bici_mania

This may belong in FOO, but I need input from Bike Mechanics.

I am currently in between jobs. I have always wanted to work in a bike shop or in the bike industry in some way but all of my experience is on my own bikes and the bikes of my friends. I was in the shop this morning buying tubes when the idea struck me that perhaps I could get some temporary part time work in the shop.

I talked to the manager, explaining my experience and knowledge and was up front about what I did and did not know. He said 'Maybe there is a place for you, drop your resume off sometime.' I explained that all of my experience is in printing and IT. He said 'Oh, yeah, I meant a resume of your bike work'.

Should I list the names and phone numbers of people who have had me work on their bikes?
Should I include pictures?
Should I list all of the bikes I have owned, and describe the work I did on them?

I appreciate any input anyone can offer.

BenPS

I would just list some of the repairs you did, and what you know how to do. I'd bring your regular resume with you as well, and go back and talk to the manager, and let him know that you are new to being a mechanic, but you have worked on your/your friends bikes, and you know how to true a wheel/fix a flat/overhaul a fork/... whatever.

Like 80 % of the people we hire don't have much, if any, experience working at a shop. If you just let him know you have a little knowledge, and are a good personality and a good fit with the shop, you can get hired.

Jiggle

I'd include a picture of my bar-wrapping skills.

dsbrantjr

I would check with those folks first, before throwing their names/numbers around. In my line of work (and others I reckon) it is considered poor form to give someone as a reference without clearing it with them first. Even after getting their OK I always give them a heads-up that a call may be coming.

FBinNY 

Here's the catch.

Your experience is probably with good bikes which you gave TLC. But a smart service manager (or bike shop owner) isn't going to trust one of those high end bike to an unknown newbie or a stranger. Also, in the pro world, time is money, and most pros know that amateurs, even very skilled amateurs tend to be too slow, and sometimes crazy finicky, which makes them commercially nonviable.

So, being hired isn't going to turn on the words of your friends, or your jewel of a bike. It's going to turn on how fast you can fix a flat or replace a gear cable on somebodies 2 year $300 old bike. So prepare a basic resume, but if you're serious, offer to work free for half a day or so, so he can see what you can do.

BTW- in most areas, generic mechanics are a dime a dozen, (sorry guys) and managers have a harder time finding bike smart articulate people who can serve customers, or sell stuff. If you have decent sales or people skills, talk about that, because dual people/bike skills are the most powerful combination you can offer.

bici_mania

Sound advice.

I made that mistake once, it won't be a lesson I have to learn twice.

Andrew R Stewart 

I'll add that one's personality and ability to deal with others is a very strong aspect as to whether one works out in a shop. The entry of a test, building a bike or working a day, is only the initial clue to whether you'll work well with the shop's staff and personality.

Also a resume needs to be customer non specific (as mentioned) but skill/experience focused. And short as possible. more then a page and a half and interest is lost. Andy.

Dave Cutter

I knew someome who once said that: After retirement.... they might have to work as a Walmart greeter to make ends meet. I pointed out... they had no greeting experence.

Your work experence (in IT) shows your attention to detail. You gained customer service experence when dealing with people you provided IT service to. You have a work history of following directions, showing up, being on time, and being able to pass a drug test.

skimaxpower

Bike shops drug test? LOL

1 Miyata Biker

I'd keep your resume short and to the subjects you know best, the printing and IT work. You should mention the types of repair or assembly you feel comfortable doing, but a list of friends may not be wise. After all, the repairs you do for friends, could be money out of his pocket. You may even volunteer ( no pay ) for a week around the shop so your skills can be evaluated. When you're dealing with the public, you can come across some customers who may not be happy about coming into the bike shop for repairs and spending money they don't really want to spend on their bike or their kids bike. Now you can imagine what their attitude could be if repairs are made and the problem isn't solved. This is where people skills and salesmanship come into play. Remember...the customer is always right! You know the repair that should be made and the cost of parts and labor, but the customer has their own opinion as to what should be done to fix the problem. You have an unfortunate situation where you're "between jobs", and wanting to work for the bike shop. The owner likely feels he/she may do all the paperwork of hiring you, and a month later you're off to another job with likely higher pay in your field. Finding a mechanic can be easier than finding a person who's a mechanic and has people skills as well. Good luck with getting the bike shop job! Hope all works out for you.

fietsbob

Some specialty bike mechanic schools are another path ,, my friend Barney, a Retired fireman, from Austin Texas did one in Ashland Oregon

stocking, pricing and selling and writing repair tickets .. is a thing too .. as is maintaining the shop website..

Binky

Be encouraged. A bike shop is an intimate enterprise. No friction allowed. I think that if the manager of the bike shop did not like what he saw in you, he would have said that they were full up, not hiring, not interested. People like to work with people they like and there is only one chance to make a good first impression. If the guy asked you to drop off a resume, take that as an invitation to impress him. It sounds to me like he likes you already.

Many years ago I had an opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship that I really wanted badly but my overly-academic education and work experience did not support my aspirations. I had a 15-year-old honours degree from a good university where my focus had been on medieval languages and literature and a good employee record at the factory where I worked. Basically, I could read and write.
Assessment of education plus several aptitude tests before the actual interviews reduced the field somewhat.
I qualified for an interview (!) and was told that there would be ten applicants interviewed for each apprenticeship being offered so interviewees were supposed to come to the interview with something that would induce the company to pick them over 9 other qualified people. I went to the interview with a binder of pictures of my motorcycles, which were all low-end Italian bikes - big Ducati and vintage Moto Guzzi V-twins and a bunch of garage-sale Ducati singles. Not a Japper in the bunch.
The guy doing most of the questioning during the interviewing coincidentally rode an old Laverda SFC.

