MOVING UP - Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Masters

Jason Vargas left technician school with a clear goal in mind. “I wanted to become a Master Tech within two years,” he says. But as his self-imposed deadline approached, Jason reconsidered. “I was still asking a lot of questions at that point,” he says. “Just because you’re a Master Tech, doesn’t mean you can fix a car. It just means you can take a test.”

So Vargas waited. He put in the time and stuck with it until he felt he deserved Master Technician status. Given all that, does Vargas think Master Technician training is something every technician should pursue? The answer, he says, depends on one’s relationship to the work.

“If you just want the title, it’s not gonna be worth it,” Jason says. “You have to have the passion for it. Is certification needed within your first couple of years on the job? Probably not. But if you’ve made the career choice and you’re going to be in the industry for more than five years or so, I believe it’s needed. You’re going to want to have that knowledge.”

There is a specific structure to Dugan Sheridan’s daily schedule. “I do a lot of diag that’s extremely complicated,” Dugan says. “I’ll spend most of my mornings, until about 1 or 2pm, doing that. I’m diagnosing and then handing it off. Then, I’ll spend the rest of the day taking care of the shop, doing service work, brakes, maintenance, heavy line, transmissions and motors.”

It is a satisfying balance of the mental and physical, and Sheridan would not have it any other way. “I thoroughly enjoy it,” he says. “I’m very blessed.” Sheridan first came to automotive as a street racer in his teens. He did that for three or four years. “It was super fun,” he chuckles. “I got semi-professional, but it’s an expensive hobby. And with street racing… once you hit a certain age, it’s like…” His voice trails off into a laugh.

Going legit as a technician has only grown Dugan’s love of cars. He’s a big reader, who’s lately obsessed with aerodynamics and engineering. In the long-term, Dugan would like to run his own dealership.

“I never, like, woke up one day and said: ‘I’m gonna be a mechanic!’” says Scott Daley. “I started out as a welder. One day, my car needed repair and I said, ‘I can figure that out.’ And I did. Then, I decided to get some training. Next thing I knew…” Scott laughs. The defining moment, he says, came between his junior and senior year, when he built an entire Mustang.

These days, Daley does all his technician work on the clock. Though he still takes great pleasure in the work itself, he says: “If it’s the weekend and somebody asks about their car, I don’t want to talk about it!”

During the winter, Scott works 60 or 70 hours a week. This buys him time for boating during the summer. He likes to take his family out on the ocean. He loves the sport of it—and the effect it has on the whole gang. “Once you’re out on the boat, ain’t nobody going anywhere,” he laughs. “Forces everybody to work it out!”

Mastery is more than expertise in one particular area. Mastery is ultimately about learning how to learn. And, in that sense, it is transferrable. “You know, you ask a senior guy how to do something, he should be able to explain it correctly,” says Robert Tymitz. “And you should be able to turn around and perform it correctly.”

For example, Tymitz recently bought his first house. “It’s a foreclosure, in decent shape, but it needed some updating,” he says. Tymitz’s automotive expertise has definitely played a role in the restoration. “My wife’s father is really good [at home repair],” he says. “And I can watch him do something once—maybe twice—and then I got it. I think that comes from my tech experience.”

Not that technician knowledge does not have its own value. “It’s an important skill to have,” Robert says. “I’m able to help someone who might otherwise have to go to the dealership, and maybe save them a little money. I’m glad I can do that for friends, on the weekend, to help them out.”

“Doing something people say can’t be done really trips my trigger,” says Robert Hawkins. “Don’t tell me I can’t do it, because I will.” Take the stock, street-able, twin-cylinder Harley he transformed into a rear wheel, fire-breathing monster. “Don’t tell me you can’t go from 60hp to 130hp, because I know it can be done. I did it.”

Robert started racing at 17. He loved it, but at 20, an accident rolled his car seven times. “I didn’t get hurt that bad,” Robert says. “The roll cage was a life saver.” He was back with a new car six weeks later. Still, the crash ultimately prompted a shift to motorcycles. Wait, what? To something even more dangerous? “Well,” Robert laughs. “I’m not much to sit around. And I’ve always been fascinated by motorcycles.”

Master technician status was a lifelong ambition for this goal-oriented technician. “I’ve always wanted to master a certain brand,” he says. After spending time with Ford, GM and Mazda, Hawkins chose Nissan. “They do a great job building their vehicles,” he says. “I really like the product line.”

Wen Tan keeps an eye on the future at all times. The young Master Technician was a sports fanatic during high school. He played football, basketball, track, you name it. But come senior year, Wen knew he had some choices to make. “Nobody was paying me to play ball,” he chuckles. “Reality hit, and I had to choose a career.”

After some research, Tan discovered technician work and went to NTI. On the job, he quickly understood the value of continuing his technician education. “There’s no such thing as just being good enough for the job anymore,” Tan says. “You have to move up just to keep up, you know? Because the technology is always changing.”

