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Bosco
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Toyota Hiace NZ
Bosco 2/27/2013 7:54am
2/27/2013 7:54am
Hey J_Mac,

I'm 20 and currently studying mechanical engineering in UCD. I rode and raced a lot from about 12/13. I competed in the British championship for two years up until my leaving cert in '11. I pretty much stopped racing before Christmas of 6th year, because racing and college are both expensive... Anyway, I'd give you a couple of bits of advice.

First, go to college. Obviously if you don't want to, don't, but if you have the opportunity and are unsure, do it. Yeah, it's hard for me now watching all the guys I used to race still riding and working, but there is little (not none!) opportunity to progress without education. I really want to work in the motor industry, and it'd be pretty hard to call up Ducati and ask for a job waving my Leaving Cert in their faces. A Masters in Mechanical Engineering would obviously be more valuable in that case.

Secondly, if you do go to college, don't just apply to the local place cos it'd be easy to get to. A friend of mine from school is currently in Harvard doing maths and economics, because he applied to Harvard and got in. If you don't apply they won't let you in! Look up places like Imperial College in London and all the big colleges (Oxford, Cambridge, etc) as well as colleges in Ireland for options. Even with Irish colleges there is an option to study abroad (erasmus) for the same cost as your home college's fees. Which brings us on to...

3. Keep up a language if you can. In moto, the industry is in Japan and America (and KTM in Austria). Obviously that's not entirely the case, but that's where the big stuff is. The same doesn't hold true for the general motor industry. There are reputable car manufacturers EVERYWHERE. BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, Opel, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Jaguar and Land Rover, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Bugatti... The list goes on. A lot of these companies will have programs for undergraduate students. Imagine graduating from your masters program and going to KTM for a job with a CV that has experience with Ferrari on it?

4. When it comes to bike riding in college, it's difficult. If you're paying for it all yourself it's next to impossible! It MAY be necessary to ride less than you'd want to... It depends on whether you want a degree or an education. You can go to lectures and work at a job all week and ride every weekend and pass your exams, but it's VERY hard to do well in exams with no study.

I know I've approached this from the 'go to college' standpoint, even though you said you don't like school, but it's all I know right now Smile I will say this though, college is nothing like school. The lectures are actually interesting - nothing like 5th year geography! Tongue And there is more to college than learning. I'm on the rowing team in UCD and I'm fitter than I ever was training 4 times a week for motocross Smile

Finally, from what I can gather most of the people who make it into the moto industry without an education of some sort are the riders, and for every RC, there are hundreds of riders who didn't make it, left without any education or job experience.


On a lighter note, you heading to Gormanstown for the first round of the southern centre this weekend? If you're there on Sunday, keep an eye out for no.18 on a Yam 450 Smile
BobbyM
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BobbyM 2/27/2013 8:12am
2/27/2013 8:12am
Screw school...follow your dreams. You'll only be young once... go for the gusto dammit!
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J_Mac_95
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2/26/2013
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IE
J_Mac_95 2/27/2013 8:28am
2/27/2013 8:28am
Bosco wrote:
Hey J_Mac, I'm 20 and currently studying mechanical engineering in UCD. I rode and raced a lot from about 12/13. I competed in the British championship...
Hey J_Mac,

I'm 20 and currently studying mechanical engineering in UCD. I rode and raced a lot from about 12/13. I competed in the British championship for two years up until my leaving cert in '11. I pretty much stopped racing before Christmas of 6th year, because racing and college are both expensive... Anyway, I'd give you a couple of bits of advice.

First, go to college. Obviously if you don't want to, don't, but if you have the opportunity and are unsure, do it. Yeah, it's hard for me now watching all the guys I used to race still riding and working, but there is little (not none!) opportunity to progress without education. I really want to work in the motor industry, and it'd be pretty hard to call up Ducati and ask for a job waving my Leaving Cert in their faces. A Masters in Mechanical Engineering would obviously be more valuable in that case.

