How To Get A Job In The Industry

Austin824
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Edited Date/Time 1/15/2014 2:22am
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get older. I'm a pretty smart kid when it comes to school but on the mechanic side I'm not that great. Please give me feed back on what I should do to get into the industry because this is something I would love to do when I get a job. Thank you!
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GuyB
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1/13/2014 1:46pm
There are lots of different areas within the industry...what part are you interested in? Design? Construction? Service? Mechanical? Sales?
dsmith
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way north, IN US
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1/13/2014 1:47pm
go to all the races and just hang out in the pits....eventually they will hand you a flag or something....or just start calling pro circuit,ktm,dunlop,etc....and say "hey, i wanna job".
hvaughn88
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1/13/2014 1:49pm Edited Date/Time 1/13/2014 1:50pm
I am not involved in the industry whatsoever, but this question gets brought up fairly often on here. From what I've read, everyone usually says, "don't get involved in it, do something else." Although it might be good advice, it doesn't actually answer the question if your actually hellbent on getting into the industry. With that being said, and from an outside prospective, perhaps you might look into getting into a market that is involved with making products or services available to the industry but not exclusive to the industry. It might be more removed than working directly in it (i.e. mechanic, driver, manager, yada yada yada) but it could possibly be easier to get into, better hours and more stability. Like I said, I could be way off base, but that's just what I've gathered from the outside looking in.

