Joseph Mille is an automotive technician and craftsman based in Massachusetts, USA. With over a decade of professional experience working on Subaru vehicles—including complex diagnostics and full system repairs—Joseph is a certified expert who built his career from the ground up. Starting at age 15 with small jobs and working through high school and beyond, he developed his work ethic early. After attending Universal Technical Institute (UTI), he joined Clay Subaru of Norwood, where he advanced through every level of the garage.
But Joseph’s skills don’t end with cars. In his free time, he experiments with aluminum casting, woodworking, and carbon fiber fabrication, driven by a passion for creating with his hands. Now in transition, Joseph is exploring new career opportunities that allow him to build, fix, and create in new ways. His story reflects resilience, adaptability, and a strong belief in the power of hands-on work.
What made you want to become a mechanic and work with your hands in the first place?
It wasn’t one specific moment. I didn’t wake up one day and decide, “I’m going to be a mechanic.” It happened gradually, starting when I was a teenager. I was working jobs like washing dishes and stocking shelves, but it wasn’t until I started working in a tire shop that I realized I had a feel for mechanical work.
I liked being able to take something broken and make it work again. Fixing things is straightforward. It gives you feedback right away—you know when you’ve done a good job. That’s something I never got from other types of work. I don’t like sitting around. I want to be moving, thinking, using tools, solving problems.
What was the biggest challenge in your career and how did you overcome it?
The hardest part was getting started and moving up in the industry. When I first got to Massachusetts, I was working at a deli while taking classes at UTI. Money was tight, and my schedule was packed. I knew I had to stick with it even when it didn’t seem like there was a clear path forward.
After I graduated, I took a job at a national tire and battery chain, but it didn’t challenge me enough. I wasn’t learning. I realized that if I stayed there, I’d stagnate. So I pushed hard to get my foot in the door at a Subaru dealership. I started at the bottom again—sweeping floors, doing oil changes—but I showed up every day, stayed curious, and kept asking questions. That persistence is what got me promoted and trained to handle more complex systems.
You’ve worked on Subaru vehicles for more than a decade. Why Subaru?
Subarus are smart cars. The engineering is consistent, but also a little quirky, and once you understand how they’re built, the logic behind the design makes sense. They’re practical, durable, and designed to be worked on.
What kept me interested for over 11 years was the variety. Even if you’re working on the same make every day, the problems are different. Diagnostics never feel repetitive because every case is a puzzle. And Subaru of New England offered great training, so I kept building on my knowledge.
Now that you’re open to a career shift, what are you looking for?
I still want to work with my hands. That hasn’t changed. What I’m looking for now is a new way to use my skills. I’ve always been interested in metalworking, construction, and woodworking, and I’ve already started experimenting with those in my spare time.
For example, I’ve been melting down aluminum and casting it into molds. It’s messy, unpredictable, and takes patience—but I love it. There’s something very real and raw about taking scrap metal and turning it into something functional.
I’m also interested in learning more about fabrication and building—maybe residential construction or fine woodworking. I’m not afraid of starting over. If there’s a company willing to train someone who’s motivated and dependable, I’m ready to dive in.
Turning Scrap Metal into Art: How I Got Started with Welding and Small Fabrication Projects
What do you think today’s world is missing when it comes to hands-on trades?
Respect. That’s the biggest thing. Somewhere along the way, we started telling kids that working with your hands is a fallback, not a goal. But we still need cars fixed, homes built, plumbing installed, machines maintained. We rely on these services, but we don’t put enough value on the people doing the work.
There’s also this idea that everything should be automated, smart, or app-controlled. I like tech—I’m not against it—but there’s still value in understanding how things actually work. If you can’t fix something without calling someone or replacing it, you’re dependent on systems that can fail.
Hands-on skills give you independence. That matters.
How do you stay sharp and keep learning outside of formal training?
YouTube has been a huge tool for me. I don’t use it for entertainment—I use it to learn. If I’m casting metal and I’m not getting the pour right, I’ll watch how someone else does it. If I’m curious about how to build a jig for woodworking, I’ll find a tutorial.
But more than that, I just keep trying things. I experiment in my garage. I fail a lot. But every time I mess something up, I learn how to do it better next time.
Is there a particular project that you’re most proud of?
There was a carbon fiber ring I made from scratch. It sounds simple, but getting the material to cooperate took some effort. Carbon fiber has its own personality—lightweight, but rigid, and it doesn’t forgive mistakes.
I shaped it, polished it, and gave it to someone close to me. That project had zero monetary value, but the satisfaction of making it with my own two hands from raw material meant more than anything I ever bought in a store.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar path?
Start small and don’t wait until you feel ready. If you want to fix cars, get a basic toolkit and start learning. Change your own oil. Replace your own brake pads. Mess up. Learn.
And don’t be embarrassed to start at the bottom. Every skill takes time to build. When I first walked into that Subaru dealership, I was doing grunt work. But I did it well, showed up every day, and made it clear that I wanted to learn. That’s how you earn people’s respect.
What keeps you motivated?
Knowing that there’s always more to learn. That’s what drives me. Whether it’s mastering diagnostics or figuring out how to weld, I’m motivated by progress. I don’t like sitting still, and I don’t like feeling like I’ve peaked.
As long as I’m working toward something new—learning a process, improving a skill, building something better than before—I’m good.
How do you define success?
To me, success is waking up and knowing that I’m doing something meaningful with my time. I don’t need to make a ton of money or have a fancy job title. I need to feel like I’m building something real, solving problems, and improving every day.
That’s the mindset I’ve always had. That’s how I’ll keep moving forward, whether I’m under the hood of a car, behind a welding torch, or framing a new wall.
Key Takeaways from Joseph Mille’s Inspirey Q&A
– Persistence builds careers. Joseph started with entry-level jobs but advanced through curiosity, consistency, and a strong work ethic.
– Hands-on work creates independence and purpose. From vehicle repair to metal casting, working with your hands helps build real-world understanding and confidence.
– Success isn’t about titles—it’s about meaningful work. For Joseph, satisfaction comes from creating, learning, and improving something every day.
For those considering a career in skilled trades or looking for new ways to create with their hands, Joseph Mille’s story is proof that craftsmanship still has power, and real work still matters.