Mechanic: Job Profile and Role

For the job of a mechanic – which this blog is all about – you need strong technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and physics knowledge. These competencies are part of your skill set and help you to perform well. Moreover, a high interest in vehicles and how they work also does not go amiss. Do you see yourself in the listed skills and interests?

Then the job of a mechanic could be your dream job. Just read on and find out what qualifications are required, what salary you can expect, and where you can find employment. To make a mechanic’s job more approachable, we give you an insight into some typical tasks you will perform – and as always, you get three tips for thriving and advancing your career.

Short Summary

• As a mechanic, you can be responsible for vehicle inspections and diagnostics, for example, while being employed by a garage or the military.
• As a mechanic, you can work as a marine mechanic, meaning that you specialise in the repair and maintenance of ship engines and a ship’s electrical systems.
• As a mechanic, you are responsible for keeping on top of various maintenance jobs, including tools, equipment, and vehicle maintenance.

Job description

Your mechanic’s job is not only very hands-on, it is also quite technical and can take various career paths, depending on your interests and specialisations. Regardless of your expertise, your responsibilities range from vehicle inspections to maintenance and repairs. You are furthermore in charge of running quality controls and tests, thus, ensuring that repaired vehicles or their formerly broken components run smoothly and safely. Despite all the technical work, you need strong customer service skills since you are dealing with the respective vehicles’ owners as well.

Responsibilities

• Vehicle Inspections/Diagnostics
• Compliance with Regulations
• Tool/Equipment Maintenance
• Component Replacement
• Repair and Maintenance
• Preventive Maintenance
• Testing/Quality Control
• Team Collaboration
• Customer Service
• Updating Records

Different types of Mechanics

• Plant Mechanic
• Marine Mechanic
• Aircraft Mechanic
• Motorcycle Mechanic
• Automotive Mechanic

Salary

On average, you earn between ￡23,000 and ￡36,000 per year when working as a full-time mechanic in the UK, with ￡36,000 or slightly more referring to your average base salary as an experienced mechanic. Since being a mechanic can mean different specialisations, you might earn more or less depending on your area of expertise. You also need to keep in mind that your location, your employer, and your employment type affect your annual salary in this job.

Working hours

You can expect to work between 35 and 40 hours a week when working as a mechanic in the UK. Typically, you will work between 9 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. but these hours may vary depending on your employer. Generally, you are not expected to work in the evening, whereas weekend shifts can occur. Again, this depends on your employer’s operating hours and services.

Employers

Whether you have already worked in this profession or are looking for your first mechanic job, here are some employment options for you: automotive repair shops/garages, public transportation companies like National Express, Scottish City Link, or Stagecoach, aviation companies, and the Royal Forces where your mechanic job can include aircraft and military vehicles. Equally, you can find employment in racing sports, such as the F1 and motorcycle racing.

Qualifications

To become a mechanic, you can look into doing an appropriate college course or apprenticeship, some of which we will look at later on. Even though the job of a mechanic can mean different specialisations, you typically need GCSEs at different pass grades. As a rule, you need grades 9 to 3 (A* to D) or 9 to 4 (A* to C) to enter a college course. Besides, the higher pass grades qualify you for entering an apprenticeship. 

Educational qualifications aside, you should know your way around the software you will use. This can include electronic service manuals (ESM), workshop management software, and diagnostic tools and scanners. Which software is relevant to your mechanic’s job depends on your specialisation.

Skills

You have already seen in our introduction and the qualifications section that the required skills may differ and are subject to the mechanic job you do. This makes it even more important to check a job post’s skills section when applying for a mechanic position. Nevertheless, all mechanic jobs come with the three skills we explore now.

Technical Knowledge

Your technical knowledge is one of your most valuable assets when you want to work in this field. You need to understand how engines work, how to diagnose problems, and how to fix them. Moreover, this particular competency should extend to expertise with brakes, electrical systems, and every other relevant vehicle component – regardless of the vehicle you are working on and with.

Manual Abilities

Repairing vehicle parts can be fiddly work where you handle both fragile and minuscule vehicle parts. Therefore, manual abilities need to be part of your skill set. They must consist of fine and gross motor skills, dexterity, manual precision, and hand-eye coordination, to name a few of the most important manual abilities you should have or develop when holding the job of a mechanic. 

Attention to Detail 

Since you are responsible for safe traffic – be it on the roads, the seas or in the air – you need to apply high attention to detail to any mechanic job you perform. Even the tiniest inattentiveness can have serious consequences which, therefore, need to be avoided at all costs. Whether you are fixing an engine, replacing broken parts, or “just” refilling a vehicle’s oil – everything must be shipshape after you have finished your job.

Career Path

Since the job of a Mechanic is very diverse, your career path can equally take various directions. Starting with an entry-level job, you can advance to becoming a senior mechanic or enter a specialised field. Since listing every possible specialisation would blow up both this section and this blog, we can only give you one more career option at this point: setting up your own mechanic business and offering your expertise you the mechanic sector you want to work in.

Educational Background

You can become a mechanic in the UK by doing a college course or an apprenticeship. In some cases, you can apply directly or complete so-called specialist private training courses. In this section, we take a look at some of your educational options.

Motor Mechanic

A motor mechanic generally works with cars. If this is your chosen career, you can look into various college courses, for example, a T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing or a Level 3 Diploma in Auto-Electrical and Mobile Electrical Operations. The apprenticeship options can range from an advanced motor vehicle service and maintenance technician apprenticeship to training as a vehicle mechanic with the British Army.