The Shop

Holigan
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1/13/2014 1:53pm
Go to school and get a degree in Marketing (sales and advertising). Then apply for jobs at OEM's, teams, promoters, television networks, distributors, product manufacturers, etc. If you learn how to sale, you can work any where you want in the industry. Every company needs people that are great at sales.
1/13/2014 2:00pm
I would agree that sales and marketing are a great choice in this industry.
Austin824
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1/13/2014 2:02pm
GuyB wrote:
There are lots of different areas within the industry...what part are you interested in? Design? Construction? Service? Mechanical? Sales?
Well, I would like to be part of gear company (like TLD, Thor, One Industries, etc.) and help design gear or some where along the line of that. I also had thoughts of making my own gear company when I get older but it seems like to much of a gamble.
Bret
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Mission Viejo, CA US
1/13/2014 2:29pm Edited Date/Time 1/13/2014 2:31pm
Austin824 wrote:
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get...
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get older. I'm a pretty smart kid when it comes to school but on the mechanic side I'm not that great. Please give me feed back on what I should do to get into the industry because this is something I would love to do when I get a job. Thank you!
Austin,
A "job within the industry" is a fairly broad category. There are thousands of positions available and you are going to need to narrow it down a little. Take me for example. I am a technical writer and tried for many years to land a motorcycle industry job. I began applying when I was in my early twenties. Seven years ago, at the age of 41, I finally landed a job as a technical writer at Kawasaki. Getting a job at one of the major manufacturers takes patience because you may have to wait for somebody to quit or retire before an opening becomes available. I have normal hours and I rarely have to travel. For me, this is the perfect job because I am surrounded by power sports people all week and get to ride/race on the weekends. Other jobs that require heavy travel can lead to burn-out and no time to ride/race. You need to determine what your strengths, goals and desires are and then present them in a manner that a motorcycle related employer will benefit from hiring you. Of course, you could start your own company that provides the goods & services that the sport demands. No matter what, remember that the sky is the limit, so set some goals and get the job of your dreams. In the end, it is all up to you.
Bret
1/13/2014 3:18pm
Marketing and graphic design best bet, wrenches come and go but the marketing and graphic stuff will cross lines into other markets as well. Good Luck.
Brad460
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1/13/2014 3:39pm
Austin824 wrote:
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get...
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get older. I'm a pretty smart kid when it comes to school but on the mechanic side I'm not that great. Please give me feed back on what I should do to get into the industry because this is something I would love to do when I get a job. Thank you!
Go to school for engineering ..with an engineering degree you can branch off into nearly anything (marketing, design, R&D) I worked for one of the current manufacturers right out of college for 7 years..traveled 50%+( sometimes gone 5 weeks at a time), many 12+ hour days and I ended up divorced and missed the first five years of my daughter growing up..anyways working for a manufacturer has it's benefits for sure. The novelty of being an "insider" wears off....
Torco1
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Corona, CA US
1/13/2014 3:54pm
The thing about working in the industry is that there are only a handful of the "cool jobs".......and everybody wants them. And if you are one of the lucky one's that gets one of those jobs, its only cool for so long. I used to go to every Supercross in the season. I would fly out on Thursdays, do the Parts Unlimited dealer showcase that night and then either visit some dealers on Friday or just take the day to myself and hangout. Then I got to go to Supercross on Saturday and fly home Sunday. All of it was paid for. All of my friends thought I was the luckiest asshole in the world. Well, it was only fun and cool for so long. After traveling every week shit starts to take a toll. It really becomes a pain in the ass after a while and before long you are wishing you were back in the office working, not having to travel anymore.
JM485
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1/13/2014 7:21pm
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get a job in the industry, but I feel like this degree will give me a lot of options if that doesn't work out. Do teams often hire engineers to design parts, or do I realistically have no shot? Either way I am still going to work to be and engineer, but I am just wondering if have a realistic shot or not.
ToolMaker
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1/13/2014 7:31pm
You may not get the job you want at first but #1 Rule is show up on time ready to work!
Do that and you're 90% ahead of the game, Then do your job well and you're on your way.
TM
Hut
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1/13/2014 7:35pm
My dream job is to be the guy that gets to keep the beer money. Dizzy
1/13/2014 7:38pm
JM485 wrote:
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get...
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get a job in the industry, but I feel like this degree will give me a lot of options if that doesn't work out. Do teams often hire engineers to design parts, or do I realistically have no shot? Either way I am still going to work to be and engineer, but I am just wondering if have a realistic shot or not.
Engineering is a viable degree for any industry. But I feel like engineers are not respected in the motocross industry and landing a job somewhere would probably be more of an annoyance than anything. You can make a lot more money and probably more satisfaction working outside of mx. People say keep work and play separate for a reason, but if you happened to get a job for one of the major teams or factories where they would actually take you seriously then it would probably be good. But there's two things you will need for that: connections and experience. Focus on school and when you get out keep your options open. There are a lot of cool jobs in engineering, if you happen to get an offer in the industry try it out and see how it goes.
Brad460
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1/13/2014 7:52pm
JM485 wrote:
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get...
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get a job in the industry, but I feel like this degree will give me a lot of options if that doesn't work out. Do teams often hire engineers to design parts, or do I realistically have no shot? Either way I am still going to work to be and engineer, but I am just wondering if have a realistic shot or not.
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are finance people...
1/13/2014 7:58pm
JM485 wrote:
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get...
Is engineering a viable degree to have if you are trying to get into the industry? I'm a freshman in college and would like to get a job in the industry, but I feel like this degree will give me a lot of options if that doesn't work out. Do teams often hire engineers to design parts, or do I realistically have no shot? Either way I am still going to work to be and engineer, but I am just wondering if have a realistic shot or not.
Brad460 wrote:
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are...
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are finance people...
I read somewhere that 40% of the CEO's in the fortune 500 have engineering degrees. The Business degree guys only had like 20%. The Engineering/MBA combo is a cliche that everyone does, it's more of a salary booster. If you want to climb the business ladder it will come down to you as a person. Not that the MBA would hurt but don't expect it to turn you into some business tycoon lol.
Motodave15
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1/13/2014 7:58pm
Kid, I suggest you do something that you like. Outside the industry.

I was marginally involved with it, (back when i was 16-23) I wanted to be involved oh so bad, doing graphic design.. working on bikes you name it, i wanted to do it in this close knitted motocross industry.

