Career Changes - O.T.

DJM

Member
Join Date
Aug 2006
Location
Georgia
Posts
111
I just want to put this out there. Read it if you like, comment if you like and thanks in advance for the sounding board.



I’ve been in the same job for the last 14 years and generally, in the same trade for the last 33 years. I am technical by trade; electrical, engineering, instrumentation, programming, process and mechanical. Through the years, I have been compelled to teach for one reason or another. The teaching began back in the eighties when my “then” father-in-law; an electronics instructor for the local Tech School; convinced me to take on a part time instructor position. I was dubious to begin with, but once I adjusted from “doing” to “teaching”, I began to enjoy the reward of seeing the ‘light of understanding’ come over my students. I taught part time for about four years until career demands began to crowd my time to the point that I couldn’t continue. For years after that, people that I met on the street and sometimes barely recognized, would introduce me as their “teacher”. Some of these young people are now successful engineers. It was nice.



In the last 14 years, I’ve been working for various maintenance contractors at the same facility. In my time here, I’ve worked for three companies, but my position and responsibilities haven’t changed. In addition to being required to troubleshoot and repair problems as they arise, coordinate and install new processes, correct programming “bugs” or add enhancements (could be the same thing!); I also had to set up a training program in my “spare” time. I’ve enjoyed my involvement in the training program here, but my department will never let me be “just” the trainer. This makes it difficult to take on full time trainer responsibilities here. It’s just too easy to call me back over to my old area for a “consultation”.



My most recent employer took over the contract here last September. Things haven’t gone well under this latest banner, so I began to search for another employer.



Now to the present: My job search has yielded two possibilities and interestingly enough, they are both training related. One of them would be teaching full time at a Technical College and the other is a training director position at another manufacturing plant. I’ve been told on several occasions that I should be a “teacher”. I don’t know if it’s true, but at age 51, I’m finding it difficult to make career changes. I also know that teaching (full time) will be very different from what I’ve done up to now.



Here’s my question: Has anyone here made a similar move and how did it go for you?
 
I've dabbled in instruction and actually found it quite a challange. This fall I'm going to a Robotics Team coach for about 9 kids. I've got 10 weeks to prepair and am already daunted by everything I have to do between now & then.

Good luck with it... Wish me luck too...
 
Who needs boredom?

Good luck, Mike! Keep us updated as to how it's going and what's involved, as I've considered it also.

Can traffic lights be installed on a robot?


Mike
 
I'll tell ya what you can do, put a police officer's cap on him, and have the robot direct traffic!

Sorry I have no advice for ya DJM. I am not a good teacher. Fortunately though, I am a first class student.

All I can do is bump the thread again so someone else might notice it.


-jeff
 
Greetings DJM ...



just a couple of quick thoughts ... you said:



One of them would be teaching full time at a
Technical College ...




been there - done that ... not sure how your Technical College views things like grading and graduating - but before you dive into the deep end of the pool, check and find out how they feel about students like “Little Johnnie” who:



(a) only show up for class once or twice a semester ...

(b) turn in little or no original work ...

(c) fail each and every test ...

(d) tell you to your face that they’re “just here because the government is paying them to be here” ...

(e) and so on and on ...



quick question: how are you going to feel if the school tells you that all the “Little Johnnies” absolutely have to pass your courses and graduate - in spite of everything listed above? ...



now if you’re anything like me, then stuff like that doesn’t sit too well ... on the other hand, some people can rationalize the situation and say something like “take care of the students who DO care” and just “ignore the ones who don’t” ...



and joy of joys: possibly (hopefully!) your TechnicalCollege has a much better policy about how they grade and graduate students ...



and the other is a training director position at another manufacturing plant.



if you haven’t already done so, make sure that the job you’re interested in does indeed include “teaching” as part of your regular duties ... some of the “training directors” that I deal with (especially in the LARGER plants) never get involved in actually teaching students ... instead they’re generally assigned to keeping up with stuff like “who’s been to Safety 101 - and who’s been to PLC Level 2” ... in a few cases it’s little more than checking off the proper squares on a big spreadsheet - and lining up contractors to do the actual training ...



