I'm not really sure if this is a good place to post this or not, but I'm looking for advice from the brain trust. Not on a car particularly, but I guess it has to do with cars.
I'm thinking about going back to school for diesel engine/heavy equipment and am also thinking about getting a certificate for electrical while I'm at it. It isn't a huge program (31 credit hours), and would be composed of two "certificates." The diploma involves a lot of junk I don' want to get into (Study skill workshops, interpersonal communications, etc). I did about 3 years of college before I dropped out, and that's the sort of stuff that made me want to drop out.
SO! Who works in the big diesel engine field, and what knowledge/advice/whatever can you lend to a youngster looking to break into the field?
i got my degree in automotive tech. and personally i would always go for the diploma over certifications. I have all 8 automotive ASE certifications and that could get me into a lot of shops but if you ever want to do more then spin wrenches (aint nothing wrong with that though) employers like to see diplomas. you may be over qualified for the position but if you dont have that piece of paper they may just through your resume out.
it all depends on what you want to do with your degree/certifications. i currently work for cummins as a mechanical engineering tech. and im trying to move up into a service engineering position and is harder because i "just have a automotive degree" and not so engineering degree, even though you need about 10% of that engineering degree and 90% engine knowledge/experience to do that job well.
long story short, certifications can still land you a good job, but if you want to widen your career choices i would get the diploma
In reply to edizzle89:
Thanks for the advice.
Honestly, I'm a spin wrenches kind of guy (maybe one of the few?) and I'd rather be dirty in the shop than clean in the office.
I'm still debating on the certificate vs diploma. One issue is the money that I don't have. A certificate could be done in 1 semester for about $1100, which is what makes it appealing, you know?
Would you mind If I asked about your day to day job? I'm also trying to make sure that this is something I can make ends meat doing, though I don't want to put anyone out on a public forum asking about their wages. haha. The BOLS doesn't have much info in there stats, since they pretty much group all mechanics together for their median income.
yea no problem, my job right now as a MET with cummins is pretty easy and straight forward. I run an engine dyno doing emissions testing, that basically boils down to me installing an engine and aftertreatment in the cell which is pretty easy since they are all prepped and put on a skid that bolts straight into our cells. then i just run the test plan given to us by the engineer and dignose/fix any problems along the way. the actual running of the test plan is where it gets boring, when a test is running, (which can be from 20 minutes to 10+ hours) you have nothing to do besides just monitor... all day...
its not a bad job but there is almost no challenge to it, no goals to reach. thats why im looking to move up to something that will put my skills to good use, challenge me and give me goals to reach, and more money never hurt 
I dont have a problem openly saying what my wages are (i really dont see why people think its a big deal lol). I make ~$45k if i only work 40 hours a week, since im hourly in this position i have to chance to work basically as much over time as i want. the positions that im looking at moving up to are salary based pay and are around the low $60k range.
i cant speak for most companies but as far as i know you have to have some kind of a degree to get in as a MET with cummins or come in on an apprenticeship
Diesel is the correct side of the industry to get into. I went to school for automotive and it's hard to find a job because nowadays cars go 100k on just oil changes and by the time a car has that many miles people think it's junk and buy a new one. So there's not much fixing going on and when it does need a fix there's no money in it for the tech.
Diesel is a huge industry because so much equipment is diesel that there's endless supply's of company's looking for someone to maintain their fleet. I wouldn't mind getting into this industry.
I went for certificates and that seemed to be fine for me looking for entry level jobs. I never got a job working on cars because I was missing actual job experence that the other guy who applied seemed to have. I wound up working for a company that makes sprinklers kind of as an apprentice tech for automated machine ( the machines that assemble the pieces and then whole sprinklers ). My main job duty is to clean the water tanks that they test sprinklers in though. Which is very boring. But I did just finish school in December last year so I'm still finding my way into where I want to be.
I'll add that I'm exactly like you in I just don't care to do the English classes and math and whatnot involved in getting the degree. If I liked math I would have probably gone for an engineering degree because to me that's all very interesting and I want to know, but I could never figure out the math 
I went to school for 3 years to be a history teacher, I just got to the point where I'd rather tear my eyes out than spend any more time counting the minutes in a liberal arts school. haha.
I'm thinking about diesel because I really do believe that's the future, over electric/hybrid/hydrogen/whatever. At least the immediate future, I'm sure they'll get some good electric cars going at some point. I've done the English, Algebra, Physics, Precal, all that awful stuff. I don't want to go back to it.
I'd really like to be in a hands on/getting dirty/fixing stuff environment. I like the challenge in repairs and and feeling of accomplishment that comes afterward. It's a high and how I like to spend a lot of my time whether its for money or not.
Looking at job listings for diesel techs, it looks like the wages are a crap shoot. I've seen anything advertised from $10-25/h. I guess it all depends on the desperation of the applicant? I got paid 10/h to dig ditches one summer.
I do feel lucky to live in an area that has a TON of diesel passenger cars with folks who have no idea how to work on them and a local biodiesel industry.
In reply to RoughandReady:
Electric is also what's wrong with going into automotive lol. Gas cars are on the way out and there are way to many people that want to work on them. Getting a job as a lube tech is a usually between at least 4+ people. To change oil for maybe 11 bucks an hour.
All you have to do is realize that there are tons of trucks on the roads, boats in the water, cranes, generators you name it running on diesel. And they aren't getting replaced by electric motors any time soon.
Wages in my experience are usually based on skill / certificates and just in general how long you have been in the field.
And yes, that accomplished feeling after you successfully repair something is great haha
I agree, certifications will get you in the door. Degrees will get you higher. Although you're a wrench in the hand type, I wouldn't limit myself to that. There may come a time in the future when that gets old and going higher will seem to make sense. Plus, going higher usually means more $$ for toys. 
If you have the patience and can afford the time/$$ for the degree that's great. If not, then what you can do will help.
Look in to transferring your credits from your previous three years of school towards a degree program. I had a 4 yr degree (also History) when I decided to go back and get an Auto tech degree at age 35. I had to take 3 classes outside automotive to get the degree instead of the certificate, because of all my transfer credits for the BS classes. I studied automotive but went to work as a diesel tech instead. Not planned just how it worked out. In your area diesel techs can make as little as 10 and as much as 25 dollars and hour. After 7 years in the field and 9 ASE certifications I am just under $14 and hour and it's a set 40hr week not flat rate.
