Do you love working on cars and everything under the hood but have been wondering how to become an auto mechanic? If so, there is a way for you to do this professionally and make money off of your passion. While some elements might change, in general, you are going to find that the path towards becoming a professional mechanic is going to be about the same from place to place.
While you can learn on your own and from outside assistance all you want, this is not going to help you when it comes down to learning regular auto mechanic skills that are certified and desired in the field, this is not going to do you all that much good. You need formal classroom settings that also provide hands-on training as well. While some high schools do provide educational programs for working in the field, including an Automotive Youth Education Services (AYES) program, you generally want courses that provide more assistance than this. You probably are going to have technical educational classes nearby that offer classes certified by the National Automotive Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). Any sort of class that is provided by a college or higher level institution is going to be extremely desirable when it comes to you reaching your eventual goals of becoming an auto mechanic.
After you have gone through the provided courses, you need to obtain the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. This is not a certification you can simply seek out and take whenever you desire though. You are only eligible for the test after you have completed an educational program and have one year of experience on the job, or after you have two years of experience while working as an auto technician.