For Youth - Career Information
Are You Right for the Job?
All in a Day's Work
The Stats
Jason Amyotte - Indian Head, Saskatchewan - "BJ All Season Sports"
Wheelin' right along -- Some say it's the greatest invention--the wheel. For Jason Amyotte of BJ All Season Sports Ltd. in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, you could say that wheels or more specifically tires have been his greatest discovery.
Jason repairs tires. His career started in high school when he got a taste of the tire business through a work placement opportunity. After high school, he continued working for the same business for four years. After a stint in an automotive shop, he came back and settled into a life of fixing tires. He has been happily employed at BJ All Season Sports for the last six years and recently bought a share in the business.
Located just off the busiest highway in Saskatchewan--the TransCanada -- Jason learned his trade through on the job training, fixing lots of different tires. "Tourists, truckers and farmers have all found their way to the shop to get their tires repaired," says Jason.
Jason's work mainly involves repairing motorcycle, all terrain vehicle, trailer, car, truck, farm tractor and implement tires, and semi-truck tires. "The work never gets boring--you never know what will roll or who will stroll through the door."
Are You Right for the Job?
A tire repair technician should:
- be flexible
- be able to work under pressure
- have good customer relations skills
- be able to talk with people
"To repair a tire, it doesn't take a lot of physical strength. After a while you develop a technique and it becomes very simple," Jason adds. “First I remove the tire from the vehicle,” says Jason. Next, he uses a special machine to break the tire away from the rim. Once the tire is removed from the rim, it is then put on a tire spreader and the object that caused the puncture - if it still remains stuck in the tire - is removed. The repair area is machine buffed, a small amount of glue is put on and a patch is applied. “Finally, I put the tire back on the rim, inflate to the proper pressure and the wheel is put back on the vehicle.”
All in a Day's Work:
Every day is different and new challenges present themselves.
The day goes quickly with a mix of answering phones, fixing tires and selling recreational vehicle products. In a typical eight-hour workday, Jason would fix 20 to 30 small tires and be called out of the office on one or two farm service calls. The workday is normally from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but on busy days, Jason will work overtime hours to meet the demand.
Jason enjoys his job and plans to be there for a long time. One day he would like to build a new shop. Another dream of Jason's is to offer "How to Change a Tire" clinics to the public. That's quite a step for a man who once considered himself kind of shy. "Meeting so many different types of people has shown me I can talk to anyone. To be happy on the job and sociable is a great asset."
The Stats
Essential Skills:
Reading; Document Use; Writing; Computers; Working with Others; Numeracy (Math); Oral Communication; Continuous Learning; Problem Solving
Skills and Abilities:
Dexterity; specialized product knowledge; driving; customer service skills
Salary 1:
Starting: $7 an hour; After five years: $10 an hour; Starting (per year): $14,560.00; After five years (per year): $20,800.00
Related Occupations:
Automotive service technician; tire installer; exhaust installer
High School Subjects:
Math, English, Mechanics
Post Secondary Training:
On the Job
1 The salary analysis of each occupation is based on a 1999-2000 pan-Canadian average. Salary information will vary due to the many factors that determine salary; including province of residence, experience, employer, and specific job responsibilities. The salary indicated for each profile should be treated as a guideline only.