Brandon Cook
Company: Chrysler LLC
Position: Technical Trainer
What do you love the most about the Automotive Technology Program at SIU?
What I loved most about the automotive program at SIU was the knowledge and experience of the instructors that I had the pleasure to learn from. Coming into the program I had enough knowledge of cars to put gas in the tank and probably change a tire. The instructors showed great patience and did not make me feel like I couldn’t learn the material. After years of hard work in the program, I am now a technical instructor for Chrysler LLC.
How has the Automotive Technology Program prepared you for what you do?
The automotive program has helped prepare me for this role because I can take some of the non-technical attributes from my past instructors and use them to help me become a better instructor in the field. The technical knowledge that I gained helps me to better explain key concepts to my students today.
Give us a snap shot of what you do everyday.
As a technical instructor my primary responsibilities include prepping my class weekly for the courses that I am teaching that week. Make sure the technicians comprehend all objectives necessary to past their post tests and to do their daily jobs more efficiently. I am also the vehicle coordinator and publications manager for my training center. I am responsible for the vehicles in both the Memphis and New Orleans training centers. I have to maintain an adequate amount of training material for all instructors in the training center to teach the classes that are on their schedules each quarter.
Any advice for current and future students?
My advice to current and future students would be to take every bit information that you can get both technical and non-technical alike and not to dismiss any information that you may receive from the faculty and staff. There was so much non-technical information that I was personally able to use and help build me into a better professional.