Unsurprisingly, Wen has a long-range plan. He would like to get into management before he turns 30. Meanwhile, he aims to mitigate the bodily harm technician work can inflict. “I try to work as smart as I can,” he says. “My focus is electrical work and diag. Because your back is not going to hold up forever. So, I’m not very big on transmissions and engine work. I would rather use my brain than my back!”

Paul Gear has been in the field since the age of 16. The recently certified Master Technician thrives on challenge. He says he has “always been fascinated by the intricacies of electrical work,” but his interests extend to all areas of the vehicle. Paul has found that no two jobs are ever exactly the same, a fact which serves to keep him interested and engaged.

Gear advises new technicians to master their craft and avoid the temptation of easy shortcuts. He quotes his old shop teacher, who said: “Learn everything you can. Once you think you know it all, you’re lost.” True enough—as technology evolves at a faster and faster pace, the complacent can be quickly left behind.

Away from work, Paul enjoys hunting, fishing… and blacksmithing! He recently took the latter hobby to the next level when he learned to work with chainmail, proof that his handiness extends well beyond the automotive realm.

Doug Miller has enjoyed a long and successful career. Name a make or model and Doug has seen it. So, he speaks from experience when he says, “Nissan is a world-class product.”

Miller highly recommends Master Technician certification to any technician out to advance their career. “When you have that plaque on the wall, customers notice,” he says. The only prerequisites, Miller says, are a strong work ethic and a genuine interest in the job. “Invest as much time as possible in the Nissan product. It’s only going to benefit you.”

Doug also stresses the benefits of working in a dealership environment. “Technicians can get pretty far with the great training opportunities that are available,” he says. In his daily work, Doug finds interest in all the challenges that come his way. Above all, he thrives on drivability, diagnostics and electrical work. The Iowa City native remains a true Hawkeye, though he loves the beach access Virginia provides. Off the clock, Doug enjoys golf and time with his family.

“Focus on your work and the money will always be there,” says Mike Skokowski. “You can always fall back on the quality of your own work. It’s money in the bank.” Mike’s philosophy comes from advice he received early in his career, advice he says has never steered him wrong. Prior to Infiniti, Mike was a Jeep Master Technician for a number of years. He says Infiniti management really encouraged and supported his Master Technician training after the switch.

Skokowski likes problem solving and loves working with automated car technologies like those found in the Q50. However, that has not diminished his love for the classics. Take Mike’s ongoing affection for his very first car, a 1972 Chevelle, which he still owns and actively maintains!

Love of cars aside, the proud father of three says: “Everything I do is for my children, and because of my children.” This dedication drives Mike forward. “The person I want to be, how successful I want to be…it’s all about making sure they have a comfortable life. Everything I do is for them!”

“I asked my wife where she wanted to go,” says Leroy Hargraves when asked what brought him to Malta, NY. “And she said she wanted to go back home.” After 21 years in the Army, Leroy retired, relocated, and reinvented himself as a technician for General Motors. Eventually, he came to Nissan. His vast experience shaped a technician who not only takes pride in his work, but always pushes himself to embrace new challenges.

In that vein, Hargraves most enjoys working on CVT’s—they represent the greatest challenge after coming over from General Motors. “You do a lot of repairs on vehicles that were already repaired,” Hargraves says. “A lot of the time, that’s just about the trickiest thing you can do.”

Leroy says honesty and good work are key characteristics for any great technician. “Those qualities keep customers coming back,” he says. “A happy customer will probably tell two or three people. Every bad customer probably tells 10 or 20 people,” He laughs. “Which kind of word of mouth do you want to have?”

The Fast and Furious movie series sparked Jacob Cushing’s interest in cars. Subsequent exposure to the aftermarket car scene inspired him to mow lawns until he had enough scratch to buy a Mitsubishi Eclipse. Building and modifying that car ultimately led him into his career as a Nissan-certified Master Technician.

Jacob worked at a few other dealerships before joining Nissan five years ago. Of becoming a Master Technician, Jacob says: “If I’m going to be good at something, I’m going to be the best!” Now that he is certified, he enjoys challenging diagnostic jobs. His next goal is GT-R certification. He is excited by Nissan’s use of direct-injection turbo engines, as well as VVEL and CVT transmissions.

Cushing has good advice for younger technicians. “Put in the time and put in the work,” he says. “It does make a difference. Do not limit yourself to what you already know you can do. And, practically speaking, keep up on your NNAnet.” Most of all, Cushing says: “An open mind, positive attitude and good work ethic will really help you excel.” Truer words have never been spoken.

Steven Huynh was working at a car stereo shop when his buddy alerted him to a Nissan dealership gig. Steven jumped at it, and he has been with Nissan ever since—about six years now. The California-based Master Technician is no stranger to the automotive business. His family owns a body shop where his older brother works—the same older brother who gave Steven his first hands-on training with cars.

