You love your job as a motorcycle technician, and you have a passion for the industry you’ve dedicated your professional and personal life to. If you’re a skilled and experienced hard worker desiring to continue to grow, it may not be as far-fetched as it feels. It’s entirely possible to make the shift—especially if you’ve already got a lot of experience and skills—and it might just take getting a foot in the door to crack it wide open.

If you’ve tried before and gotten nowhere, there’s a very good chance you’re lacking connections, not skills. The big brands and dealerships are evolving companies, and they usually work with recruiters to find candidates who can fit in with their culture and vision. If your resume is backed by a trusted industry recruiter, companies will gladly invest in getting you the specialized skills and training you need.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, and at V20 Recruiting, we specialize in making sure you’re always in the right place at the right time with the right package to succeed. Here are some of our insider tips to redline your motorcycle technician career.

Become a Certified Motorcycle Technician

If you’re already a certified tech with brand-specific training and a desire to apply skills on the highest levels, you’re ready to look for your next career step right now. Talk to your recruiter to let them know what you’ve got—there’s no cost to work with V20 on the candidate side, and we’re 100% confidential so you’re protected when exploring your options.

If you’d like to acquire this salary-transforming certification, you’ll need to undergo approximately 12-18 months of training at a technical college. That sounds like a lot, but it really just means learning a whole lot more about what you already love. And considering the average wage for a certified mechanic is around $46,000, your investment can come with significant pay increases, open the door to leadership opportunities, and provide the portfolio of know-how and skills that top dealerships are looking for.

Seek Out Responsibility and Leadership Roles

Being the best technician possible rarely ends with knowing the machinery you’re working with inside and out. You need to understand how what you do fits into the business structure, and that means looking at a bigger picture and seeking out leadership opportunities.

If you’re not quite there yet, double down on this and actively pursue everything you can learn about your dealership’s structure, job responsibilities, inventory system, etc. Also, it’s worth learning about the dynamics of your local market, exploring supply chains, getting to know your local customer base and marketing strategy, and finding ways to apply that knowledge to offer better service.

All of these activities will make you better at your job, position you to advance within your industry, and demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for your career. Additionally:

• You’ll become a valuable employee, one who is worth retaining if your dealership is acquired.
• If another, better-paying position opens up at your dealership or a competitor, you’ll be equipped with the insights and transferable skills to stand out.
• You’ll be displaying industry knowledge that will mark you as an employee going places. It’s hard to convey these things on resumes, but recruiters like V20 pick up on these cues immediately. We make a living identifying talent with an appetite for success.

We’re going to let you in on a little secret here: we’ve been involved in the world of powersports recruiting for almost two decades, and the truth is, the most qualified candidates for big jobs are usually gainfully employed and not actively looking. In fact, without a recruiter keeping an eye out, qualified motorcycle technicians may not even know the job they’re dreaming of is even available.

There’s no cost to you to get a resume on file with us, and our connections in the industry are why people in our talent pool get calls out of the blue that start with: “Hey, a great opportunity has opened up at one of our client’s dealerships. I know you’re doing well, but have you ever considered…”

Document, Document, Document!

If your resume looks a little bare right now, start documenting everything you can about your qualifications and work experience. Anytime you can pick up printed evidence in addition to hard knowledge, make sure you put it in your file.

If you’re not working with a recruiter, you’ll have about six seconds to make a strong impression with screeners on your resume, and if you’re reading this, you probably know how well that goes. You’ve got to make the maximum impact with the right information immediately, including:

• Official certifications from licensing bodies.
• Awards from employers, supervisors, professional organizations, industry publications, and training schools.
• Informal written thanks from employers or colleagues.
• Positive local news coverage.
• Customer thank-you letters and social media posts.
• Other tangible evidence of accomplishment and reliability.

Unfortunately, the reason highly qualified motorcycle technicians are often overlooked by big companies is because… recruiters like us are sending them resumes they read all the way through. A candidate from V20 goes right to the top of the pile, and in many cases, there’s never even a formal job search.

The truth is, you’re not worthless, you’re not forgettable, and you’re not just another motorcycle tech going nowhere. You probably just don’t have the right recruiting ally to navigate the hiring process of the biggest and most successful brands in the business.

And if you’re ready to take that step, you can start by checking out what V20 can offer you in the powersports industry and our resume resources to put in your career toolkit today.

We Can Help You with the Next Step of Your Career

V20 Recruiting was founded to be your advocate for employers. We’ve been providing major industry players with amazing candidates for years now, and they trust us implicitly. Our great track record can be yours as well.

We also help you with career advice, resume polishing, shoring up gaps in your training or knowledge, and most critically, connecting you with the best motorcycle technician positions that are filled before you ever hear about them. Our work is 100% confidential, and it never costs you a dime to speak to us and get a resume on file.

If you feel like you’ve maxed out your career at your local dealerships and are hungry for more, you’re probably ready for the next step and don’t even know it yet. Reach out to us today and supercharge your career with V20.