For many people, the festive season offers a rare pause in an otherwise busy year. The tools are down, the diary quietens, and for a few days’ life shifts into a slower gear. Increasingly, this period is becoming a natural point of reflection, a moment to consider what’s working, what isn’t, and what we want from the year ahead.
For Jake Harris, one of our loyal contractors and Ambassador, that quiet time between Christmas and New Year, a few years ago, became the catalyst for a major career rethink.
Jake had spent 22 years in the motor trade, working across dealerships, fast-fits and independent garages. While he valued the stability, he’d begun to feel the strain of routine and long hours. “The money was decent, but the work had become monotonous,” he explains. “While I was furloughed during the Covid lockdowns, I realised how much I valued spending real time with my wife, our two young children and the dog. It made me rethink what balance should look like.”
Just before Christmas 2022, Jake moved into a bodyshop workshop role, stripping and repairing vehicles. It offered better hours than some of his previous positions, and the team were supportive, but something still didn’t feel right. “The people were great and the company was good, but I couldn’t settle,” he says. “There was a lot of competition within the team, and it just didn’t feel like the right fit.”
When Christmas arrived, Jake finally had room to reflect. “It was the first time in a long while I was able to stop and properly think,” he recalls. “Watching the kids play and having time at home made me realise I needed a change. I didn’t want to wait until after my probation ended and leave the bodyshop in a difficult position, so I decided to take action.”
Between Christmas and New Year, Jake called Autotech Recruit to explore contracting. It wasn’t a decision he took lightly. “People don’t necessarily view the automotive industry as a place for contractors, so it felt like a big leap,” he says. “I was worried about whether there’d be enough work or long gaps between roles. But after talking it through with my wife, I knew I had to give it a go.”
His concerns were quickly eased: Jake was out on his first placement in the first week of January 2023, and he hasn’t been without work since.
As the industry evolves with electric vehicles and increasingly software-led diagnostics, Jake has also been able to grow his expertise through free training opportunities available to contractors. “It’s been invaluable,” he says. “I’ve expanded my skills and stayed up to date with where the industry is heading.”
Most importantly, contracting has given Jake the balance he’d been searching for. “There’s no better work-life balance than being a contractor,” he says simply. “I’m so glad I used the Christmas break to re-evaluate what was important to me. Taking the leap was scary, but I haven’t looked back.”
Jake continues to work steadily across the region and enjoys the flexibility contracting provides, and, most importantly, more time with his family.
For more information about Autotech Recruit and its recruitment services, visit Autotech Recruit.