Automotive is far broader and more technology-driven than I once imagined
My journey started with my father, who has been an automotive electrician for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I spent every other Saturday in and around the workshop where he worked. At the time, I was simply a child watching my father work and did not imagine that I would eventually build my own career in the industry. When I was older, I began working alongside him. Initially, I found it difficult and did not enjoy it much because I was inexperienced and there is very little room for error when working on a customer’s vehicle. As I developed skills in automotive electrical work, mechanical repairs and vehicle air conditioning, everything changed. Solving faults and repairing things began to feel like a superpower. I discovered how satisfying it is to understand a complex problem and make something work again. I later moved into heavy mobile and earthmoving equipment, which introduced an entirely different level of challenge. I continued learning and working my way up until I reached my present role, supervising a workshop in a mining environment.
When I was younger, I thought automotive work was mainly about carrying out physical repairs with hand tools. I did not appreciate how much technical knowledge, electrical diagnosis, computer-based testing and continuous learning the modern industry requires. Today, the work can involve anything from tracing a voltage drop or an intermittent CAN-bus communication fault to diagnosing an air-conditioning system, managing maintenance on heavy equipment or working safely around electric and hybrid vehicles. It is far broader and more technology-driven than I once imagined.
I enjoy solving problems that are not immediately obvious. There is a special satisfaction in finding the cause of a complex fault, particularly after others have struggled with it, and returning a machine or vehicle to service. In a mining operation, that repair can also have a direct effect on safety, production and the people relying on the equipment. I also enjoy developing other technicians. Helping someone understand a system, improve their diagnostic approach and become more confident is just as rewarding as completing the repair myself.
My role combines hands-on technical work with workshop leadership. I coordinate maintenance and breakdown repairs, allocate work to the team, inspect equipment, diagnose difficult electrical and electronic faults, plan preventive maintenance, manage parts and communicate with operations about equipment availability and priorities. I work across passenger vehicles, trucks, heavy mobile and earthmoving equipment, as well as electric and hybrid vehicle technology.
People may be surprised by how much of the job involves analysis, communication and decision making. A technician does not simply replace parts. We interpret wiring diagrams and live data, take electrical measurements, understand mechanical and air-conditioning systems, assess risk and test our conclusions. As a supervisor, I must also remain calm under pressure, guide the team and balance safety, quality and production demands, often with limited resources in a remote mining environment. The sector is changing rapidly through electrification, advanced electronics, connected systems, improved safety technology and increasingly sophisticated diagnostics. Mechanical knowledge remains important, but technicians now also need a strong understanding of electrical systems, networks, software and high-voltage safety. That change makes the industry exciting because there is always another system or technology to master. My IMI electric and hybrid vehicle training has shown me how traditional automotive skills can develop into future-focused expertise. The learning never really stops, which means the career never has to become stagnant.
Do not judge the industry by the old image of someone simply changing oil or replacing parts. Automotive offers routes into diagnostics, electronics, electric vehicles, air conditioning, heavy equipment, motorsport, engineering, workshop management, training and many other specialisms. You do not need to know everything when you begin. I struggled at first and did not immediately enjoy the work. The enjoyment came as my skills and confidence grew. If you are curious, enjoy technology and like solving real problems with visible results, automotive can become an extremely rewarding career.
My career has been a beautiful journey, but it has also been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Some days I feel like Superman after solving a difficult fault; on others, a complex problem can humble me for hours, especially when working in a remote part of the world with limited support and resources. That is part of what keeps the work meaningful. I did not follow a perfectly straight path or begin with a clear career plan. I learned through experience, kept developing my qualifications and progressed from working beside my father to becoming a qualified automotive electrician and workshop supervisor in the mining industry. I am proud of how far I have come, but I still approach the work knowing that there will always be more to learn.
