Automotive Technician (General)
What the work is
Maintains, tests and repairs petrol engines and the mechanical parts of lightweight motor vehicles, such as transmissions, suspension, steering and brakes.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Inspects lightweight vehicles to identify mechanical issues and determine the necessary repairs
- Uses computerised diagnostic tools to identify problems with petrol engines and mechanical parts of motor vehicles
- Repairs or replaces faulty parts and components of motor vehicles
- Performs routine maintenance tasks on motor vehicles, such as oil changes and filter replacements
- Inspects and road tests motor vehicles to ensure they are roadworthy
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a family-run car workshop in a regional town, with two hoists and a busy front counter. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You find the cause of a noise that two other workshops missed
- A car goes back to a nervous owner and you know it is safe on the road
- The scan tool and your own ears point to the same thing, and the job clicks into place
Hard days
- A one-hour job turns into a full day of seized bolts and the wrong parts
- Explaining a big repair bill to someone who was hoping for good news
- Lying on a cold concrete floor while the phone keeps ringing for an update
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 351131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.