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My mom frequently encouraged me to learn a trade on top of my chosen (at the time) field (Special Effects). She always pointed out that people would need their

My mom frequently encouraged me to learn a trade on top of my chosen (at the time) field (Special Effects). She always pointed out that people would need their cars fixed and would need their electrical wired.

jseliger 4y ago
people would need their cars fixed This may turn out to be false: electric cars require almost no maintenance.
- distortedsignal 4y ago
  You’ll still need alignments. You’ll still need the steering adjusted. ABS modules can fail, those need to be replaced. Just because we’re getting rid of two large issue generators in the engine/transmission system, doesn’t mean the new machines are bulletproof. People are going to need their cars fixed.
  - DiabloD3 4y ago
    I'd also like to mention that half of the parts in any given Tesla are off the shelf parts shared with other car brands. Just normal boring things you'd never think of... but ones that also require NHTSA approval, thus, a small number of Chinese companies have a monopoly on those otherwise boring parts. This came up when the pandemic started, and Tesla had to halt production lines waiting for the cargo ship to arrive from overseas because Tesla doesn't make that part. We have like 3 actually good mechanics locally... most of what they do is related to alignment, suspensions, and consumables that owners don't feel comfortable doing themselves. All three of these still apply to a Tesla, even though they don't need their oil changed, they still have tires, antifreeze, air filters, brakes, etc, and that's still bread and butter work for the local shop.
- mensetmanusman 4y ago
  Actually, one issue insurance agencies are having is that it almost takes an electrical engineering degree to fix an electric vehicle. They would love it if you could fix a vehicle instead of having to replace the entire thing, which is what the OEMs want.
  - toast0 4y ago
    > They would love it if you could fix a vehicle instead of having to replace the entire thing, which is what the OEMs want. The auto insurance industry knows how to influence car makers, they run the IIHS crash testing rating system, and they could probably also rate cars on repairability. Although, sometimes the safety features make it hard to repair, so there's some tradeoffs there.
- ancientworldnow 4y ago
  Teslas spend more time receiving service than almost any other modern car. EV's also need tires rotated and changed far more often than ICE due to their greater weight and torque.
  - drewg123 4y ago
    My 4 year old Tesla has had several unscheduled service visits. None of them were for anything EV related. All of them were for Tesla-specific or "new car builder" things. Eg, main infotainment replacement (from ancient arm to modern intel for better performance), ball joint replacement at 40K miles, forgotten tow package when my car was delivered, improperly installed windows, etc, etc, etc.
- tenpies 4y ago
  I realize this is a common trope among Tesla fans, but you should really call your local electric vehicle mechanic and ask him how business is doing. Spoiler: it's booming.
  - gruez 4y ago
    >but you should really call your local electric vehicle mechanic and ask him how business is doing. that anecdote is only indicative of short term market conditions. It's sort of like saying that trucking jobs are safe because there are truck driver shortages today, ignoring the impending doom of automation in the next few decades.
    - HWR_14 4y ago
      > It's sort of like saying that trucking jobs are safe because there are truck driver shortages today, ignoring the impending doom of automation in the next few decades. If it's still decades out, that means it's still reasonable to suggest to people looking for a career. Changing careers at 38 is something a lot of people do, for instance after 20 years in the military.
  - bitexploder 4y ago
    There is definitely less overall maintenance required. The total number of mechanics needed would definitely decrease if everyone was driving electric. We did zero maintenance other than brake fluid check and tires in 3 years. This experience is typical. Certainly we will need more independent electric capable shops than we have now, but there is a definite first mover advantage at play. Also, cars get wrecked and need repairs. Body shops will always be a thing too. Still, these things are simpler, have less parts, and are easier to service in general.
    - Schnitz 4y ago
      > We did zero maintenance other than brake fluid check and tires in 3 years. This experience is typical. That's nothing special these days, look at the maintenance schedule of a new Toyota Corolla, except 3 oil changes (and that's only in the US where this is done ridiculously often) there's nothing ICE specific on there...
- worthless-trash 4y ago
  When electric cars stop crashing, we're effectively dead.
jameshart 4y ago
Special effects is a trade. And people will always need stuff that snuck into shot rotoscoping out. Don’t worry.
- funstuff007 4y ago
  It is now. We don't know when this person's Mom was giving the advice.
- majormajor 4y ago
  People will always need their car fixed locally, though. It's reasonable to be concerned about jobs that could be performed anywhere. "Take this thing out" is a much easier request to ship off than even most other information/tech jobs.
- sircastor 4y ago
  I didn’t actually go into Special Effects. Sometimes I wish I did, but Software Development pays better with more flexibility. I once had a friend comment when we were talking about job security that the first thing to go when a recession hits is dance lessons and Karate classes. At the time it felt like film making was very boom or bust
Baeocystin 4y ago
When the first dotcom crash hit, I paused working in tech and welded at a shipyard for a while. Enjoyed the work, and was very, very thankful I had a fallback skill!

