Episode Description

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Wrench, we are joined by Caroline Daley, Engineering Student, University of South Florida. Caroline gives us details about her experience in the automotive industry, misconceptions of the industry, the importance of exploring multiple career options, and her journey to becoming a SkillsUSA national officer.

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Misconceptions About the Industry

  • There’s a stigma around being in a trade, especially automotive. People think it’s something someone who isn’t smart does, but that’s not true at all.
  • The perception about automotive that the media shows is so far from the truth because you need to have a high level of intelligence to work on cars. There are electric vehicles being made today with 200 million lines of code.
  • It can be some dirty work, but at the end of the day, it’s pretty easy to stay clean. Wear gloves, put on safety glasses, wear coveralls, and it’s not too bad.

The Importance of SkillsUSA

  • SkillsUSA is an undervalued organization in certain parts of the country. There are more schools that could take advantage of it, but they don’t because they are unaware of it or don’t have the instructor resources to do it.
  • Students learn so many life skills through SkillsUSA. They learn how to write a resume, practice for interviews, do public speaking, build networking skills, etc. The opportunities are truly endless.
  • SkillsUSA gives students an opportunity to go into a career, see if they like it, and learn more about it to see if it is something they would like to do as a career.
  • Leadership skills are one the most important skills you can learn through SkillsUSA. Those types of skills can be used in any career and help you develop as a professional.

Show Notes

Resources:

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About Our Host:

Jay Goninen
Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay
jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122

About Our Guest:

Caroline Daley
Engineering Student, University of South Florida
cdaley@skillsusanationalofficer.org

Sponsor:

Lithia Motors is one of the largest automotive group retailers in the United States and is among the fastest growing companies in the Fortune 500. They are focused on providing customers with an honest and simpler buying and service experience. They give customers straightforward information so they can make confident decisions.

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