So you have a license! You’ve made it through the clinic, paid your dues and received the little piece of paper in the mail. Now what? Can you do anything with it? Can you make it better? These are questions that we get quite often and the answers are not cut and dry. The general response is that one gets from it what they put into it.
Yes, the more you use it the more benefits you can get from it. There are some specific benefits to your license but lets go over ways to use that little piece of paper to gain additional experience and move up the ladder. Before reading deeper, you should be familiar with the category descriptions and requirements. Once you know what is needed to upgrade, you can make a better decision on which direction to head.
Let’s start at the local level and progress from there. Have you contacted the local cycling clubs? They each participate in the promotion of cycling events and are in need of mechanical support. Some clubs also have training rides and club programs that could use your assistance.
From there you could contact the District Representative and let them know you are available to work. You might also want to contact regional coaches and check on dates for the regional camps.
Another good source is our list of tech programs. This list includes both regional and corporate programs. Let them know what weekends you are available to work and you might end up working a National level event far from home. The contacts made here could eventually lead to a job with a big team.
Once you’ve placed a few events under your belt you will need to submit an upgrade form to USA Cycling. That information will help the federation’s consideration for an upgrade. An upgraded license might not have any immediate benefits, but it is proof of your experience and may help when you start looking for that pay raise. Who knows, maybe some day there will be more benefits for higher licensed mechanics.