Secondly, if you do go to college, don't just apply to the local place cos it'd be easy to get to. A friend of mine from school is currently in Harvard doing maths and economics, because he applied to Harvard and got in. If you don't apply they won't let you in! Look up places like Imperial College in London and all the big colleges (Oxford, Cambridge, etc) as well as colleges in Ireland for options. Even with Irish colleges there is an option to study abroad (erasmus) for the same cost as your home college's fees. Which brings us on to...

3. Keep up a language if you can. In moto, the industry is in Japan and America (and KTM in Austria). Obviously that's not entirely the case, but that's where the big stuff is. The same doesn't hold true for the general motor industry. There are reputable car manufacturers EVERYWHERE. BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, Opel, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Jaguar and Land Rover, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Bugatti... The list goes on. A lot of these companies will have programs for undergraduate students. Imagine graduating from your masters program and going to KTM for a job with a CV that has experience with Ferrari on it?

4. When it comes to bike riding in college, it's difficult. If you're paying for it all yourself it's next to impossible! It MAY be necessary to ride less than you'd want to... It depends on whether you want a degree or an education. You can go to lectures and work at a job all week and ride every weekend and pass your exams, but it's VERY hard to do well in exams with no study.

I know I've approached this from the 'go to college' standpoint, even though you said you don't like school, but it's all I know right now Smile I will say this though, college is nothing like school. The lectures are actually interesting - nothing like 5th year geography! Tongue And there is more to college than learning. I'm on the rowing team in UCD and I'm fitter than I ever was training 4 times a week for motocross Smile

Finally, from what I can gather most of the people who make it into the moto industry without an education of some sort are the riders, and for every RC, there are hundreds of riders who didn't make it, left without any education or job experience.


On a lighter note, you heading to Gormanstown for the first round of the southern centre this weekend? If you're there on Sunday, keep an eye out for no.18 on a Yam 450 Smile
Thanks for all that Smile i think I'm gonna jus go to college :p

And no i wont be riding in the south this year Sad ill be riding for mccni and probs the ulster champs to Smile first race tis sat wish me luck lol Smile
stangkag
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Maybell, CO US
stangkag 2/27/2013 8:29am
2/27/2013 8:29am
stangkag wrote:
Trust me from experience... Study up and stay in school. It takes FOREVER to break into this industry unless you happen to be born into it...
Trust me from experience... Study up and stay in school. It takes FOREVER to break into this industry unless you happen to be born into it. Like if you were James Stewarts brother for example : Malcolm Stewart. Id say it was pretty easy for him to get into the industry lol.

Ok seriously tho, I tried to get into this industry for years and I finally got into it lastyear, Thought I had found the job for me and Id never ever leave the industry. That was Feb. 2012 right before Dallas SX last year. Im no longer in the industry and I feel like ive lost alot of my passion and love for the sport. If you love moto and dont want to be burned out on it, keep you hobby and your career seperate. Just my .02 cents.

Alot of what we see on TV is FAR FAR different from what the riders, tracks, and environment are truely like in real life.

I am very thankful for all the cool things I got to experience but most of the time I wish I had never got into the industry because it tainted my love for the sport just a tad.

Good luck in your quest my friend. This was just my experience, im sure not everyone would agree
flarider wrote:
This is one of the most straight forward and honest things I have read on here in a LONG TIME. I have said on here a...
This is one of the most straight forward and honest things I have read on here in a LONG TIME.

I have said on here a few times, the fastest way to ruin something you love is make it your job. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but I am my own boss and do not have to go to every race and I don't. Even when I will do a couple week stretch (like this time of year), it's fly, hotel, track, fly, home, wash clothes, rinse, repeat. It's not glamorous. It's a lot of drudge work that no one sees..setting up the pit, the canopy, cleaning not just the bike, but everything including toolboxes, then the race day routine becomes this vapid routine, that at the end of the night, you likely only know who won, but didn't see any racing, because you were concentrating on your rider, team or job.

Living out of a suitcase and barely seeing any racing is not as rockstar as it looks.

