Stepping out of the classroom and into the collision industry can feel like being handed a repair order written in another language while everyone pretends you should already know where every tool lives. In this Frame of Mind editorial, Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins speaks directly to the newest generation of Collision DisruptHERs, especially the students and entry-level technicians preparing to leave training behind and claim their place in the bay. Drawing from her experience as a former collision repair instructor, Jannifer breaks down what young women actually need to hear before they enter the shop: that mistakes are not identity flaws, confidence…
Frame of Mind: Class Dismissed; the Bay is Yours
A Future Collision DisruptHER’s Guide to Owning the Shop Floor Without Shrinking, Spiraling or Setting Anything Expensive on Fire
By Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins, Technical Editor
Glossed & Gritty’s Technical Editor draws on her years of experience as a collision repair instructor in her “New Grad” series, dedicated to helping the newest generation of DisruptHERs navigate the “real world” hurdles that a syllabus can’t prepare you for!
Whether you’re currently tossing a graduation cap, transitioning from a part-time apprenticeship to a full-time stall or standing on the outside looking in – wondering if you have the grit to trade a traditional desk for a frame rack – welcome to the launchpad. The collision industry is often misunderstood as a dead-end road paved with repetitive tasks, busted knuckles and suspicious vending machine lunches…but for the modern Collision DisruptHER, this trade is not some dusty backup plan. It’s a high-tech frontier of physics, chemistry, craftsmanship, digital diagnostics and the very specific ability to remain calm while a dashboard lights up like it is auditioning for a casino residency.
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