Construction Plant Mechanic

If you want to work with heavy machinery generally used on construction sites, the job of a construction plant mechanic might be suitable for you. Here, you can complete a Level 2 Certificate in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance, a Level 2 Diploma in Construction Plant or Machinery Maintenance, or a Level 3 Diploma in Plant Maintenance. If you want to pursue your career by doing an apprenticeship, you can apply for a construction equipment maintenance mechanic intermediate apprenticeship.

Aircraft Mechanic

As an aircraft mechanic, you work with various aircraft, including planes and helicopters. Appropriate college courses are the Level 2 and Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation Engineering, while a relevant apprenticeship can be an aircraft maintenance certifying engineering higher apprenticeship. Note that some employers may prefer an academic background in engineering.

Marine Mechanic

Should your passion be working with marine vehicles, you should look into becoming a marine mechanic. Here, the relevant college courses can be the following: a Level 2 Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, a Level 3 Diploma in Marine Engineering, or a T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing. Appropriate apprenticeships can include a marine engineer Level 3 advanced apprenticeship.

Entry Level/Training

There is only one way to advance to more senior mechanic positions: completing your training and entry-level positions, respectively. Typically, you start as a trainee mechanic where you can apply the theoretical and practical knowledge which you may have earned during your apprenticeship (if that was your chosen educational approach). May we recommend that you look into mentoring? This is always a good way to learn the tricks of the trade since more senior colleagues have valuable insights and tips.

Continuous Learning

Your professional life is characterised by mechanical work and continuous improvement – or, at least, it should be. Let’s say you work as a car mechanic, in which case you can look into the qualifications offered by the IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry), for example, braking and chassis systems and climate control and automotive air conditioning systems.

The IMI also offers so-called end point assessment (EPA) and apprenticeships. If you want to excel in aircraft mechanics, you can earn accredited qualifications from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA offers everything from further training to in-house training and obtaining e-licenses. 

Mechanic Education Down to a T

If being a mechanic is your dream job, you can complete a T Level which we have mentioned in our educational background section. But what, exactly, is a T Level and why could it be interesting for you? T Levels are two-year qualifications designed for 16 to 19 year olds which are conducted in collaboration with potential future employers. Each of the T Levels equals three A levels and supports a future mechanic in developing his or her skills, knowledge, and ambition.

A Day in the Life of a Mechanic

Before you start your first job of the day, you need to dress accordingly. Being a mechanic means you need clothing that keeps you safe and that allows you to get dirty. Have you put on your work overall, your work boots, and whatever else keeps you clean-ish and safe? Then, let’s take a look at some of your typical daily mechanic tasks.

Customer Interaction

Interacting with your customers tends to be one of the first jobs of the day. Here, you check or double-check which repairs and/or replacements need doing. You must also discuss the accruing costs of your repair and maintenance work. Lastly, you must document all jobs required of you – and do not forget that your customer receives a signed copy of said document as well.

Repairs and Maintenance 

Repairs and maintenance constitute the main part of your working day. You can repair a car’s engine, brakes, or light, be asked to check the oil status and refill it if necessary, or “just” ensure that the vehicle in question is in working order. You can also be asked to do a car’s MOT, which is one of your jobs as a car mechanic. But even if you work in a different field, you will still be in charge of these daily tasks.

Test Drives

After the repairs come the test drives – or flights if you work as an aircraft mechanic. This daily task is important due to several aspects. You need to ensure that the repaired and/or replaced components work and that the vehicle you have been working on is safe for rejoining its designated traffic. If you notice anything untoward during your test drives, you need to recheck your previous work and perform more repairs and, possibly, replacements.

Tips for Thriving as a Mechanic

Professional and personal improvement is beneficial to you and your career – especially when you want to discuss promotion or start in a niche area. Employers value employees who show drive and ambition. And becoming an expert in a niche area can easily propel you to the top of the career ladder. In this section, we take a look at three possibilities for thriving as a mechanic:

• Niche area specialisation
• Online resources
• Manufacturer-specific training

Niche Area Specialisation

Niche area specialisation is especially important in popular jobs – and the job of a mechanic certainly qualifies as that. Let’s go back to the job of a car mechanic. Here, niche areas can focus on sustainability, for example, getting an in-depth knowledge of electrical or hybrid cars which can range from advanced diagnostics to the repair of these vehicles. If your focus is on marine mechanics, you can look into becoming a hydraulics systems expert or a marine HVAC technician who works with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

Online Resources

There are various websites and professional bodies that operate online and can benefit you. Two of the most relevant options for mechanics are iATN, the International Automotive Technicians Network, and AutoForums. You can find a detailed list of the most important AutoForums websites and members on the UK government’s careers website. The mentioned options give you the chance to connect with other mechanics and discuss the latest trends and developments. 

Manufacturer-Specific Training

Whether you work with cars or aircraft – it is likely that you work with specific brands/manufacturers who tend to be the big players in the automotive or aviation industry. How about enquiring about manufacturer-specific training? Even though cars and aircraft are built to similar blueprints, they still vary depending on the manufacturer. Having the necessary qualifications, training, and knowledge helps you thrive and can also be a part of your niche area of expertise.

Frequently Asked Questions