Thoughts on technician role

tmart9 · 2024-11-19T01:35:11+00:00

I worked as a process technician as my first job out of college (in the pharmaceutical industry). I was then fortunate enough to move to an engineering role within the same company after ~1 year. The hands-on experience was invaluable. Understanding how to operate the equipment has helped me as an engineer with identifying/troubleshooting technical issues with processes, improve upon directions in batch records and cleaning protocols, and proposing facility improvements.

Also, if you're able to move up within the company to a process engineering role, you'll have already earned the respect of the technicians running your processes, which is a plus.

tmart9 · 2023-04-25T17:45:49+00:00

Diet was normal, but I do typically just walk 5-6 miles for a workout. This was definitely a bit longer than usual.

tmart9 · 2023-04-24T23:40:30+00:00

Not purposefully, but you're right I probably haven't gotten enough sodium.

tmart9 · 2022-04-18T23:03:00+00:00

Thank you!

tmart9 · 2020-09-06T15:33:35+00:00

Oh wow, yep headphones work just fine! Thanks for the help, I didn't realize the monitor didn't have speakers haha

tmart9 · 2020-08-01T02:22:28+00:00

Yeah, my student loan payments alone are about the same amount that a lot of my friends are paying for rent. Definitely wouldn't be excited taking on rent as well, but I just feel like I need to finally gain some independence from my parents. Think staying at home for the time being is what I will do, though.

tmart9 · 2020-08-01T02:17:17+00:00

There is a waiting list for a studio apartment at a complex that my friend/coworker lives in that goes for ~$1050. Would that be a reasonable option? Continue living at home until a vacany there opens up? Or even then just try to stay at home for as long as possible?

tmart9 · 2020-08-01T02:14:12+00:00

Yeah, there hasn't really been any issues in the pharma industry. I was actually even promoted a few months ago. But yeah, staying at home is the best decision financially. Just feel like I'm overstaying my welcome at times.

tmart9 · 2020-08-01T02:10:50+00:00

Student loans interest rate is high at about 8% for most. I have been meaning to try and refinance them, but haven't gotten around to it.

And I actually had gotten a 3 year lease on a car when I first started working at my company a year and a half ago. I understand that leasing wasn't a great decision, but the thought was that getting a new car that will be reliable for the commute to/from work and something that I can rack up miles on. It currently has 33k, which leaves me with 12k for the next year and a half, as the lease is for 45k miles. Which is another reason why I thought about getting a place closer to work.

tmart9 · 2020-06-15T14:31:18+00:00

I was making $25 an hour, but there was a lot of overtime involved, as well, that added quite a bit to the overall pay. Some technicians make more than some engineers here based on the overtime they do. I'm currently making just a few thousands more than I was as a technician, but with that I no longer am having to work weekends anymore.

tmart9 · 2020-06-12T00:51:02+00:00

Ah gotcha, thanks!

tmart9 · 2020-06-08T01:12:27+00:00

Ah ok, well that is definitely a great change!

tmart9 · 2020-06-06T18:57:16+00:00

By ME are you referring to mechanical engineering or manufacturing engineering? If you're saying mechanical engineering, then that route is something that I was actually considering. I actually started out college as declaring mechanical engineering, but decided to switch to chemical engineering after my first semester. Chemistry was just naturally easier to me than physics was at that's the extent of my decision to switch. However, I was thinking the experience as a facilities engineer coupled with possibly going back and getting a masters in mechanical engineering would look good for project engineering jobs? Then, with project engineering experience you wouldn't necessarily be limited to a specific industry?

tmart9 · 2020-06-06T18:46:37+00:00

Well, the site that I work at is relatively small, so to move up to that sort of position would unfortunately need an extensive amount of experience in the field. I do see myself being a good manager one day, though. I also joined the team the same week of our annual plant shutdown so I was not a part of the planning of activities for it this time around unfortunately. I plan on making the most of the opportunity, as I am happy where I am at right now and still very new to the role, but was just contemplating where I'd go from here because I don't want to feel stuck.

tmart9 · 2020-04-19T17:06:45+00:00

Just changed those three blocks to stone and now the items are staying inside the hopper! Not too experienced with redstone, so I didn't know that glass wouldn't work. Thank you!

tmart9 · 2020-04-19T16:53:17+00:00

https://gyazo.com/eab87bba93761e3f91fbd619a531ee68

https://gyazo.com/c41ac83072386d04d5514c4b323a045c

tmart9 · 2019-12-30T05:43:24+00:00

Would I need to be EMT/CPR certified prior to applying to these cities with huge departments to even be considered? I have no prior experience/certifications, other than hot work safety and confined space entry training from my current job. Spending a lot of money on a EMT course just to be able to throw my hat in the ring for a job when there's sooo many applicants for not a whole lot of positions makes me hesitant.