Oh, and some of the behind the scenes stuff make those "Housewives of Beverly Orange Jersey" seem tame by comparison.
Couldn't agree more with the "behind the scenes drama comment" While I was in the industry weeks felt like days and I lost total track of time, constantly going going going. Never got to sit and enjoy the races, your team or rider is your soul focus and your JOB. It just took all the fun out of it. I remember one night in particular I think it was Atlanta or St. Louis last year it was Kdubs 200th main event and I so badly wanted to stay and listen to his speech and watch his transfer before our HEAT race. But I had to run back to our semi to grab an extra walkie talkie and a T handle. I busted ass to get through the tunnels through all the people and back to my seat in time but I was too late. I missed K dubs transfer and opening cerermonies due to WORK. Little did I know at the time we were witnessing Windhams last start in that particular stadium. Then it was always spend all day Sunday driving back to FL to watch the races on JB's DVR.
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J_Mac_95
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13
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IE
J_Mac_95 2/27/2013 8:41am
2/27/2013 8:41am
Damn! That sucks Sad i dunno ill probably study civil engineering or some sort of engineering :p thanks guys Smile
gar47mx
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269
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Syracuse, NY US
gar47mx 2/27/2013 8:46am
2/27/2013 8:46am
If you are determined to get into the industry you can but you must be relentless in trying! I'm 30 now and no longer in the industry but when I was a senior in High School in 2001 I began approaching every company in the industry and sent out resumes to at least 50 different companys. After I graduated I kept contacting and inquiring with these companys. Eventually I got a response from one of the main industry companys and was offered a Sales / Rider Support position. They said I would have to move out to So Cal within 2 weeks though....I loaded up my tiny pickup with all my stuff and I left NY that week. I was on my way there and in New Mexico when 9/11 happened. Being from NY I was totally shocked to say the least. I got there and did'nt know a single person and did'nt even have a place to live. It all worked out though and I loved every minuite of it and would never regret my decision. It was a great experience. Long story short though it did'nt turn into a lifelong career for myself and I eventually made my way back to NY to be with all my friends and family again. Either way though follow your dreams and never give up and it can happen. Theres a phrase I live by "Squeeky wheel, gets the grease" If you contact these companys enough and show your motivation and persistance they will give you an oppurtunity eventually
Big
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1006
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10/18/2010
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SE
Big 2/27/2013 9:26am
2/27/2013 9:26am
Berni wrote:
You could have fun doing so much stuff becoming a carpenter and trying to work/study as little as posible because you live in Sweeden, a country...
You could have fun doing so much stuff becoming a carpenter and trying to work/study as little as posible because you live in Sweeden, a country with a high salaries equality, take in consideration that not in every country you can have a deccent life with any job (not saying that this is the case in Ireland). Anyways, if it is posible where you live to have a good life working in a trade, then I think kind like you, you have to enjoy the as much as posible, the money is a need but is not the most important thing in life. But in the other hand, having a degree isn't a guarantee for a good job, but studiying can be fun.

Now J_Mac, As a child I allways was a good student, just lazy, and because I didn't have very clear what I wanted to be in life, in high school I started to become an average student, anyways I finished high school and went to collego to study mechanical engenieer.... I only lasted three months there, I was not sure this is what I wanted to be, and I wanted to earn money, buy a bike and ride MX, I thought this way I would be a happy man.... not really, after two years I realized that I was able to do more with mi life, and I found what I really wanted to be, an architect. I went back to school... and I tell you what? my college years were the best years in my life, studiying doesnt have to be boring, you just have to find what you really enjoy doing. I become again a great student, getting deccent grades and the best part, it didn't feel like a job because I enjoyed doing this, and there is much more in the college life than studying, actually it is a pretty funny life ( just remember that the main reason you are there is to study, not to party...) there is time for everything. And here I am now in Spain, with a big crissis, having a good degree didn't guarantee me a great job (working as a freelancer with so little work that I almost pay more taxes than what I earn) but times will change and the situation will get better..... and if it doesn't..... I DONT REGREET AT ALL GOING TO COLLEGE!!! I knew lot of awsome and intelligent people, not only from Spain but from other countries, people that will be friends for life, I had lots of fun and memories that will never forget, I become a much better person, I got knowledge that I wouldnt have gotten working in construction where I worked before college.


