Different Jobs in the Automotive Work Environment

There are a lot of positions within most mechanic shops and car dealerships, and to start out they can be pretty confusing. Different career opportunities require different types of training and expertise, so knowing what jobs are available and watch each job entails is important to ensure you are on the right track for the job you want. 

Service consultant

A service consultant is usually the first person that customers come in contact with when entering a shop or service bay — which means you have to at least kind of like people. This job requires a bit of patience as you have to listen to a customer’s concerns and complaints about their vehicle and know what questions to ask to get the most information that you can. The service consultant is responsible for paperwork such as writing service orders as well as assisting in the ordering of parts. 

Service dispatcher

I’ve literally never heard anyone be called a service dispatcher before, but this job itself is relatively broad and exists even if it goes by another name in most shops. The service dispatcher is in charge of scheduling services and repairs for vehicles tracks these services and repairs and ensures that everything is completed and billed correctly. 

Supervisor

This one is a little bit more self explanatory as most career paths and workplaces have a supervisor in some way, shape, or form. This person…well…supervises everything that happens in the service department. This can including helping technicians troubleshoot, manage communication between the technicians, service manager, and parts department, and resolving any issues or problems. 

Service manager

The service manager is in charge of coordinating all services and repairs as well overseeing the parts departments. Like the service consultant, this position requires you to deal with customers and answer any questions or concerns that the service consultant was not able to. 

“I need to speak to your [service] manager”

Karen, probably

Parts manager

The parts manager must have an in-depth understanding of the vehicle’s components and how they work together. This job requires technical knowledge as well as organizational skills required for keeping, tracking, and managing inventory. The parts manager should be able to locate parts for the technician, assist in ordering parts that aren’t on hand, and keep an eye on what parts are kept in stock, placing reorders when necessary. 

Automotive salesperson

If you want to work with cars but you don’t really want to work on cars, the automotive sales position might be for you — even if it seems like that position may be dying out slowly. Automotive salespeople are friendly and knowledgeable, working with customers to find them the vehicle they are looking for a negotiating price. Really, the world does need these automotive salespeople, but they are generally disliked by the consumer public. 

Many dealerships and shops have even more positions, but this covers the absolute basics of what you can expect in way of auto-centric job options within one of these facilities. If you’re interested in a job in the automotive industry, check out our membership highlight section to see what girls are currently doing — and even find someone to talk to who may work in your field of interest.

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