PDR as a Career Choice 

We are in the middle of the pandemic and it's an uncertain time. I’ve heard a lot about job losses and I've had a couple of inquiries from those who have lost their job. Most of them have been interested in PDR over the last few years but wondered if PDR would be a good career choice.

So, in the video above, I gave my opinion on it from my own experience. I love PDR and I got hooked to it when I worked in a body shop. There was this dent guy who came in to take out some little dents which disappeared in Minutes. I was always fascinated by the process and it hooked me into learning PDR and then starting my own business.

PDR, as a Brilliant Trade

 There are a lot of dent guys, I’ve seen a lot online and there's a huge amount of levels you can get in PDR depending on your goals. Paintless Dent Removal is a brilliant trade. It’s a good kind of craft and skill to have. It’s a very good industry to be in as there's a lot of good people that have a nice kind of community. It’s also a good kind of career choice but you need to be aware that it's not an overnight money maker.

PDR is a Learning Process

 Paintless Dent Removal, like most skilled trades and skilled jobs, means undergoing a learning process. In PDR there are some people who sort of don’t succeed because it really takes some time learning the skill. This is why I do PDR training myself online and I'd say that our kind of membership lays out a step-by-step process.

PDR Requires Commitment

Learning PDR depends as well on your own kind of commitment to work. We layout a 12-month plan, a 12-month structure that begins from being a complete novice. Someone who has never picked up tools or worked on cars in any aspect at all. It depends on how much time you have to practice and how much you can invest in certain tools. It will take 6 to 12 months of practice to successfully remove everyday door dents to a high standard.

What you need to start earning money and have a PDR career would be 6 to 12 months. It depends on how much you have practiced. Determination and motivation is what you need to learn the basics and get yourself to a higher level. This is where you can repair dents to a high standard and get paid. PDR as a career or a business means learning a whole load of skills using the right tools and techniques.

Building a PDR Business

Running a PDR business depends on your choice to work for a company or start your own business. So it will take 1 and 3 years to successfully remove dents and run a PDR business.

PDR business means being good at fixing dents and having potential customers. Queries can be through email, phone, or social media platforms. In my opinion, it takes six to twelve months to develop hard skills. This is where you can remove everyday door dents. Potentially it will take 2 to 3 years to take on more complex repairs while building your arsenal of tools.

Achieving a Higher Standard of PDR Skills

It takes around 2 to 3 year period to move on to more complex repairs of medium and large dents. This is the same period when you can pick up and progress on the development of your PDR skills. It’s going to take that long to start to get the foundation for your business.

Launching, growing & building a successful PDR business is not an overnight money maker. I hope this will lay out a rough timeline from zero. You will then get to a level where you can successfully remove dents to a high standard.

I enjoy the process of PDR myself and engaging in PDR business that fits your personal lifestyle. It's down to you as an individual if you want to be employed or if you want to run your own company. You can have different technicians but the most important thing is to hone your skills. Develop practical skills to get up to a very high standard in dent removal.

PDR Career Path

And whilst we're learning that process we lay out in our PDR training we have what we call the PDR path. We have the kind of hard skills and practical skills in PDR. We need to understand the tool as well as the different techniques. Alongside that, we start slowly building up your business from the ground up. This includes choosing to build your websites and marketing on social media platforms. 

PDR Soft Skills

Understanding marketing strategies and building up your customer database is important to learn. This is important to learn with the PDR practical skills. Having a think about the business side of PDR helps you to achieve your goals. It also depends on how quickly you pick up the skills and how much time you've got to put into it.