So what I tell you is have fun in life, money is not everything but is important. Going to college does not have to be boring or hard if you enjoy what you are studiying. And even if you what studied does not give you a great job, it sure give you a better knowledge and understanding of a lot of other things than those related to your bachelor.
worked as GP mech/manager/trainer/chef/driver/travelagent 2 years for privateer friend without salary.I had only food and clothes and a sixpack cheap belgian beer everyday if i wanted. After that nothing was too difficult or impossible. I have friends from those years that did the same. Also riders back then. Many of them become "winners" of the track after quit racing. School doesn't always means college etc....
louis.bernard.564 2/27/2013 10:51am
2/27/2013 10:51am
Big wrote:
Wow! I spend my whole life trying to study or work as little as possible. I become carpenter and earn enough to have fun with MX...
Wow! I spend my whole life trying to study or work as little as possible. I become carpenter and earn enough to have fun with MX, skydiving, skiing etc and learning my children to stay off the salaryracing and go for the funride.Of course you have to work but chasing to fill your bankaccount is a waste of time. Live life to the fullest instead and try to have fun....always.Wink
louis.bernard.564 wrote:
Way: don't worry I am not judging people's life, all depends of choices & opportunities, that is also why I was talking about real estate, most...
Way: don't worry I am not judging people's life, all depends of choices & opportunities, that is also why I was talking about real estate, most of my real friends did your way and are currently living better than myself now, financially but also with kids, MX etc. (i.e. big cities = not much MX and expensive real estate, career = not as much free time & mobile so it can be complicated with girlfriends, family & friends)

Fun: I made my way myself mostly without all these tricks and without being pushed by my parents, I did my way only for the challenge and it was really fun (not everyday) to see how high I could go, just like a sport. I have actually never put my bank account as a priority, for instance investing most of my funds in getting higher & better (as riders buy MX compounds), often refusing to settle down with a decent living (to get all the factory parts Smile ), just to see how high it was possible to go Smile In the end, with many titles in the cv, I recently went "all in" for the last step, on a 50/50 poker hand to sell my sort of start up to key chairmen, either nothing, either a big check; it did not work my way so far but anyway I knew from the start that it was a 50/50 & it was fun to feel ready then go for it Smile Injuries, massive take off or first turn big pile up happen Smile
J_Mac_95 wrote:
What job do you have? Smile
Hi! I see lots of good advices here, for instance pharmacist or architect are hard degrees to pass but, once you have it, normally you are safe. Unless your family is wealthy enough to give you a roof whatever happens, think safety too, the economy is really bad and it should only get worse in Europe. The Master + Ferrari is a good advice too, and that gave me an idea; follow well the steps 1 & 2 of the program I sent you then once you are 16, contact me at louis.bernard.564@facebook.com, I will recommend you to 2 of my friends in the automotive industry, 1 is working as an engineer for Renault F1 to build super special pipes, I do not know if he will still be there at that time and I cannot guarantee that it will be ok but let us try.

Now to answer your question, currently I still work for my start up (it can be a great invest but so far it is for free), I do not know if I will be able to sell it (50/50), so I may need to change my situation & look for a normal job in my field within 6 months. It would be a bit disappointoing as I am more looking for a Vice President position, at only 30 years old, with a fast track for C-level job within 8 years (>$1M a year), in one of the top 500 companies globally. In the end, in total I have highlighted almost for free $9.5b savings (once a 7.2b so it can place myself #4 of all time in my field) & so far my cv looks like that:
Principal researcher - founder - start up
Supply chain consultant (group wide) - self made leadership program - major US company - top 15 global
Data analyst (for a P&L globally) - self made leadership program - major US company - top 15 global
UK Sourcing Analyst (for a country, group-wide) - self made leadership program - major US company - top 15 global
Contract & Data Executive (on a commodity, group-wide) - major british company - top 50 global
Buyer Apprentice (for a plant) - major german company - top 100 global
Buyer Intern (for a department) - major french company - top 150 global

One of my weakness is the degree, I do not have a master due to the cost (a leading one is 30-50k year), just a good specialized Bachelor so far. There were many good comments in this thread, for instance 1. never listen people that say you will not be capable of doing something (that they cannot do), dream big, go big, then even if it does not go as wanted at least you would have tried Smile 2. it is true that Uni courses are 10 times more interesting than in the High School.
Torco1
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6585
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Corona, CA US
Torco1 2/27/2013 11:00am
2/27/2013 11:00am
stangkag wrote:
Trust me from experience... Study up and stay in school. It takes FOREVER to break into this industry unless you happen to be born into it...
Trust me from experience... Study up and stay in school. It takes FOREVER to break into this industry unless you happen to be born into it. Like if you were James Stewarts brother for example : Malcolm Stewart. Id say it was pretty easy for him to get into the industry lol.