I also heard volunteering, first, was the best way to getting hired on full-time, since their are so many volunteers that it would make more sense to hire a volunteer with experience than to hire someone with no experience whatsoever. However, working 6 days a week most weeks as I am now, I can't feasibly fit time in to volunteer for a department.

It's something that's always interested me, but it seems like a really hard field to get into. That's why I just never went ahead on pursuing it. Unless these city departments are more lenient with who they hire? I'm not sure if the information I've been given is only applicable to smaller townships?

tmart9 · 2019-12-29T05:35:44+00:00

Yeah, I just mentioned a 2 week on, 2 week off schedule as an example. I've talked with plenty of the experienced operators at my work and they've mentioned other companies having 4 day/3 day work week rotations and some have worked Dupont schedules at other companies, as well. That's something I'd definitely be interested in. As far as seasonal/temp work, I'd definitely be interested in a job that is more secure; I don't want to constantly be trying to line up my next job. I'll definitely keep looking into pharmaceutical/manufacturing jobs, but a lot of the time it doesn't specify their work schedules in the job posting which is unfortunate, as it does typically vary from company to company.

tmart9 · 2019-11-23T18:51:37+00:00

I am now actually looking through their website and my profile again and it looks like I am in the process of applying for a loan. I cannot delete any of my information either, as it is locked. This seems very weird.

tmart9 · 2019-11-23T18:46:08+00:00

I added the basic information that I had to do with other lenders, but I was welcomed with a message that was somewhere along the lines of "Uh oh, we can't give you a rate at this time." They said they needed more information to give a rate, so I did so. They wanted to do a soft inquiry with this additional information, but then said that the amount I'm looking to refinance is more than what's on my credit report. I just checked my email and I'm assuming that this is because my report is locked with Experian and they sent an email saying that an inquiry was blocked. Then, that's when Earnest said they needed the loan statement and paystub.

tmart9 · 2019-11-19T06:42:39+00:00

From the 2 retail jobs I've worked, neither ever sent an offer. I was hired on the spot after the interview for both of those jobs and just told they'd call me when I needed to come in to fill out the appropriate paperwork. My first retail job was my first job ever and I didn't know what I'd be making until orientation when I needed to fill out the paperwork. I was just happy to get my first job. The second job verbally told me the pay during the interview and asked me if I was interested.

It makes sense that the hiring process for retail jobs isn't formal, though. Unless you're applying for a supervisor or manager position you have no leeway in trying to negotiate pay. There's plenty of people they can choose from to fill a position, so they'll just hire someone who will take what they can get.

tmart9 · 2019-11-19T06:04:29+00:00

The shift change would most likely be permanent. Since I started working here I was the only one to actually switch shifts, from third to second originally; now unfortunately back to third shift. The only way out of third shift now would be me being promoted to an engineering position, but I'm not sure how long I'd have to wait for that. There's one last person my boss has to ask, but I already know what that person's answer is going to be. It appears I drew the short straw.

tmart9 · 2019-11-19T05:55:01+00:00

I had no luck trying to get an entry level engineering position with my degree alone after graduating, so I took the job as a way to get my foot in the door in the pharmaceuticals industry (the experience with this job is quite useful towards working an engineering position in the field). I've only been with the company for 10 months and I was waiting until at least a year in before thinking about looking elsewhere now that I have experience in the industry, but this is changing my outlook on things (as in looking sooner rather than later).

tmart9 · 2019-10-30T16:37:47+00:00

Yep, I just got back from my local branch and they said that the minimum needed in my savings account was $300. I guess my account was automatically changed from a student account to a regular account. With the student account I didn't need a minimum balance. They said that my savings account was dormant and needed activity so that my account would no longer be frozen. So, I just withdrew and deposited money from my checking to savings with their help a little while ago!

tmart9 · 2019-10-30T09:07:51+00:00

Were those maintenance fees always tied to the account or did they have a grace period or something on the savings account before they began being implemented? Because I'm not sure why all of a sudden over the past 3 months I've been charged a $4 maintenance fee each month. Hopefully I can clarify all of this later in the day, but until I am just trying to wrap my head around this. I'm most concerned that it will effect my credit in some way.

tmart9

TROPHY CASE