finally ... I know exactly what you mean by the “nice” feeling of helping someone along the way ... I often tell people (and I really mean it) if I were to win the lottery, I’d STILL keep right on teaching ... if you really WANT to do it, then nothing else is going to make you happy ... I suggest that you find a way to make it happen ... maybe one of the two jobs you mentioned above is the “right” way ... maybe not ... but trust me, there is PLENTY of ignorance out there ... hopefully you can find a way to get paid for helping to stamp it out ...
 
Last edited:
Ron and All,

Thanks for the replies. I have been interviewing and hiring Tech School grads for many years. I ask simple "ohms law" questions and more than half the time (way more) I get something like "I had that way back in the first quarter.. I don't remember!"

Those interviews have a predictable outcome. I believe that when someone goes to school it is a two way agreement. I (as a student) agree that I will give my best effort to learn the subject at hand and the school agrees, even promises to provide relevant study material and provide me with the skills I need to survive and compete in my chosen field. To just "pass" little Johnnie violates that promise, in both directions. If I believe I will be placed in this position, I will decline the job. If it becomes apparent later, I will find another way to make a living. The diploma should have meaning and because of practices like this, Tech School diplomas have lost theirs.

I certainly know of schools here in Ga where this practice prevails, but at least for the moment, it doesn't seem to be a statewide mandate. Heaven help us if it is!

Thanks again!
 
DJM

I taught for a while. I had young students that never learned the work ethic. I also had adults that were motivated and a delight. I would teach that group for free.

It was a county community college so politics prevailed. They hired a well connected PHD guy to be president. Problem was his education was in biology. It folded quickly. If you are used to 20or 30 years of relativly rational decisions you may have a problem fitting in at one of these places.
The folks that have credentials to lead an educational institution are not what we are used to. They have never been held accountable for monthly (or weekly) shipments like the world that is paying the bill.
If you are able to ignore the politics and find a place where you are supported you will find that it is the most satisfying job that you have ever had.
If you are serious email me and I will give you some names of people that know who you should contact.
Good luck
 
My partner where I work now worked for Merck until he retired. Then after he retired he came to work at our current employer part time, he is also an instructor at a college part time. When I see him on Wed i will ask him what his thoughts are and will have him post here. But I know he likes doing the instuction and he made the change after he retired so he was older.



croakus said:
Good luck, Mike! Keep us updated as to how it's going and what's involved, as I've considered it also.

Can traffic lights be installed on a robot?


Mike
 
Are benefits important to you? Maybe the plant will have better pay and bennies than the school. I know you like to teach but think of your family, finances and retirement.
 
I got in to instruction in the Navy. I taught at the Basic Electricity and Electronics school in San Diego. It was full of students wanting an education. I totally enjoyed that experience.

After I left the Navy, I was given an opportunity to get into the training dept of a private company. I occasionally run into folks that were in a class I taught. I was laid off but scored a job at the local technical college. That was great the first year and a half. Then they decided we had too high of a drop out rate. It did not matter that several local employers lined up to hire our students. We actually had several hiring them in the 7th and 8th qtr. It got old real fast being told "I want an A or I will quit". I would point to the door and say don't let it hit you in the back side on the way out. I left for a tech job that was also back up instructor. Been there since doing a variety of instructing on several classes. Mostll I did field work but when the plant folks found out I was also an instuctor, many impromptu classes happened. When I would be on an overseas job and there was a lull in what I could do, I would end up with one or two electricians or engineers and "familiarize" them with the system they were getting. That was and will be one of my flavorite thing to have ever done.

If you get a chance to teach were you feel you can make a difference and help those that want to learn suceed, I wish you GOD SPEED and the best of luck in your endeavor.

It is a good feeling when a former student approaches you and thanks you for teaching them.
 

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