Callum Rigby, Electric Vehicle Technician

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What I do

I work on Porsche cars, diagnosing and fixing faults so they run properly again. Most of my work is diagnosing electrical issues, but I also work on mechanical problems like engines and servicing.

I use specialist diagnostic equipment to read the car’s systems and figure out what’s wrong. Then I repair or replace parts, so the vehicle is safe and working again.

My role also includes working on high voltage systems in electric vehicles, which means I’m trained to safely work on powerful electric batteries.

Electric Vehicle Technician Callum, working under the hood of a car, in the garage.

How I became a technician

At school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. My GCSE choices were ICT, graphic design and construction. At the time, I thought I might want to become an architect because my stepdad was a builder and I used to see architectural drawings around the house.

When I finished school, I tried a graphic design course at college because I enjoyed design. But once I got there, I realised it really wasn’t for me.

How I became a technician

I wasn’t creative enough for it and after about six months, I knew I needed to try something else. I’d always liked cars, so when I saw an apprenticeship vacancy at Porsche, I thought I’d give it a go.

Around that time, I had a friend who worked as a mechanic and I’d helped him with bits and pieces on his car now and again.

How I became a technician

I’ll be honest – I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I just thought Porsche was a cool brand and I liked working with my hands!

I applied for a Level 3 apprenticeship in light vehicle maintenance and repair, and I got the job. My apprenticeship lasted for three years and once I passed everything, I was offered a permanent job. I’ve been here ever since.

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A typical day in my working life

My working day starts at about 8:30am. I normally arrive around 8:10am, grab a coffee and get ready for the day. Sometimes I carry on with a car I was already working on, and sometimes I collect a new job card from the workshop controller.

A job card is basically a document that explains the problem with the car and what work needs doing.

A typical day in my working life

If I’m diagnosing a fault, the first thing I usually do is connect a diagnostic tester. This is a special device that plugs into the car and checks all its electronic systems. It tells me if the car has recorded any faults and when they happened.

From there, I investigate the problem. That might mean testing wiring, checking components or replacing parts.

A typical day in my working life

Some jobs take a couple of hours and others can take days to figure out. Once one job is finished, we get the next car straight on the ramp and start on that.

I usually have lunch at around 12:30pm and I finish work at 5pm.

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Electric Vehicle Technician Callum, in the garage, working with high voltage equipment on a tabletop, wearing a full arc flash suit, including face visor and insulated rubber gloves.

What I love about my job

One of the things I enjoy most is that the job is different every day. Even if I’m working on the same type of car, the fault will usually be different.

Some days I might solve a problem in a couple of hours, and other times I might spend several days trying to track down a tricky fault. It keeps the job interesting and makes you think.

I also enjoy the problem-solving side of it. You don’t always know what you’re dealing with until you start investigating.

Sometimes a fault can lead you down several different paths before you find the real issue. When you finally fix something that’s taken days to diagnose, it feels really satisfying.

The skills I use most

Problem solving is probably the biggest skill in my job. A lot of the work is about diagnosing faults and figuring out what’s gone wrong in a complex system.

Perseverance is also really important. Sometimes you can spend a long time trying to find a problem, so it’s important you keep going and don’t give up when things get frustrating.

Analytical thinking helps as well. You have to look at fault codes, test results and technical documents and work out what they all mean.

Teamwork is also important, especially when you’re learning. You should never be afraid to ask questions or ask someone to take a look if you’re stuck.

When you finally fix something that’s taken days to diagnose, it feels really satisfying.

Cars are changing quickly, especially with electric vehicles, so there are always new systems and products to train on.

Don’t worry too much about making the perfect choices at school. You can always change direction later. Try different things and see what you enjoy.

A little more about my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

Most of the time, I work on a car by myself, but there’s always someone nearby if I need help. In our workshop there are around 18 to 20 technicians, so there’s usually someone who has seen a similar problem before.

The best thing about working in a team is being able to talk things through. Sometimes I might be stuck on a problem and just having a quick conversation with someone can point me in the right direction.

It might only take a couple of minutes, but someone might say have you tried this or looked at that. That can be enough to get me back on track.
It’s reassuring knowing you’re not on your own when you’re dealing with tricky problems.

My favourite piece of equipment

My favourite piece of equipment is the diagnostic tester we use on the cars. It’s a device a bit like a tough tablet that plugs into the car through something called an OBD socket.

Every modern car has one of these sockets so technicians can connect diagnostic tools. Once it’s plugged in, the tester reads all the electronic systems in the car and shows me any faults that have been recorded.

Modern cars have lots of control units – small computers that manage things like the engine, brakes and safety systems. The tester helps me see which system might have a problem and gives me a starting point for diagnosing the issue.

What I like to do in my spare time

Most of my spare time now is spent with my family. I have two children, so they keep me very busy!

I’m also a big football fan and support Leeds United. When I was younger, I played football quite a lot and was part of the school team as well as a team outside school. These days, I don’t play as much, but I’ve taken up golf instead and usually play at the weekend when I get the chance.

Between golf and family life there’s not much spare time left, but I enjoy it.

My school days

At school, I enjoyed spending time with friends and playing football. Most days after school I’d go home for tea and then meet my mates or play games online with them.

I didn’t really know what career I wanted back then. Some of my friends had a clear plan, but I didn’t. Looking back, that’s completely normal. I only realised I enjoyed this type of work after I started my apprenticeship. Sometimes you don’t know what you’ll like until you actually try it.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

One of the proudest moments in my career so far was achieving my Gold Technician qualification. At Porsche, the technician levels are bronze, silver and gold. Gold is the highest level, similar to what other brands call a master technician.

I passed my gold qualification near the end of last year. It felt like a big achievement because I started here as an apprentice and worked my way up to the highest technical level in the workshop. It showed how far I’d come since starting the job.

A surprising fact about my job

One surprising thing about the job is how complex modern cars are. There are so many electronic systems and control units working together that diagnosing faults can sometimes feel like solving a puzzle.

Electric vehicles add another layer of complexity. Some of the systems I work on run at very high voltage, which means you need special training and protective equipment to work on them safely. It’s very different from the older cars people might imagine mechanics working on.

The next steps in my career journey

For now, I’m happy continuing in my current role and developing my skills further. I recently completed my gold technician qualification, so I want to keep building experience at that level and continue learning about new technology.

Cars are changing quickly, especially with electric vehicles, so there are always new systems and products to train on.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Don’t worry too much about making the perfect choices at school. When I was younger, I thought the subjects I chose would decide my whole future, but that’s not really the case. You can always change direction later.

My advice would be to try different things and see what you enjoy. If something doesn’t work out, that’s fine – it just helps you figure out what you actually like doing.