Ok seriously tho, I tried to get into this industry for years and I finally got into it lastyear, Thought I had found the job for me and Id never ever leave the industry. That was Feb. 2012 right before Dallas SX last year. Im no longer in the industry and I feel like ive lost alot of my passion and love for the sport. If you love moto and dont want to be burned out on it, keep you hobby and your career seperate. Just my .02 cents.

Alot of what we see on TV is FAR FAR different from what the riders, tracks, and environment are truely like in real life.

I am very thankful for all the cool things I got to experience but most of the time I wish I had never got into the industry because it tainted my love for the sport just a tad.

Good luck in your quest my friend. This was just my experience, im sure not everyone would agree
flarider wrote:
This is one of the most straight forward and honest things I have read on here in a LONG TIME. I have said on here a...
This is one of the most straight forward and honest things I have read on here in a LONG TIME.

I have said on here a few times, the fastest way to ruin something you love is make it your job. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but I am my own boss and do not have to go to every race and I don't. Even when I will do a couple week stretch (like this time of year), it's fly, hotel, track, fly, home, wash clothes, rinse, repeat. It's not glamorous. It's a lot of drudge work that no one sees..setting up the pit, the canopy, cleaning not just the bike, but everything including toolboxes, then the race day routine becomes this vapid routine, that at the end of the night, you likely only know who won, but didn't see any racing, because you were concentrating on your rider, team or job.

Living out of a suitcase and barely seeing any racing is not as rockstar as it looks.

Oh, and some of the behind the scenes stuff make those "Housewives of Beverly Orange Jersey" seem tame by comparison.
Well said. I used to work the Parts Unlimited dealer showcase for my company that would be on the Thursday night before every Supercross in each city, I then had the choice to stay for the SX that weekend. It was all paid for and it sounds like it would be a dream job. I went to SX for a few weeks and then it got old real quick. Eventually I would just fly into the city on Thursday for the showcase and then fly right back home on Friday.
nc_mx_kid
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1485
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Team Charlotte Motorsports, NC US
nc_mx_kid 2/27/2013 4:55pm
2/27/2013 4:55pm
GO TO SCHOOL because racing rarely pays the bills.

I went to school for business/marketing while working sales at my local motorcycle dealership. Doing so I was able to be around bikes everyday and pay for my college without asking for loans or money from my parents.

very few jobs in the "moto industry" pay well so you may want to do something else that requires less hours of work once your out of college so then you'll have time to ride.
enduro8
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enduro8 5/6/2022 5:29am
5/6/2022 5:29am
J_Mac_95 wrote:
Hi everyone, I'm 13 and i know I've got a lot of time to think about my job when I'm older but I don't really want...
Hi everyone,

I'm 13 and i know I've got a lot of time to think about my job when I'm older but I don't really want to spend much time in school and when I'm about 17 or 18 i want to move out to America (SoCal to be precise) but I'm not sure about what job i want.

I love working on my bike and in Ireland every time you ride your bike gets VERY muddy and dirty... I obviously spend a lot of time working on cleaning my bike/gear and keeping them well maintained. So i don't mind getting my hands dirty but I know that engineers/technicians don't make a lot of money in the Moto industry. I was also thinking about becoming a graphics designer or something because according to my reports I'm quite good at that!
Hi J_Mac_95, not sure if you will ever see this message. But if you do, how is life and what have you gone through as you've grown up since making this post so many years ago. Did your passion for the industry stay strong? Did you stay in school? What are you up to?

