The automotive industry is facing one of the most severe technician shortages in its history. Dealers and repair shops are competing for a limited pool of qualified techs , and the struggle is real. Yet while the shortage is nationwide, the employers who continue to hire successfully share one surprising advantage. They are not always the ones offering the highest pay or the most benefits. They are the ones who move faster . In today’s market, speed is the new competitive ed

Starting a career in car sales can be one of the fastest ways to break into a high earning , high growth industry. The auto business rewards ambition, communication skills, and a willingness to learn. You do not need previous sales experience , and many of the most successful salespeople in the country came from retail, hospitality, call centers, or other service jobs. If you enjoy helping people, this field can open the door to a long and profitable career. Below is a clear

Every year, dealerships and repair shops walk into January with the same challenge. Customer demand spikes. Service bays fill up. Phones ring nonstop. The work comes in fast. Yet many stores begin the year already short-staffed because they waited too long to build their hiring pipeline . The truth is simple: Your January hiring pipeline depends entirely on what you do in December. If you spend December sorting through junk resumes , you’ll still be hiring in February. If you

Every service department knows how to track the obvious performance markers. RO count , CSI , labor gross , and parts margins are measured every day. What never appears on a report is the silent financial drain caused by the wrong person in the wrong seat. A single bad hire in fixed operations creates profit leaks that compound over time, and most shops never notice the loss until it shows up in lower retention, slower workflow, and higher turnover. Bad hiring is not just a

Many people are curious about what it is actually like to work in car sales. The job has a reputation for being fast paced, customer focused, and financially rewarding , yet most people only see a small part of what goes on. In this post, we walk through a full day in the life of a car salesperson, and more importantly, what the routine looks like for someone who is successful in the role . Because while anyone can get hired, the top performers follow a structured rhythm that

When your CEO goes on national business programs and says Ford has 6,000 empty service bays and a two week average wait time , that’s no longer an industry trend - that’s a capacity crisis . Jim Farley didn’t mince words. Despite offering competitive compensation (including six-figure earnings for many experienced techs), Ford dealerships “don’t have the mechanics” to meet customer demand. The result: empty bays, frustrated customers, and lost revenue that no store can affor

When most people picture a job at a car dealership, they think about sales teams greeting customers or technicians repairing vehicles in the service bays. But the truth is this: dealerships run on far more than just Sales, Service, and Parts.  Behind the scenes is an entire office staff ensuring every sale is legal, every payment is accurate, and every department runs smoothly. For job seekers who want stable, well-paying roles in the automotive industry without selling cars

Burnout has quietly become one of the biggest threats to success in automotive retail. Long hours, high expectations, inconsistent traffic, and nonstop follow-ups create a perfect storm that wears even the best sales professionals down over time. While the industry rewards hustle, the truth is simple: salespeople who don’t protect their energy eventually lose their edge. The good news? Burnout is not inevitable. There are proven strategies that help salespeople stay sharp, mo

It’s every service manager’s nightmare. You finally hire a great technician, someone who knows their craft, gets along with the team, and keeps the bay moving. Then out of nowhere, they give notice. You’re left scrambling to fill another empty bay while productivity drops and customers wait longer for service. It’s a costly cycle that can quietly drain tens of thousands of dollars per year. But the truth is, most great technicians don’t quit overnight . The signs are there, t

Every dealership knows how hard it is to find strong management , but fewer realize the true cost of waiting too long to fill those roles. Whether it’s a vacant GM chair, a GSM stretched too thin, or a missing Fixed Ops Director, every day that key position remains open chips away at your profitability and stability. Let’s break down what those empty seats are really costing your store,  and why dealers who fill management gaps quickly (and confidentially) often outperform th

Discover how dealerships and repair shops can find and develop future technicians through trade schools, veterans, high schools, mentorship, and online training.

The service department of an automotive dealership is far more than just a place to fix cars; it is often the most critical profit center of the entire organization. It is a demanding, high-stakes environment where skill, consistency, and leadership directly translate into revenue and customer loyalty. For those with a mechanical inclination and a relentless work ethic, the automotive service industry offers one of the clearest and most lucrative career ladders available: the

For decades, the service manager’s job was fairly predictable: oversee technicians, manage workflow, ensure repairs were completed efficiently, and keep customers satisfied. But that was before cars began talking; not just to their owners, but to manufacturers, dealers, and even other vehicles. Connected car technology has completely transformed what happens inside a service department. And the modern service manager is no longer just running a repair operation; they’re manag

When it comes to landing your next job in the automotive industry, your LinkedIn profile  can be just as important as your resume, and sometimes even more powerful. Dealerships, independent shops, and recruiters use LinkedIn every day to find qualified technicians , service advisors, salespeople, and office staff. And if your profile isn’t built to stand out, you might never show up in their searches. At Car Guys, we’ve reviewed thousands of automotive profiles, and the best

Hiring the right people isn’t just an HR function, it’s a revenue function. Every unfilled position in your dealership directly impacts sales, service throughput, and customer satisfaction . Yet even the most established operations lose qualified candidates and valuable time because of recurring HR mistakes. In a market where experienced technicians, service advisors , and sales professionals are in high demand, dealerships can’t afford inefficiency. Below are the five most c