Wana Meet Steve Smith?

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STC
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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

I will always help if I can ,but if I cant il keep it zipped .
Me too, I will gladly and go out of my way to help and support anyone that
1. Will take & appreciate the help.
2. Can be seen to be helping themselves, making a good effort, investing in tooling ...
3. Can possibly return the favour one day.

Most of us regulars here can spot a Lemon, Wishy Washy answers to direct questions, implausible test results that change from one post to another and then pass the buck always to a Master Tech at a Seminar - there is a pattern that can be seen to repeat it self.
I take my hat off to all the people who entered top tech . I am no where near ready to put myself on that stage but maybe one day .
We have spoken many times on the phone with technical issues, you too have been a great help to me with all things Ford, that shines through in your posts here too.

I would say that you would make a great Top Tech Candidate and are more than ready !! Go for it ! You have nothing to lose and so much to gain !

Top Tech is all about Knowledge and using a methodical procedure to find a fault - Something you do every day apart from the sneaky faults and the immense pressure.

The days out, the experience of the event, the people, the journey, the recognition and the T Shirt :D are a great thing that not many will have the pleasure of.

Along with Richard, Neil Currie is also in the final this year, a semi finalist last year and a member of this forum.

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FioranoCars
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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by FioranoCars »

STC wrote:
I take my hat off to all the people who entered top tech . I am no where near ready to put myself on that stage but maybe one day .
I would say that you would make a great Top Tech Candidate and are more than ready !! Go for it ! You have nothing to lose and so much to gain !
Top Tech is all about Knowledge and using a methodical procedure to find a fault - Something you do every day apart from the sneaky faults and the immense pressure.
The days out, the experience of the event, the people, the journey, the recognition and the T Shirt :D are a great thing that not many will have the pleasure of.
Danny and anyone else, please don't be put off from entering, my advice, just enter, nothing to loose, best yet come along to the TopTech live (i know you can't make it Danny, sorry) and see the experts, it's a great day of training.

I can honestly say I entered only due to STC's continual baiting :D and I had really hoped some of my own staff would seriously give it a go (sadly fell a little short of my expectations, had a go but not too seriously, but each to their own - i know pressuring people to do it si not always the best idea :cry: ) ... the main things I've learnt from the process of entering is simple:
1. From Apprentice to Old Fart everyone can and does need to learn, NO EXCEPTIOS and nobody can know everything - the sooner you start to enter the sooner you'll have filled some of those gaps and be comfortable answering, and spot the red hearings, they are devious judges, did I mention that! (Ian, Steve et al you know who you are! :shock: )

2. It allows a little self audit - rounds 1-3 are basically anonymous quiz, you answer multiple choice questions, you'll start to see your gaps and where your knowledge is a little lacking - it identifies a training plan if you are so minded. Excellent if you follow through. Remember it's not just product knowledge, its Health and safety, it's process and technique, and yes lots of technical understanding. BUT take it as a learning audit, then start to plug the gaps.

3. Semi-finals - you can always decline to attend if you are that shy, but if you got here, then you should be proud, you'll be in the top 10 of over 1,000 who enter each year. The event will need some advance preparation, reading all you can about all things diagnostics, technologies (High Pressure, GDI, Hybrid, Aircon, Alignment, Gearboxes - you might be thrown anything on the day, even 24v commercials!) - this in itself is great motivation and while much of the learning will be either paid training or self-provided from books or online resources (thanks to STC for lending me some Bosch training materials), it really can, if you are motivated, drive your knowledge to another level ... and to get through the day you'll need to have done loads :D :!: :!:

4. The final ... that's 2 months of sheer hell, the semi's scare you sh!tless, you see these other blokes (actually all really nice chaps but where are the gal's?) and the fact they did some things better than you, well on the outside maybe, and now you're up against the best 4 of them ... and I'm not going there to make up the numbers, I'm going to do my very best to win it ... I come from a school era where taking part was not success, only winning was!!

Ok, why 2 months, well that's the time gap between the semi's and the final and you'll be doing everything you can to learn as much as possible about all the things you realise you might be lacking in, and while they did not this year, there was rumor of a lawn mower, well last year there was a fire engine! So an intense yet rewarding blur ...

6. You get to meet a handful of other technicians at the peak of their field, 5 or 6 judges who all have huge knowledge to share, Ok, that's if you get to the semi's/final, but the whole experience has been great, thanks to Aftermarket Magazine for running it and all those behind the scenes and the Sponsors.

So Danny,,. see you next year at the Semi's ?

My one regret, not entering 4 years ago, I'd have been much better prepared, and my 2 month blur was spent dealing with too little learning due to the rest of life taking place, but hey, best foot forward and fingers crossed!

Richard

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by Dcunning35 »

Not long now Richard just wanted to wish you good look for the finals !! .
Danny

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FioranoCars
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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by FioranoCars »

Thanks, really appreciate all wishes, and butterflies returning!

Looking forward to seeing the other 4 finalists and hopefully the judges too, and of course lots of others who entered or just want to have a great learning day out on the 16th.

So proud to have made the last 5 as a finalist, and the journey has encouraged me to learn so much of a wider skills and knowledge than our daily "fleet" which in itself has been an eye opener :shock: :shock:

Enjoy your holiday, and hope to see you in the semi's next year? :D

Best
Richard

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

Congratulations to Karl Weaver & Shaun Miller. Worthy Winners I'm sure. Not forgetting the other 8 Finalists who are winners too.

Pico generously added to the prize fund this year for the two boys :D :D

If you have not participated you will have no clue as to how sneaky the judges can be when it comes to introducing faults. Believe me, they don't make it easy and the curved balls are curved :D

Getting past the First Round Online Quiz would stump all but a few so I applaud those that did get to round 2.

Top Tech Live was, as always, a great event this year and I wouldn't have missed it, the Henry Ford Academy of Excellence, the venue - A Great Facility!

The Speakers - John "Sensai" Batten - (Auto IQ), Jim Gilmour, David Massey (Frank's Son), Andy Savva, Rob Lewis (JLR Global Trainer), Steve Smith & Ben Martins from Pico .. .. ...

Previous Winners: Clive Atthowe, John Tinham, Mark Banks, Steve Smith, Matthew Eeles. Past finalists: Nigel Spalding, Nigel Yardley .. .... Some like minded people ... and an iPad drinks machine :arrow:

(None of the above in any particular order)

You had to be there really ! I enjoyed it :D

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by Dcunning35 »

Who was the mystery ford trainer ?

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STC
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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

Who was the mystery ford trainer ?
He is a Mystery :D

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by PicoKev »

Ah! But is he  a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma;? :lol: :lol:

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FioranoCars
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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by FioranoCars »

The Ford Seminar was more of a sales pitch for the RS brand, while quasi-interesting, it was not technical in the diagnostic or technology sense, sadly can't find the chaps name ... the venue was very good for the event, and indeed training generally, so a big thanks to Ford for the venue.

PS if you want a coffee get to the front of the queue as the iPad things take about 2minutes for each drink, so a 15 minute break means half the crew go without! : - (

So Danny, next year right, see you at the Semi's ? : :D :D Hope the Holiday was great, don't let next years clash :P :oops:

a "finalist" and sadly nothing more, but had a great journey, and a top bloke as winner Karl, and runner-up Shaun, along with other also ran "finalists" Kevin and Neil, all top class and hopefully new friends for life, honestly can't tell you all the value of the event for networking and meeting like minded people, even George! :? :shock: :o

Looking forward to next year, diagnostic process and training plan already taking shape!

Richard

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