I think he liked my taste in bikes. I got offered the apprenticeship. Changed my life.

Dave Cutter

I don't know what I was thinking. Normally... being able to pass a drug test is a good thing. But judging by a couple LBS's... not being a stoner... might make it difficult to "fit in".

ThermionicScott 

I figured you meant it showed initiative on the part of the OP to have abstained long enough to pass one.

jonny818

Best thing to do is list it in your abilities. Might want to be pretty expansive as well. And I guess the number one thing would be that you can easily patch a tube and do it well. You might be surprised but I've come across mechanics who have done poor jobs. Frankly the best guy for the job in my area is a 70 year old man who can fix anything. I had a stuck fork, due to aluminum and steel corrosion. Somehow got it out. Nobody could and if you look up on the Internet there isn't much to help. Most of the people on here would quickly resort to heating or cooling.

Binky

I posted here to this forum when I had an aluminum Rino Cambio seat post solidly seized into a steel Bennotto frame.
On this forum the lubricants of choice are Liquid Wrench, Kano Kroil and ATF mixed with acetone.

Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrants for break
out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results! They arranged a subjective
test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque
required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

Penetrating oil .......... Average load
None ..................... 516 pounds
WD-40 .................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster ............... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ............ 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ............... 106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix............ 53 pounds

The Automatic Transmission fluid (ATF)-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix
of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note the "home brew"
was better than any commercial product in this
one particular test. A local machinist group mixed up a batch and all now
use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is about
as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

Tim_Iowa

I'd give them your professional IT resume, as well as a picture portfolio of your builds/tune-ups, with testimonials.

I was in the same place as you; self-trained but knowledgeable, lots of tuning and a handful of bike builds.

I got my part time LBS job because I'd been volunteering (and learning) at the local bike co-op; one of the key volunteers also has worked seasonally at this LBS and he referred me.

My shop is medium-large, family-oriented, family-owned (4th gen, used to be a Schwinn Authorized Dealer and still run in that style). Not a tiny shop, we have ~20 total (mgmt, sales, techs) working on busy days in-season. They regularly hire untrained folks and put them through 120 hours of paid training/apprenticeship, building bikes in the back shop warehouse. They started us on the sub-$500 bikes (the basic bike-path hybrids, MTBs, and kid's bikes that are a shop's bread-and-butter). Since I knew what I was doing (and could show it) they moved me on to the higher-end stuff soon.

So, referrals are important, but you may have better luck landing your first bike shop job at a large shop with more turnover. Small shops are tight-knit and may be more hesitant to hire someone without any shop experience.

Funny, the shop I work at doesn't patch tubes; they replace them. I don't agree with that, but the customers seem to be ok with it.

I got a weird look from the service manager when I asked him to special order me a box of 100 patches! I patch tubes all the time, and can't find refills outside of patch kits.

cderalow

I normally replace on the road, then store up tubes needing patching until i have 5 or 6... then patch so the glue doesn't go to waste

skimaxpower

Bike shop employees never pay for tubes. Only for patches. Shop employees raid the bucket full of discarded tubes and patch them at home.

Kimmo

The reason we don't patch tubes is 4m > 4s to grab a new tube. I'd be able to get it down to 2m if the sanding drum from our imitation Dremel didn't have a stripped expander thread, but still.

Oddball tubes we don't have in stock get a patch, of course...

mconlonx

In my neck of the woods, there are very few dedicated mechanics. Most bike shop positions are sales/mechanics. There are, however, dedicated sales positions, and treasured is the sales person who can swap out a tube on occasion, give a bike a quick tune, or install the accessories/upgrades on a bike they just sold, all by themselves without having to bother a mechanic to do it.

For the OP looking for PT work, I would advise to drop off a standard resume, along with a cover letter quickly outlining your bike mechanic skillz, and apply for a mechanic/sales position instead of just a straight mechanic job.

If you do get a call-back, check out what brand(s) of bikes are sold in the shop and get familiar with the line-up before an interview.

pdlamb

I could see it. I know of a restaurant that needed a new cook; ALL the applicants failed the drug test. The owner was getting on in years, so he picked the best cook of the druggie lot. Then he had to deal with the consequences; coming in high, late, or not at all. The restaurant closed 6 months later.

If I owned a bike shop, I'd rather that didn't happen to me and my shop!

AnkleWork

Just so everybody will know: four years.

drlogik 

Offer to show your current skills to the owner at their shop. They just might let you do that.

xiaoman1 

[QUOTE=FBinNY;17642196]Here's the catch.
So, being hired isn't going to turn on the words of your friends, or your jewel of a bike. It's going to turn on how fast you can fix a flat or replace a gear cable on somebodies 2 year $300 old bike. So prepare a basic resume, but if you're serious, offer to work free for half a day or so, so he can see what you can do.

Great advice, if they really are in need of help and you are "short" on "training" you can find out if they are serious and they can see what you are capable of...I would also add do not be afraid to ask questions if you do not know the answer..we all started on the first rung of the ladder.
Good Luck, Ben
Ben