problem
Eventually fix first problem
Break it some more trying to fix third problem
Eventually fix second problem
Break it some more trying to fix third problem.
Etc, etc, etc.

What I'm saying is... NOTHING BEATS EXPERIENCE. You can't learn anything from a manual unless you have your hands on the tools at the same time.

It's trial and error. It's making mistakes and learning from them.

So go out and buy some non-running cheap bikes and make them run. Be prepared to waste a lot of time and a lot of money. Spending hundreds of hours reading forums and manuals to try and fix a problem. Never with a definitive answer.

Expect to spend 1/4 of your time finding and ordering parts, 1/4 buying new tools for stupid jobs and the rest of your time with bleeding knuckles and oil in your eyes. Then in about 5-10 years you will be half competent.

As a mechanic you will be expected to have all your own tools too. You can't work to a high standard with cheap supermarket tools. Expect to invest at least £1000 if you want to be able to work quickly and efficiently.


Someone once said. "Make your hobby your job and you will never work another day in your life".

Well, that guy was AN IDIOT....

If you just want to learn bike mechanics as an interest then keep it as a hobby. You will enjoy it FAR FAR more than being in a bike shop getting screamed at to work at 150% all day long for shit money by incompetent managers.

I enjoyed working on bikes 1000x more when my income didn't rely on it.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Very true Ted. I've only ever worked on bikes (and cars) as a financially necessary hobby but my brother went down the doing it for a living route after he left school. His "tales from the oil face" were pretty much the same as your experience - pressure, pressure, pressure, idiot managers, not much money and seeing friends on the sales side being paid considerably more. He stuck it out for about 15yrs with a number of different companies before quitting that world all together.

There are a number of "industries" where people do the core activity both for a living and for a hobby - mechanic obviously but that shades into other aspects of engineering as well. Any other jobs that people here do for fun? Painting?, decorating?, building? (doing it because your wife thinks it might be fun doesn't count!)

Anybody writing software and not trying to sell it - or just writing for fun and not trying to sell the book? I work as a photographer and often get people coming up to me at events saying they've got a good camera and how can they can get to do what I'm doing. The answer is exactly the same as for working on bikes - practice for years and when you don't need to ask the question you're probably good enough.

For some pro / am jobs the gulf is just too great - not many club runners make it to the Olympics or pub footballers into the Premier League and it's been a while since any St John's Ambulance volunteers asked my wife how to become a doctor.

Just to give you guys an update on this.

I downloaded the duolingo app and it works great. I don't use it as often as I should but deep down I'm still a lazy guy. But it is coming along slow and steady.

Secondly is quit my job as a paper pusher about 2 years now. I'm back in the Netherlands and found a job working construction. Pay is lousy but as a non skilled Bob the Builder the main contractor is teaching me A LOT. It's hard work and I get my ass kicked when I make a mistake. Coffee is awful, but I'm learning and having fun.

After this, he is offering me other jobs. Also, I've started building a collection of tools that will come in handy. People asking me to fix kitchens, roofing and stuff. Might be useful to make an extra penny.

Also started a education on becoming a swim trainer. Not a future that will make me a rich man but I like swimming and it broadens the horizon.

All in all it is quite good. I won't work forever doing this but it is much better than emailing deadlines at a laptop.

Moral of the story; change can be done but it hurts. Lost a love, a car and a career. Gained a new perspective on life, work and speak German. And got a better physical. Back pain is gone, muscles like the Hulk and a tan from being outside.

If you want something, go get it.

Tschüß,

Alex