Long story short, My taste changed drastically from 16-23... I know people involved, very involved and I just do not want their traveling lifestyle anymore.. Im only 25 too... so idk, I guess it depends if your taste changes.

The industry is great to people who

A. Race or ex pros
B. People who know people
C. Skills in some intangible field, That is needed and hard to replace
D. Mechanic/Rig Driver
Motodave15
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1/13/2014 8:01pm
Brad460 wrote:
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are...
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are finance people...
what about all of the great business leaders, Without college degrees?!? maybe just a few semesters in college at the most?
RonSkj
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1/13/2014 8:08pm
Learn how to drive a truck.
Brad460
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1/13/2014 8:09pm
Brad460 wrote:
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are...
This I can tell you...majority of all top leaders in most corporations and businesses have engineering degrees first followed up with an MBA...the only exception are finance people...
Motodave15 wrote:
what about all of the great business leaders, Without college degrees?!? maybe just a few semesters in college at the most?
Those are people considered "highly intelligent" Cool

If you are not highly intelligent politics is the best way to work your way up...selling yourself and making the right connections...also many times being in the right place at the right time..better known as luck!
1/13/2014 8:34pm
Austin824 wrote:
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get...
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get older. I'm a pretty smart kid when it comes to school but on the mechanic side I'm not that great. Please give me feed back on what I should do to get into the industry because this is something I would love to do when I get a job. Thank you!
Start by getting some tattoos,practice up on fist pumping,be good at lip service always fly first class ( with company paying)
Put your hat on backwards fill your cheek with dip. That should do it.

A
JM485
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1/13/2014 8:39pm
Lot of good info here. Thanks for those who responded to my question, I appreciate it. Sorry to highjack your thread Austin, hopefully you got something out of this as well.
Austin824
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Murrieta, CA US
1/13/2014 9:00pm
JM485 wrote:
Lot of good info here. Thanks for those who responded to my question, I appreciate it. Sorry to highjack your thread Austin, hopefully you got something...
Lot of good info here. Thanks for those who responded to my question, I appreciate it. Sorry to highjack your thread Austin, hopefully you got something out of this as well.
No worries man, I think we both learned something about get a job in the industry.
mellonhs
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1/13/2014 9:27pm
Austin824 wrote:
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get...
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get older. I'm a pretty smart kid when it comes to school but on the mechanic side I'm not that great. Please give me feed back on what I should do to get into the industry because this is something I would love to do when I get a job. Thank you!
Know someone... I know you probably dont want to hear that but... they dont just post when they are hiring. More than likely they will just ask a current employee if he or she knows anyone who can do the job. I.E. I got a job with GoPro last MX season because I knew someone. My job was easy and teachable. It required only knowledge of the MX format and who the GoPro atheletes are. It payed well. Really well for a 3 day job "fly out friday.. work saturday... fly home sunday". Now with that said there was no need for help during SX but if help is needed I will probably be the first one called. I have my foot in the door. Getting on with a company like that full time is hard because people dont just quit. The majority of them arent doing it for the money, they are because they love the job and being around the sport and the riders. Unless you have a specific skill set with experience then your going to have to get lucky or know someone. But I will say this... I wish I was on full time. Theres nothing like having a cconversaton with MS34 inbetween races... hes like one of us.. and walking into JS7s rig and chatting with him and shaking his hand... the whole troy lee team treating you like part of the team knowing you by name by the end of the day and just listening to the riders describe their race from start to finish and discussing bike issues and everything... its amazing. By far the absolute coolest thing ive ever done in my life. Oh and RV was in the zone everytime I saw him and I didnt talk to him other than a "good luck bro" lol gotta respect their privacy and not be star struck and treat them like a friend. I loved every second of it. My first flight ive ever been on was due to GoPro!!! Loved it and I got payed to fly! Cant beat that!
Austin824
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1/13/2014 9:36pm
Austin824 wrote:
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get...
I'm 16 years old right now and I want to get a job with in the industry or even something that involves mx when I get older. I'm a pretty smart kid when it comes to school but on the mechanic side I'm not that great. Please give me feed back on what I should do to get into the industry because this is something I would love to do when I get a job. Thank you!
mellonhs wrote:
Know someone... I know you probably dont want to hear that but... they dont just post when they are hiring. More than likely they will just...
Know someone... I know you probably dont want to hear that but... they dont just post when they are hiring. More than likely they will just ask a current employee if he or she knows anyone who can do the job. I.E. I got a job with GoPro last MX season because I knew someone. My job was easy and teachable. It required only knowledge of the MX format and who the GoPro atheletes are. It payed well. Really well for a 3 day job "fly out friday.. work saturday... fly home sunday". Now with that said there was no need for help during SX but if help is needed I will probably be the first one called. I have my foot in the door. Getting on with a company like that full time is hard because people dont just quit. The majority of them arent doing it for the money, they are because they love the job and being around the sport and the riders. Unless you have a specific skill set with experience then your going to have to get lucky or know someone. But I will say this... I wish I was on full time. Theres nothing like having a cconversaton with MS34 inbetween races... hes like one of us.. and walking into JS7s rig and chatting with him and shaking his hand... the whole troy lee team treating you like part of the team knowing you by name by the end of the day and just listening to the riders describe their race from start to finish and discussing bike issues and everything... its amazing. By far the absolute coolest thing ive ever done in my life. Oh and RV was in the zone everytime I saw him and I didnt talk to him other than a "good luck bro" lol gotta respect their privacy and not be star struck and treat them like a friend. I loved every second of it. My first flight ive ever been on was due to GoPro!!! Loved it and I got payed to fly! Cant beat that!
Thanks for sharing that with me! That right their seems like a dream job to me! I'll take your advice and go out and try to get my name out their at the next big race I go to!
Allracing
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Bountiful, UT US
1/13/2014 10:14pm
Matthes and Weedge talk about what they had to do to work in the industry, look it up over on pulpmx.com, I think it was about 6 months ago. Maybe someone on here will remember the exact one it was on, interesting stuff.

