How to Become a Car YouTuber

I'm Alanis King. I review and test drive cars for a living, and the biggest question I get on a regular basis is: How did you get your job, what kind of car-related job opportunities are out there, and do you have any tips for me? I try to answer people as much as I can, but I figured it was time to make a whole video about it. I hope it helps you envision a future for yourself or others. I’ve been in the automotive industry for more than 10 years, and I started working full-time in it before I graduated from college. I was literally a student doing class projects at night after work. I currently work full-time for Motor1 and the Motorsport Network. I’ve had other full-time jobs at Doug DeMuro's Cars & Bids, Business Insider, and Jalopnik, and I’ve freelanced for companies like Donut Media, Road & Track Magazine, Autoweek, ESPN, Top Gear, and more. I also run this YouTube channel, where I make videos reviewing cars, going to racing events, and talking about the industry. I’ve got a new series on here called Crash Course, where I take you on deep-dives and tutorials about those topics. I get so many comments, messages, and emails about how I got into the automotive media industry and what tips I have for others, so I figured I’d give an in-depth answer. Reviewing cars is a real job where you get paid real money, even if it seems like just a dream for car enthusiasts! This video goes over how I got into the car industry, what skills and training you need to do this (and how to leverage and monetize those skills), how networking works and how it benefits you, how to build your personal online brand, and what a "dream job" really is. Car reviewing alone requires all kinds of skills. It's not just about reading off top-level specs and information sheets; it's about diving into the history of the car and its context in the marketplace, and also giving your commentary on its driving impressions. In a car review, you're the expert (and if you're not the expert, the comments will tell you). Some people watch the review for fun, and others watch it because they're on the way to the dealership to look at the car. You have to serve all of those people. You need to be able to vlog, podcast, or have series of shows — on your channel or someone else's — and either you or someone you work with needs shooting, editing, and equipment skills. On my channel, I review all kinds of cars: supercars, performance cars, sports cars, hot hatches, SUVs, trucks, minivans, and compact cars. It's everything from expensive cars to cheap ones, but it's usually the latest model of all of them. I'll get out of a Rolls-Royce Ghost one day and into a Nissan Kicks the next. Every vehicle matters, and driving/talking about them all gives you a framework through which to judge the others. There are tons of famous car reviewers on YouTube, and I've worked for and with some. I've actually worked from home my entire career (before WFH became a normal thing, at least in the United States), and I've been "based" in both New York and California for different full-time jobs. Reviewing cars is one of those jobs that can be done from home, and I love it that way. There aren't as many female car reviewers online, and being that blonde woman who gets in car trunks can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for me. I find that people can sometimes more critical of women (and their appearance), but it also makes me different, which is important online. There are tons of lists out there about the best jobs for car enthusiasts, and maybe your future job is on there. Hopefully this video helps you get to that job — and remember, no matter what you do with your life, you are always more than your job. Just enjoy yourself. Thanks for watching my YouTube channel. Enjoy the video! #cars #trucks #suvs #automotive #carreview #carreviews #alanisking FOLLOW ME: Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanisnking Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanisnking/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alanisnking Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alanisnking.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alanisnking Website: alanisnking.com FOLLOW MY UPCOMING MOTORSPORTS PODCAST, 36 QUESTIONS WITH ALANIS KING: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeIuI8Ey1kVYzmXe6JCLeTw USE CODE ALANIS24 FOR 15% OFF YOUR HOMEFIELD APPAREL ORDER: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/ USE CODE ALANIS FOR 15% OFF YOUR APEX COFFEE ORDER: https://www.apexcoffeeroasters.com CHECK OUT MY SHORTS CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@AlanisKingShorts/shorts WORK WITH ME: workwithalanis@gmail.com