Jim
3
lumpy790
Profile picture for user lumpy790
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11421
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York, SC US
lumpy790 5/6/2022 5:55am
5/6/2022 5:55am
J_Mac_95 wrote:
Hi everyone, I'm 13 and i know I've got a lot of time to think about my job when I'm older but I don't really want...
Hi everyone,

I'm 13 and i know I've got a lot of time to think about my job when I'm older but I don't really want to spend much time in school and when I'm about 17 or 18 i want to move out to America (SoCal to be precise) but I'm not sure about what job i want.

I love working on my bike and in Ireland every time you ride your bike gets VERY muddy and dirty... I obviously spend a lot of time working on cleaning my bike/gear and keeping them well maintained. So i don't mind getting my hands dirty but I know that engineers/technicians don't make a lot of money in the Moto industry. I was also thinking about becoming a graphics designer or something because according to my reports I'm quite good at that!
enduro8 wrote:
Hi J_Mac_95, not sure if you will ever see this message. But if you do, how is life and what have you gone through as you've...
Hi J_Mac_95, not sure if you will ever see this message. But if you do, how is life and what have you gone through as you've grown up since making this post so many years ago. Did your passion for the industry stay strong? Did you stay in school? What are you up to?

Jim
Thank you for bringing this post up I had not seen it before and enjoyed reading what others had posted .

I wonder what everyone is doing now 9 years later.

2
Big Lenny
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14379
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Compton, CA US
Big Lenny 5/6/2022 7:58am
5/6/2022 7:58am
louis.bernard.564 wrote:
Hi, Perfect age for asking. 1. As a first step, take school as a job, as if you prepare to be a MX champ'. Lots of...
Hi,

Perfect age for asking.

1. As a first step, take school as a job, as if you prepare to be a MX champ'. Lots of dedication & sacrifices. You only have 1 shot, it is serious stuff, you may not become the most popular teenager but at least you should have a good life after school, with multiple choices. Important: do not push too much at your age (max: 55h a week) and keep the most (65-85h a week) for when you are starting the uni then starting your job; it is like SX, the start is critical, the holeshot & you take it all. To be able to do that, follow a schedule including nutrition, regular sport, and take your sleeping time as a great invest (memory).

2. Once you are in the top 5 at school (first or 2.1.), now or from 14, collect professional information: dedicate 2 to 4 hours a week to read student magazines/websites, follow the high school & university rankings, job descriptions, job market needs, etc. This will give you more information, to become a mechanic (technical A level + apprenticeship), an engineer (Bachelor then Master), a graphic designer (Bachelor then Master), or other, there are so many excellent specialized jobs out there. Unless your city is a good bargain in term of real estate, so you can get a good life with a technical A level degree, I would recommend to do studies, the salary is different (but the real estate can be too if you go to big cities). I was saying "take school as a job" but the return on investment can be interesting, just dedicating 3 years (Bachelor) to get double money, 2 more years (Master) to get double again, 3 years (Ph.D) then x1.5 again. That is normally a big difference in term of girls, housing, cars, holidays etc.

3. Summer holidays to make the difference: at your age, try to exchange with foreign teenagers. Go 1 month there, bring him 1 month, improve your foreign languages & open your mind. Once you can work, from 15-16, if you are not in apprenticeship with a technical A level, continue this exchange for shorter holidays & make your CV every 6 months. You will see it is empty at the beginning Smile Now the championship is to get a good cv, so instead of doing nothing during the summers, send 200 CVs each year for a non paid summer internship (do not think pocket money at the beginning, it is an invest), and try to start in the field you want to work in, and try to have great brands (i.e. The City Council, Ford > Fox animation at your local dealer, etc), it will give you credibility quickly. Try to do a bit of charity stuffs: Red Cross > MX race organisation etc. For your A level, your CV will already look "pro", so you will get the best experiences during Uni (and after).

5. All that will open you doors, so at that time you will be able to make a good choice. Many can tell you that MX is not a good field for jobs, I do not disagree, especially if you want to have good money. However, here it is a personal info, not an advice, but if I could do it again, I would follow my passion. The best salaries are in Banking/Finance, Medical/Surgery, and Business Law, overall it is even better than football players, TV/movie producers & Politics, but I must also say that these jobs are often boring, as well as extremely demanding in term of hours & pressure, it is not for everybody. To be happy, it is sometimes better to have less ambition. If you choose to go to Uni, I would recommend to go to the University of Dublin for the bachelor degree, to have a better credibility internationally, then find a good experience or a leadership program/graduate program/graduate scheme for 2-3 years, then try to do Master degree in a really good uni (i.e. MIT). It is currently an inflation time of good degrees, so do not hesitate to pass 1 or 2 Master degrees to make sure you will work wherever you want. For the Ph.D., I recommend to pass it within 5-10 years after your Master degree, it will give you a great job safety.

