i started an internship today

[jims69camaro]

at a local auto body shop. i walked in, on my teacher's suggestion, to one of the auto body shops close to my house. i could walk there, it's that close.

anyway, once i explained what i wanted from the situation in the form of compensation yesterday (i can't work due to social security - it would just mess everything up if i got a paying job), they asked me to start today. i asked to start out at just 4 hours per day, so i can ease back into a working schedule, and they are absolutely as flexible as they can be.

when you think about the trade off, in this case, education for free labor, it sounds like a helluva deal. i think i am on the better end of the deal because i will have a sellable talent with real life work experience should i ever need it. the owner was in need of two experienced body men (i found out today talking with the shop foreman) so having me drop by with a suggestion like this at least softens the need for employees a little bit, and he says he wants to teach me to shoot paint (and everything attached to it) in return for my solid prep skills.

i prepped two cars and a fresh plastic bumper today. i masked off one of the two cars and got it into the booth so the foreman could shoot it. not bad for four hours work. as i was leaving, they said they hoped to see me tomorrow, so i think i have found a new home. the guys that work there are very friendly, and one worked has been there 34 years (since two months after the shop opened), so i think it will be a good place to get an education - it really has a small shop atmosphere (four employees including the girl that answers the phones) which is very nice...

i told him up front (the owner) that as soon as i become more of a hindrance than a help that he should cut me loose. given my physical limitations, i am trying to let him know that there will be no hard feelings if he thinks that someone else would work out better for him and the shop. he gave no indication that that would happen, so i feel really safe about entering into a deal like this.

[TAdan]

Sounds pretty cool! Good luck, and have fun.

[unstable bob gable]

Sounds good. Lord knows there can never be enuff good body men out there!

[Tru2Chevy]

Awesome! Sounds like a great deal for both you and the shop...

- Justin

[Untamed]

Thats friggin awesome! Put the educatin to work to develop new skills, build up the resume', enjoy what you are doing for only 4 hours a day, and get out of the house to be social, meeting new people (including customers). The shop gets free labor, knowing you're just starting out, so you're an extra pair of hands when needed, plus developing valuable skills they'll come to rely on.

Good luck Jim. Spread the F-body gospel while you're there.

[The Fixer]

Wow Jim, sounds like a great way to learn! Best of luck to ya!

[baddest434]

thats great congrats

[Ian]

awesome! sounds like a real great place to work too.

[Knipps]

haha that's awesome, there's a place like that by my house that seems to do restoration stuff as well but i don't think i'm in a good spot to try and do that right now.. [school is 4 hours away]

[jims69camaro]

come to find out, they've had interns from OCVTS before... the toms river campus. i guess that dried up once they stopped using the TR campus for auto body. just about everyday the boss asks if i'm having fun, did i learn anything, etc. i can't believe that someone would be that interested in how i am doing, but if he's doing this to make a sure i am getting the work done and plan on hanging around for a while... then it makes sense.

it really is all that it should be. oh, and did i mention there might be some auto parts in it down the road? with 3 vehicles on the road, some parts in the nick of time (so to speak) will come in really handy.

[mtg6486]

thats real kool good luck with it