Here at Openbay, we’re car fans. We love driving them, dreaming about them and watching car movies. Working in the automotive aftermarket service industry, we’re lucky to do what we love – help to keep everyone’s wheels in great shape, so they can get back on the road and enjoy life.
If you’re a car lover, looking to turn your personal passion into a profession, you’ll want to take note of this week’s big announcement from the Auto Care Association’s career site – they’ve launched the Job and Career Development Program. What’s that… you can’t turn a wrench? No problem! Auto Care’s new job board shines a light on jobs in all areas of the auto care industry, whether your strength is sales, engineering or HR.
We checked in with Auto Care Association’s Courtney Hammer, director of job and career development, as well as Katy McQuiston, coordinator of job and career development to learn more about this program.
Why did the AutoCare Association (ACA) create this career site and job board?
Katy McQuiston: The auto care industry is constantly changing, and as the world evolves, so too does our workforce.
Employees who have been in the industry for decades are in the processes of retiring, and companies are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain top talent. With a changing landscape of job seekers, it can be challenging to reach potential new applicants, especially those in the tech-savvy millennial generation.
Over the years we’ve heard our members say that they’ve had a hard time finding and recruiting top talent. At job fairs, our member companies compete with flashier companies like Google or Apple. Because those companies have great brand and name recognition, it’s harder for our companies to stand out.
Additionally, there certainly is a void when it comes to job boards and promoting careers in the auto care industry. The job boards that are industry-specific fail to reach those who are not already a part of the industry. Furthermore, major job boards like Monster or Indeed do not have “auto care” or “automotive aftermarket” as an option when looking at the industries.
Courtney Hammer: To help address this issue, the Auto Care Association’s new Job and Career Development Program is releasing several innovative tools to aid members in recruiting the best and brightest of new talent. These tools include social recruiting tactics, an industry-wide job board, and a recruitment guide containing best practices – all of which will live on the newly revamped Auto Care Careers website.
The Auto Care Association says a career in auto care is virtually “recession proof.”
Who’s the Audience for AutoCare’s Career Site?
KM: The job board serves a broad range of audiences and is designed to be a central hub where job seekers and job creators connect to make the auto care industry stronger. We are targeting colleges and universities to attract recent college graduates. We are also targeting high schools, tech schools and community colleges, because not all of our positions require a 4-year degree. Finally, we hope to attract military veterans who have recently separated from active duty and are seeking employment as they transition into civilian life. We see a lot of transferable skills between military veterans and careers in our industry and would benefit from their leadership and expertise.
How is the new AutoCare Association’s job board different from all the job boards out there?
CH: This job board is for both industry veterans and those who are not familiar with the auto care industry. For potential employers, posting on the site is also priced more competitively than some of the major job boards out there. We understand how crucial it is to post job openings online and we want to keep our prices affordable for our membership.
Are there any areas that are over- or under-represented in the postings, or in interest?
CH: There’s a struggle at times to get people past the retail brand to see corporate career opportunities. Of course you will find an abundance of technician positions but it is the engineers, IT, HR managers, accountants, sales & marketing and other types of positions that are in need of top talent. People may not realize that the auto care industry offers a lifetime career with great pay, flex time and opportunities to learn and grow professionally.
Do you see any industry trends reflected in your job postings, for example an increase in focus on technology, etc?
KM: It’s too soon to tell. I do think our job board will reflect the growing need for employees in this industry—our industry is hiring!
If a young person were interested in cars, what would you explain to them about their career potential?
KM: Whether you are interested in cars or not, your career potential in this industry can be limitless. Every single day millions of Americans hit the road to get to work or go to school. They travel to visit family near and far. They do everyday errands like going to the grocery store, the bank or the post office. Cars help people during emergencies, to get them to the doctor and to get the doctor to the patient. I like to think that in some small way, every person in this industry has his or her own impact in making sure America keeps moving.
Check out the Auto Care Association’s Job and Career Development Program site here. And its new job board is here (including a couple of Openbay postings!)
Image credit: Tjark, flickr