Rental cars are a little known necessity in our world. It is not just a need for travelers anymore. Now, a person who needs a car while theirs is getting repaired seeks out this type of service. Even sometimes, a person wants a change, and will rent a day for a day or two for whatever reason. No matter the reason, this industry is important for us.

This industry provides for a lot of flexibility in hours. This can be useful for people who are looking for a second job or for college students who need to work around a class schedule. You can also find a lot of variety of positions for people within an industry like this. This means that there are openings here for people with all different talents and skill sets.

There is something for everyone here. If you are great with customers or have a knack for car repair work, there can be employment opportunities that you can find here. Some positions require a certain level of experience and education, while others do not. This means that a wide variety of people can find employment, from a college student to a person who just graduated high school.

Job Opportunities

Here are some employment opportunities that you can find within this industry:

Account Coordinator: Companies often rent out cars for their employees when they are travelling for them. The account coordinator is primarily responsible for managing these business accounts. The coordinator is responsible for receiving payment from businesses that use their services, and resolving any past due bill. They send receipts to clients as requested and must work to resolve any issues they might have with billing. They are tasked with sending out notices if an account is suspended due to not paying the account on time. They must attend weekly meetings about collections and other issues that might arise in this field. If there is a problem, the coordinator should report to the supervisor immediately and explain the situation so they can come up with a solution that pleases all parties involved. A bachelor’s degree in accounting or another related field is preferred for this job. They should be computer literate, and type quickly and efficiently. The hourly pay for a position like this is $16.

Automotive Technician: Like most industries, this one realizes that employing their own technician is more cost effective than going to an outside company for services. The automotive technician is in charge of preventative maintenance and repairs. They must complete all preventative maintenance according to the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure the cars are functioning well and to lengthen their lifespan. They must also complete repairs as necessary, in a quick manner to get the car back on the road as soon as possible. Such repairs include brakes, suspension, tires, onboard computer diagnosis and drivability. They must do repairs according to company policy. The technician must make sure that their area is cleaned and organized for the safety of people in the service area. To be a technician, you must have at least a high school diploma. They need a valid driver’s license in their state of operation. The technician must have at least 2 years of experience in a technical school and experience in the workforce.  They should have all certifications related to their field, or a desire to work towards all of them. A technician can earn around $16.50 per hour.

Customer Service Associate: These are the people who you see when you first enter into the rental facility. They will greet the customers in a warm and friendly manner. They will need to give driving directions to customers who are unfamiliar with the area. The associate will handle customer check-ins for the cars, as well as walk in customers looking to rent a car. They will try to sell additional services to customers. When a car is returned, the associate will inspect the car to ensure it was returned in the similar condition as it was rented. They process kiosk transactions. They handle phone calls, including quoting prices for services. This means that they must have excellent knowledge of the products and services so that they can properly quote the right price for their client. The associate receives payment for the products. They should do these tasks, in addition to company specific requirements for this position. A high school diploma or equivalent is required for a position like this. The associate needs to have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record. The average hourly pay is around $10-$15.

Call Center Sales/Reservations: Often times, a position like this might take place at home. Sometimes this position requires you to work in a cubicle in a call center. Wherever your work is located, the responsibility of the job remains the same. They need to handle all incoming phone calls in an efficient manner, while maintaining the level of professionalism that the company mandates. A person in this position needs to have excellent customer service skills and be able to multitask. They often will make reservation rental for customers, as well as often handling other customer service responsibility. They must have knowledge of products and services to correctly quote them to their customers. This associate needs to have excellent computer skills, and be able to do data entry tasks quickly but correctly. There is no educational requirement for this position. If you choose a work from home option, you must be sure that you meet all technological requirements. This position can earn around $12 per hour.

Job Outlook

The job outlook in this industry is around 11%. This is right on track with the national average across all other industries. The reason for this is most likely attributed to the high turnover rate in most of these entry level positions. As people gain valuable work experience here, they often move onto other careers.