Accursio Gilardi
Master Diagnostic Technician

What is your position in the industry?

I am a Master Diagnostic Technician.

Tell us about yourself. What made you decide to become a service professional?

I always loved working on cars growing up, and decided to make a career out of it.

Where/How did you get your training to get the knowledge you have today?

I attended trade school and was trained by Toyota.

How long have you worked as a service professional?

I have been a service professional for 37 years.

What role has being ASE Certified played in your journey?

Being ASE certified has allowed me to be Toyota certified and have job security. It is also something that has always made me proud because it is challenging.

What ASE Certifications do you currently hold?

I currently have A-1 through A-8. L-1, and A-9.

What are some of the top challenges you do/did face as a service professional and how do/did you overcome them?

Through the years keeping up with the advances in technology has been a challenge. When I first started [as a technician] we still had distributors and carburetors.

Do you have any advice for today’s students who might be thinking about entering the automotive industry or becoming a service professional?

Don’t be disappointed if at first it seems difficult. You will find that you learn new things all the time. There will be days that you wish you never came to work. Keep grinding and don’t stop.

What do you like most about being an automotive service professional?

Being able to know how cars work and being able to help people stay on the road so they can go to work.

Do you have any other comments you would like to share?

Working along side other techs is nice when you can assist each other with different tasks. Working together on difficult problems is fun.