Good luck

Louis
louis.bernard.564 wrote:
Last but not least: Try to have fun doing your way, enjoy life too. Do not "Bam Bam" too much (do not kill to make passes)...
Last but not least:

Try to have fun doing your way, enjoy life too.

Do not "Bam Bam" too much (do not kill to make passes), I did it & sometimes you can carry a reputation a long time Smile
J_Mac_95 wrote:
Thanks so much for that Louis!

All the info i needed thanks Smile
Good luck youngman...Always listen to the old heads that have been there...Cool
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mxracer828
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212
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5/23/2020
Location
Lake Elsinore, CA US
mxracer828 5/12/2022 5:13pm
5/12/2022 5:13pm
Jarid332 wrote:
Honestly get into a trade. You'll thank me later.
Get into a trade,go to apprenticeship school for 5 years. You will have no debt and making good money and you can go buy what ever you want. I worked at white brothers back in the day and you made crap money. I was there for the discount on parts,built up my bike and quit. If you don’t mind alittle hard work it’s good.
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KiwiBermRailer 5/12/2022 6:57pm
5/12/2022 6:57pm Edited Date/Time 5/12/2022 7:00pm
J_Mac_95 wrote:
Hi everyone, I'm 13 and i know I've got a lot of time to think about my job when I'm older but I don't really want...
Hi everyone,

I'm 13 and i know I've got a lot of time to think about my job when I'm older but I don't really want to spend much time in school and when I'm about 17 or 18 i want to move out to America (SoCal to be precise) but I'm not sure about what job i want.

I love working on my bike and in Ireland every time you ride your bike gets VERY muddy and dirty... I obviously spend a lot of time working on cleaning my bike/gear and keeping them well maintained. So i don't mind getting my hands dirty but I know that engineers/technicians don't make a lot of money in the Moto industry. I was also thinking about becoming a graphics designer or something because according to my reports I'm quite good at that!
Follow your dreams. Finish school then go for it!! Don’t let anyone stop you.

Money is not everything.

Edit! I see this was an old thread!
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Hondafan
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2
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10/3/2020
Location
Bethel Park, PA US
Hondafan 5/12/2022 7:28pm
5/12/2022 7:28pm
Getting a job in moto aside from being a rider is all who you know and when you know them. I'm not complaining. It's a bit of an insulated profession because who you know in this scene means you know the sport and have been involved in it, and know how awesome it is.
J_Mac_95
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13
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2/26/2013
Location
IE
J_Mac_95 5/13/2022 7:15am
5/13/2022 7:15am
enduro8 wrote:
Hi J_Mac_95, not sure if you will ever see this message. But if you do, how is life and what have you gone through as you've...
Hi J_Mac_95, not sure if you will ever see this message. But if you do, how is life and what have you gone through as you've grown up since making this post so many years ago. Did your passion for the industry stay strong? Did you stay in school? What are you up to?

Jim
Wow! This was such a throwback haha.

I'm 23 now, working as a software engineer in a big finance firm (boring I know!). Not racing moto anymore as I ran out of funds while at university. I ride mountain bikes now and do a few local downhill and enduro competitions.

Still have a massive passion for MX and would love to get another bike, hopefully soon. The market in the UK/Ireland is crazy atm.

I seem to have relatively listened to the advice on here and stayed in school lol, if I could go back I would maybe go more of a mechanical engineering route than software but here we are! Hope you guys are all keeping well! Thanks for bring this old thread back Jim!!