The best advice Huynh has been given is: “Work smarter. Take your time. Sometimes that means you have to take a break, you know? Step away. If there’s a tough problem, you probably just need to tackle it from a new angle.” Master Technician training helped Huynh learn newer programs, and certification helps him keep up as systems evolve.

Harkening back to his experience with vehicle audio systems, Steven says he enjoys electrical work the most. But he never shies away from work outside that area. In fact, Steven’s interests are not even exclusive to cars. When he is not working for Nissan, Steven’s primary hobby is motorcycles.

Ryan Lemin has been with the same dealership for 14 years now. After all those years, the newly-certified Master Technician has one key nugget of wisdom for other technicians, and it is not what you would expect. “Wear good footwear!” Ryan chuckles. Seriously? “Seriously! Buy yourself some good boots. You’re on your feet all the time, every day. You have to take care of your feet.”

Lemin can also point to the exact moment he was bitten by the technician bug. When he was younger, his brother—also a technician—made a video of a DIY engine pull. The video impressed Lemin. “It looked like fun!” he says. And he was aware of the ongoing need for technicians in the transportation industry.

It all added up to a logical career choice, if not a 24/7 obsession. “I don’t work on cars outside the dealership,” Ryan says. “If I was going to do something like that, I’d probably dabble in go-karts.” For now, Ryan enjoys a bit of gaming and checks out a good comedy or Marvel movie when he has the time. Any parting advice? “Yeah. Keep your head on a swivel!”

Remember Penske Auto Center? Ron Orris cut his teeth at Penske. He chuckles at the memory. “That was way back,” he says. “They’re all gone now. But yeah, ’95 to ’96 I went to technical school during the day, and then I’d go to Penske for work in the evening,” he says. After school, Ron got a job at Mitsubishi and eventually made the jump to Nissan.

These days, Orris does a fair amount of mentoring. He works hard to teach an attention to detail. “Always double-check your work,” he says. “Make sure everything’s tight. It is easy to make a mistake, so check everything. Not just new techs, you know. I do it, too.”

Service bulletins provide another layer of quality assurance—one too often overlooked. “Let’s say a car comes in with a mass air flow sensor code,” he says. “One of the first things somebody might do, if they don’t look it up, is change the mass air flow sensor. But we all know the problem’s probably elsewhere. And that car’s gonna come back. So, look it up. Fix it right the first time!”

Jason Mutchler was destined to become a Master Technician. Between his innate curiosity about how things work and his father and grandfather both working in the field, it was the natural thing to do. Jason says a “mixture of curiosity, interest and drive” is the basic fuel for all great Master Technicians. Patience goes a long way, too, since short cuts and easy answers always prove a recipe for failure.

“Sometimes, to find the problem, you have to think outside the box,” Mutchler says. “The challenge is knowing how the box works on the inside, in order to get outside.” Mutchler enjoys the full gamut of technician work, but finds wiring harnesses most enjoyable. A good wiring job provides a great satisfaction, due to the complexity and puzzle solving involved.

Jason’s love of finding out the mechanisms of how things operate extends beyond work and into his hobbies, chief of which is his vast Transformers collection.

Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Senior Specialists

Young Kwon

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Regal Nissan Inc.

Roswell, GA

Kathryn Galante

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Cochran Nissan/South Hill

Pittsburgh, PA

Norman Berry

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Dorsett Nissan

Terre Haute, IN

Nicholas Lifrieri

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Nissan of Manhattan

New York, NY

Guilbert Apresto

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Nissan Motor Corp in Guam

Tamuning, Guam

Omar Shunnara

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Mossy Nissan El Cajon

El Cajon, CA

Ronald Fortin

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

All Pro Nissan/Dearborn

Dearborn, MI

Michael Gunter

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Courtesy Nissan

Richardson, TX

Aloncio Montoya

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Ferman Nissan of No Tampa

Tampa, FL

Jeremy Bischler

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Uftring Nissan, Inc.

Peoria, IL

Peter Miner

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Concord Nissan, Inc.

Uniontown, PA

Mike Neldon

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Carr Nissan

Beaverton, OR

Gabriel Puente

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Ed Hicks Nissan, LTD.

Corpus Christi, TX

Tom Huebner

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Infiniti of Naperville

Naperville, IL

David Grow li

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Jeff Schmitt Nissan, Inc.

Beavercreek, OH

Timothy Hagerman

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Hanover Nissan, Inc.

Hanover, PA

Brett Swenson

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Kirkland Nissan

Kirkland, WA

Todd Pandin

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Fred Martin Nissan, LLC.

Akron, OH

Derrick Ansley

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Nissan of Yuba City

Yuba City, CA

Nathan Stierna

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Kline Nissan

Maplewood, MN

Taylor Clark

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Autonation Nissan Mariett

Marietta, GA

Reno Agrue

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Autonation Nissan Brandon

Tampa, FL

Tyler Dolmatoff

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

United Nissan

Las Vegas, NV

Arturo Del Real

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Bob Rohrman Nissan

Burns Harbor, IN