Bike Mechanic Resume
03-25-19, 03:27 PM
#26
Keepin it Wheel
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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.
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.
This seems like great advice to me. I know how to do a lot of stuff (almost all of it I learned here), but I am SLOW, and need to do each thing usually 2 or 3 times because I do it wrong the first time.
Here's how I would structure a resume; most bike shops have a couple different levels of 'tune-up', and lists of what services are done in each. Fullest service would be stripping a bike all the way down to the frame and disassembling the hubs, and rebuilding it all with fresh lube, cables and housing. Assuming you can do (have experience doing) all those things, I would say that. If there are a few items you're missing, just note those and try to list any similar/relevant mechanical experience. Like maybe you're a road bike guy, not a MTB guy, so you've never bled hydraulic disc brakes. But have you replaced brake pads on your car?
I have put together probably 100 or more cheap Huffy bikes for a Christmas drive my company has done for many years. After a couple of a certain kind of bike, I have developed an efficient workflow and can crank bikes out in ~15min ea -- that is if they have no problems worse than needing their V-brakes centered. It's the wrong time of year, but maybe you'd have a better chance getting hired assembling bikes for Christmas rush, on a piece-work rather than hourly basis. That way it wouldn't matter if you're slow.
03-25-19, 05:18 PM
#27
SE Wis
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03-25-19, 05:21 PM
#28
Keepin it Wheel
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doi, I shudda seen that. super zombie-check fail
03-25-19, 06:00 PM
#29
Senior Member
"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. "
This is so very, very, very true. A serious wrench that can effectively interact with others, especially the customer is sometimes difficult to find.
This is so very, very, very true. A serious wrench that can effectively interact with others, especially the customer is sometimes difficult to find.
03-25-19, 06:54 PM
#30
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Me too, I hope he got the job 
Ben
Ben
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"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
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"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
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Voice recognition may sometimes create odd spelling and grammatical errors
07-30-19, 05:45 PM
#31
Hoards Thumbshifters
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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.
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.
