Irma Elder, owner of Elder Automotive Group in Troy, Mich.
	Irma Elder Turned Heads and Built an Empire Irma Elder knows a thing or two about the car sales business. She's been in it for 23 years. Irma never planned to sell cars, but when her husband died suddenly in 1983, she took over his Ford dealership and learned on the job. "It caused a lot of heads to turn," she says, "but I stuck to my guns." Today Elder Automotive includes five dealerships with a number of women sales people and managers. As a result, Irma is one of the highest ranking women in Working Woman magazine's top 500 women in the country. "I think women belong in this business," Irma notes. "Women in the sales department are wonderful. They're very nurturing and we believe very strongly that if you take good care of customers, they will bring you others. That's how we built this business." Irma's advice for young women: "Learn as much as you can about the auto business. Start as an assistant to the salespeople. Maybe drive a customer. Pick up the paperwork. Irma adds, "You can get a job in sales without a college degree, but you'll be better off with one. I think a college education is very important because it doesn't just train you for a specific job, it polishes you. People in management have college degrees, so take care of your education."

Car Dealerships: Busy Hubs of Activity with Lots of Opportunities for Women

When you think about a car dealership, chances are, the first image in your head is of a guy with a bad comb-over in a polyester suit, kicking the tires while customers back away in disgust. That's the image you see in all the movies, right? Well, there's a little truth to that cliché, but the industry is changing.

Women influence 81 percent of new vehicle purchases today and the fact is, women like buying cars from other women. That means most dealerships are actively recruiting women to work in sales. Plus, there are dozens of jobs in every dealership that have nothing to do with sales, so if you love cars, there is probably a career there for you.

Women often make great salespeople because they listen to customers and pay attention to what they need. According to a 2005 market study with "mystery shoppers," saleswomen are less likely to ignore female customers or to ask them if their boyfriend or husband is helping to pay for the purchase. That said, most car salespeople are still men and a few of them have "old school" attitudes about women on the showroom floor. But if you're ready to compete with the best of them, go for it! The hours are long, but the pay can be fantastic – if you're good.

Many dealerships offer one or two-week sales training programs, but most of your "education" will be on the job. This is a case where it really pays to be self-motivated to learn as much as you can – about both cars and people. Most sales people only get paid when they sell a car – they don't get paid by the hour. The more you know, the more you can help people make good buying decisions – which will make customers want to buy from you.

Knowing about how loans and financing work would be smart too. When it's your job to help people to figure out how they are going to pay for a $24,000 vehicle, you need good math skills!

To sell parts or work in the service department of a car dealership, you will need more technical knowledge about cars and trucks. See our article, You can help keep America moving, for more information about these careers.

Dealerships are big business, so they also need secretaries, receptionists, billing clerks, accountants, cashiers, human resources specialists, office managers and department managers. If you love cars and want to break into the industry without any training, you may be able to land a job as a receptionist or secretary with just a high school diploma. Of course, even then you must have good skills in math, English and computers. To get a job in another area, such as accounting or human resources, you will need specialized training or a college degree.

Of course, almost everyone at a dealership lives, eats and breathes cars all day long. If you love that new car smell, you live for the moment you can hit zero to sixty in under 10 seconds, and you can "talk shop" about all the latest and greatest in the world of cars, you know where to steer for a fast-paced career!