If you're a car fanatic and are looking to change industries or are fresh to the job market, you may want to consider a career opportunity in the automobile industry. While at first, you may only think of salespeople when you think about working in the automobile industry, there are many options for people of all experience levels and interests. In some cases, there are educational programs that may make the job easier to get or to achieve success, while others require no specific education at all. If you're curious about career opportunities in the automobile industry and don't know where to start, here is a helpful list.

Automotive Technicians and Mechanics

These professionals perform a number of tasks ranging from balancing tires to performing tire alignments to changing the oil. These are some of the most hands-on roles in the automobile industry as they work on cars with a range of issues as well as provide everyday maintenance. There is no degree beyond a high school diploma required to become a mechanic, though you may want to enroll in a vocational program to hone your skills before you enter the workforce.

Diesel Mechanic

Another type of mechanic in the automobile industry is a diesel mechanic. These mechanics work on machines and vehicles that run specifically on diesel gasoline. While it may not always be required to complete a degree beyond high school to become a diesel mechanic, you may want to get a leg up on your competition by looking into automotive and diesel repair programs. The type of specialized skills in these educational programs are highly sought after by employers. 

Salesperson

If you are not as good with your hands and prefer to work more with people than directly with cars, you may be interested in being a salesperson. While they often get a bad rapport for being annoying or pushy, car salespeople have very important jobs. As a salesperson, it is your job to show off cars and to make sure that all customers leave your lot with a car they are excited about and that is right for them. This takes some knowledge of automobiles but also an ability to read people and interpret their needs. 

Internet Auctions and Exporting

If you wanted to, you could start buying and shipping cars to different markets, such as those in Africa. Auto Auction Mall gives you access to a wide range of vehicles from across the world and allows you to bid on and win them for the price that is often exclusive to dealers. Their service will even help you if you want to start exporting cars to Ghana as a way to get involved in the African auto industry. This could be a great way to maximize earnings and even make as much as some of the major American dealers.

Automobile Designer

If you're a creative thinker and have an artistic or engineering background, you may want to consider becoming an automobile designer. Typically, auto designers pursue higher education beyond the high school level to hone and strengthen their technical skills as well as to specialize their education. 

Car Dealership Jobs

There are a host of positions available at car dealerships that are not mechanics or salespeople. For instance, you could work as an administrative employee at the front desk, greeting customers and organizing appointments. You could also get a job in the finance office if you're interested in crunching numbers and you have excellent people skills. Working in the finance office also involves a lot of organizational skills and an ability to upsell customers on insurance and warranty packages.