jseliger 4y ago

people would need their cars fixed This may turn out to be false: electric cars require almost no maintenance.

distortedsignal 4y ago
You’ll still need alignments. You’ll still need the steering adjusted. ABS modules can fail, those need to be replaced. Just because we’re getting rid of two large issue generators in the engine/transmission system, doesn’t mean the new machines are bulletproof. People are going to need their cars fixed.
- DiabloD3 4y ago
  I'd also like to mention that half of the parts in any given Tesla are off the shelf parts shared with other car brands. Just normal boring things you'd never think of... but ones that also require NHTSA approval, thus, a small number of Chinese companies have a monopoly on those otherwise boring parts. This came up when the pandemic started, and Tesla had to halt production lines waiting for the cargo ship to arrive from overseas because Tesla doesn't make that part. We have like 3 actually good mechanics locally... most of what they do is related to alignment, suspensions, and consumables that owners don't feel comfortable doing themselves. All three of these still apply to a Tesla, even though they don't need their oil changed, they still have tires, antifreeze, air filters, brakes, etc, and that's still bread and butter work for the local shop.
mensetmanusman 4y ago
Actually, one issue insurance agencies are having is that it almost takes an electrical engineering degree to fix an electric vehicle. They would love it if you could fix a vehicle instead of having to replace the entire thing, which is what the OEMs want.
- toast0 4y ago
  > They would love it if you could fix a vehicle instead of having to replace the entire thing, which is what the OEMs want. The auto insurance industry knows how to influence car makers, they run the IIHS crash testing rating system, and they could probably also rate cars on repairability. Although, sometimes the safety features make it hard to repair, so there's some tradeoffs there.
ancientworldnow 4y ago
Teslas spend more time receiving service than almost any other modern car. EV's also need tires rotated and changed far more often than ICE due to their greater weight and torque.
- drewg123 4y ago
  My 4 year old Tesla has had several unscheduled service visits. None of them were for anything EV related. All of them were for Tesla-specific or "new car builder" things. Eg, main infotainment replacement (from ancient arm to modern intel for better performance), ball joint replacement at 40K miles, forgotten tow package when my car was delivered, improperly installed windows, etc, etc, etc.
tenpies 4y ago
I realize this is a common trope among Tesla fans, but you should really call your local electric vehicle mechanic and ask him how business is doing. Spoiler: it's booming.
- gruez 4y ago
  >but you should really call your local electric vehicle mechanic and ask him how business is doing. that anecdote is only indicative of short term market conditions. It's sort of like saying that trucking jobs are safe because there are truck driver shortages today, ignoring the impending doom of automation in the next few decades.
  - HWR_14 4y ago
    > It's sort of like saying that trucking jobs are safe because there are truck driver shortages today, ignoring the impending doom of automation in the next few decades. If it's still decades out, that means it's still reasonable to suggest to people looking for a career. Changing careers at 38 is something a lot of people do, for instance after 20 years in the military.
- bitexploder 4y ago
  There is definitely less overall maintenance required. The total number of mechanics needed would definitely decrease if everyone was driving electric. We did zero maintenance other than brake fluid check and tires in 3 years. This experience is typical. Certainly we will need more independent electric capable shops than we have now, but there is a definite first mover advantage at play. Also, cars get wrecked and need repairs. Body shops will always be a thing too. Still, these things are simpler, have less parts, and are easier to service in general.
  - Schnitz 4y ago
    > We did zero maintenance other than brake fluid check and tires in 3 years. This experience is typical. That's nothing special these days, look at the maintenance schedule of a new Toyota Corolla, except 3 oil changes (and that's only in the US where this is done ridiculously often) there's nothing ICE specific on there...
worthless-trash 4y ago
When electric cars stop crashing, we're effectively dead.

jameshart 4y ago

Special effects is a trade. And people will always need stuff that snuck into shot rotoscoping out. Don’t worry.

funstuff007 4y ago
It is now. We don't know when this person's Mom was giving the advice.
majormajor 4y ago
People will always need their car fixed locally, though. It's reasonable to be concerned about jobs that could be performed anywhere. "Take this thing out" is a much easier request to ship off than even most other information/tech jobs.
sircastor 4y ago
I didn’t actually go into Special Effects. Sometimes I wish I did, but Software Development pays better with more flexibility. I once had a friend comment when we were talking about job security that the first thing to go when a recession hits is dance lessons and Karate classes. At the time it felt like film making was very boom or bust

Baeocystin 4y ago

When the first dotcom crash hit, I paused working in tech and welded at a shipyard for a while. Enjoyed the work, and was very, very thankful I had a fallback skill!