N.B. Career Surf | Success Stories

Success Story
Tara Griffiths is mechanically inclined

Becoming a mechanic wasn’t the type of job that Tara thought she’d pursue when she was younger. At one point, she thought that it may be too difficult, but the more she was exposed to it the more she became interested in pursuing it as a career.

“I was inspired to get into mechanical work by my brother-in-law who was involved in dirt biking,” said Griffiths. “He owned a shop and I use to hang out around the garage and watch what he did.”

Tara received funding through Skilled Trades and did an apprentice program.

“I had to be persistent to get a job,” said Griffiths. “I had worked with a mechanic on a volunteer basis and juggled two jobs for a while to get experience.”

“I was lucky to have worked with one other woman,” said Griffiths. “She’s been an asset because her experience helped us navigate together.”

There’s rarely a dull moment in her workday.

“I’m multi-functional around here,” said Griffiths. “In the mornings, I work the counter which gives me the chance to deal with clients and manufacturers. In the afternoon, I do the mechanical work like changing the tires and doing oil changes.”

“By doing this, I get to learn both sides of the business.”

Tara describes her biggest challenge with her job is the continuous learning curve. “I learn something new every 10 minutes. As an apprentice mechanic, I feel like a sponge all day.”

Tara added that the learning opportunities are also what she enjoys most about her job. “I feel good about myself, I’m like ‘I can do this!’ and it’s not as difficult as it first appears,” said Griffiths. “I also like being recognized for the good work that I do.”

“One of my most memorable moments on the job was when three guys couldn’t figure out how to pull an alternator out and I was able to turn it and pull it out. It left them scratching their heads.”

Tara also spoke candidly about the barriers of being in a non-traditional career. “You have to have a thick skin,” said Griffiths. “Sometimes people say things out of frustration and anger and some women can take it to heart so it’s important to learn to handle it well.”

“I also think that for some women, it may be intimidating to be in a work environment of men which may be why women are more reluctant to get into mechanic work.”

However, Tara said that she still wouldn’t trade her career for anything. “I’ve had good days and bad days but the good definitely outweighs the bad,” affirmed Griffiths. “My co-workers are supportive. I’m treated well here compared to other places.”

Tara encourages students to explore every option when looking into their future careers and suggests trying out a job for a day (job shadowing) to see if they like it.

“There are definitely a lot of opportunities in this field of work,” said Griffiths. “In the skilled trades, you’re not going to have a problem finding a job.”

“Where I work, the money is an advantage and the hours are reasonable. With my job,
I can have a career and stay in New Brunswick.”

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