I've worked both inside and outside the industry, one thing that was obvious to me is that people are willing to work for almost nothing to be in the industry so sometimes it's easier to make more money outside the industry.
enketchum
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1/13/2014 11:04pm
Matthes has his stories about sleeping on the floor of an FMF building and not having a mailing address for 3 years straight. Weege did a variety of things before he got into the mx world. He started as a flagger, went to college, worked for disney, tried to work for subaru, worked as a wrestler / wrestler announcer, etc. It takes a long time. Berloot has stories about living on the road in his box van for 5 months at a time, sleeping in the box vans at rest stops, and showering under hose spickets. It's a hard life.

The show we are talking about can be found here. It was a RacerX Podcast / Steve Matthes Show with Weege and Matthes. I listened to it and loved it. It made me think a lot about what I am doing and why I prefer it over getting into the industry, lol.
http://www.racerxonline.com/2013/11/26/btosports-racer-x-podcast-the-in…

I like traveling but I don't think I could do it every week. I love planes but flying on commercial airliners gets old, quick.
Motodave15
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1/13/2014 11:09pm
Allracing wrote:
Matthes and Weedge talk about what they had to do to work in the industry, look it up over on pulpmx.com, I think it was about...
Matthes and Weedge talk about what they had to do to work in the industry, look it up over on pulpmx.com, I think it was about 6 months ago. Maybe someone on here will remember the exact one it was on, interesting stuff.

I've worked both inside and outside the industry, one thing that was obvious to me is that people are willing to work for almost nothing to be in the industry so sometimes it's easier to make more money outside the industry.
That was my problem... working for free, I hate that shit... regardless of the perks

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