The motorsport industry has long been a favourite of people with an interest in cars, engineering or even just those who love a bit of racing. It’s an incredibly competitive industry to try and break into, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best advice for you to look at for applying for a job in the motorsport industry.
Get some experience anywhere you can
Whatever path it is that you end up choosing, gaining some very valuable experience is very important. There are a host of opportunities to get involved in both the sport itself and also in the industry as well, do anything that you can possibly think of to get a foot in the door, volunteer to wash car wheels, to sweep-up or even to make the tea for the crew demonstrates a willingness which will endear you to any prospective employer, provided you do it well.
It also helps as it serves as a way to ‘open doors’ and also to meet new and important people and this could pay very very rich dividends later on. Try and study it whenever you can, there are plenty of universities that offer motorsport degrees too.
Constant research is a must
Read any motorsport magazines, these will keep you abreast of what is going on the world of motorsport right now. There are a number of magazines that can help you out, it doesn’t really matter what you subscribe to because they’ll all link into what you need. Some of the best magazines to subscribe to will be: Motorsport News, Race Tech, Classic, Racecar Engineering, Autosport, Motorsport and also last but by not means least Sports Car. These will help you to get to know the business and the industry that you plan to get involved in. You will also find the names and the addresses of a lot of the companies that are looking to recruit.
Always watch motorsport (And have a CV handy too)
A good thing to do is to attend as many different race events as you possibly can and try to network with as many new and different people as you possibly can, they are in the business and you might just be able to find out why and they may give you some helpful tips for entering the industry! A good idea too, is to have a personal profile or your own CV with you at all times (Formatted correctly and looking presentable) ready to hand out to anyone who shows even a small interest and you can request a business card in return as well.
When you have the contact details of anyone who shows an interest you can get in contact! Also look into maybe studying Mechanical Engineering at university, plenty of universities offer Mechanical Engineering courses.
Research any company that you apply to
It is well-worth taking the time to research any of the companies that you are hoping to work for. It is quite unlikely that any of the job advertisements that you’ve seen details names of company personnel, if you can find out, then it will illustrate that you have done your homework and you are very keen to join up with the organisation. Also, make sure that you have carefully examined what it is the company is looking for and that you can actually fulfil the criteria stated in the advertisement. Detail your skills and your qualifications accurately.
Employers don’t usually expect individuals in the early stages of their career to know everything about the industry that they’re applying to, so be sure that you succinctly describe the extent of your knowledge and your experience along with anything that you think that you can offer. The likelihood of pulling the wool over the eyes of any of your interviewers is very slim indeed and illegal! However, be warned, Motorsport is a hugely competitive sector and you will also need to demonstrate the commitment, the enthusiasm and the right attitude, if you are to be successful.
For any more advice on university or for anything else then check out University Compare, a university comparison website that compares over 36,000 courses across 425 institutes and offers university advice, guidance and student discounts.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