Johnny
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MotofactioN
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Gloucester, VA US
MotofactioN 5/13/2022 9:19am
5/13/2022 9:19am
Worked in the industry for 1 year. My best advice is if you're looking to have money and time for dirtbikes, DO NOT work in the industry. You will get burnt out. You will not make enough money. You will not have good benefits. You will not have enough time to ride dirtbikes with your friends like you want to.
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IanMac138
Profile picture for user IanMac138
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400
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7/30/2018
Location
West Linn, OR US
IanMac138 5/13/2022 10:43am
5/13/2022 10:43am
If you have the chops for graphic design and are talented you can go far in that profession AND potentially work for a moto brand or action sports. I went to art school and upon graduating got a job working for Etnies as a graphic designer. That job was amazing and I got to work on all the moto and bmx side of the brand. The opportunity gave me the chance to do photoshoots with Twitch, Deegan, Reed, Tim Ferry, Grant Langston (I'll never forget shooting Langston at the Yamaha test track and then we went straight to a bar and slammed margaritas.)

You won't make a ton of money when you're starting out as a junior but if you work hard, do good work you'll become a Senior Designer > Art Director > Senior AD > Creative Director. 10 years ago I was a Senior Designer making about 55K and now I'm a Senior Art Director and making over 6 figures.

Best of luck but stay in school, just go to a school doing something you want to do for a career. Cheers.
7
Sondy132001
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4042
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8/16/2006
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Mission Viejo, CA US
Sondy132001 5/13/2022 4:06pm
5/13/2022 4:06pm
TerryK wrote:
Don't do it! Stay in school! Seriously. Just breaking in to the moto industry is next to impossible, at least in the US. You'll be hearing...
Don't do it! Stay in school! Seriously.

Just breaking in to the moto industry is next to impossible, at least in the US. You'll be hearing much of the same from many others in here I guarantee you.
It's not hard to break in, the problem is they don't pay Blink
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freeh
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Posts
786
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4/1/2008
Location
Lehi, UT US
freeh 5/14/2022 5:14am
5/14/2022 5:14am
MotofactioN wrote:
Worked in the industry for 1 year. My best advice is if you're looking to have money and time for dirtbikes, DO NOT work in the...
Worked in the industry for 1 year. My best advice is if you're looking to have money and time for dirtbikes, DO NOT work in the industry. You will get burnt out. You will not make enough money. You will not have good benefits. You will not have enough time to ride dirtbikes with your friends like you want to.
This was my experience at Buell exactly. Almost completely lost my passion for motorcycles. Be careful what you ask for, it may come true. lol
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lumpy790
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11421
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York, SC US
lumpy790 5/15/2022 8:40am
5/15/2022 8:40am Edited Date/Time 5/15/2022 8:45am
I started working in the MC industry in 1980 and the lack of benefits in the industry is real so that is something to think about .

Several times I have been burnt out and didnt want to go to a race track. Motorcycles 7 days a week for months on end can get difficult.
RMT
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1269
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Location
USA, CA US
RMT 5/15/2022 10:37am
5/15/2022 10:37am
J_Mac_95 wrote:
Wow! This was such a throwback haha. I'm 23 now, working as a software engineer in a big finance firm (boring I know!). Not racing moto...
Wow! This was such a throwback haha.

I'm 23 now, working as a software engineer in a big finance firm (boring I know!). Not racing moto anymore as I ran out of funds while at university. I ride mountain bikes now and do a few local downhill and enduro competitions.

Still have a massive passion for MX and would love to get another bike, hopefully soon. The market in the UK/Ireland is crazy atm.

I seem to have relatively listened to the advice on here and stayed in school lol, if I could go back I would maybe go more of a mechanical engineering route than software but here we are! Hope you guys are all keeping well! Thanks for bring this old thread back Jim!!

Johnny
Awesome to hear you are doing well. It's probably fun to look back at comments you made when you were much younger and what your future aspirations were. Good stuff.

Moto is still out there for you when you're ready to come back, no rush.
Dylanmx51 5/15/2022 11:41am
5/15/2022 11:41am
I am in the same situation as you, i was dreaming of working in the moto industry, moving abroad and now, i'm 27, working as an HVAC Engineer in a big company. I still race in amateur class in Belgium or riding with friends every week-end.

It's not so easy to ride in Belgium so i'm still thinking of moving 🤔

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