Practical machinist as a recruiting engine

We brought out and interviewed a young engineer this past week who contacted me from the Practical Machinist several weeks ago. A Virginia Tech engineering and physics grad who gave a technical presentation from work he had done with his present employer on a robotic surgery device.

It was a clever design that was both elegant and simple, and on the one hand, if he meant to show off his skill and talent with robotics, servos, controllers, and skills with software, it was an utter failure of a presentation. However, among the presentations that I have seen from people applying for a job here, it was by far the most sophisticated and well done mechanical designs I have seen from a kid fresh out of school that I have seen in a long time.

He did a great job with his presentation despite the long flight from the East Coast the afternoon before with delays that gave him a short night’s sleep. He had researched our company, done his homework, and knew what questions to ask about our company and generally knew what he was good at and what he wasn’t. He was comfortable in his own skin and was both humble and confident - an increasingly rare combination among recent graduates we have encountered. We hope to find a place for him that matches our needs and his talent. We have a broad array of projects that he could develop any number of skills on.

If he comes aboard, this will be the 4th hire we have made via contacts made through the Practical Machinist . . . each of which have been among the best employees I have had the privilege of working along side in my career.

At present we have need of a few more automation engineers, if you know someone who can write PLC code, program robots, and has a love for coordinated drive systems and motion control, send them our way!

Not too surprising... anyone that is spending time here is obviously engaged with their career or education on a higher level. My coworkers make fun of me for being on this site. I just chuckle to myself, if only they knew the wealth of information here. I have made a handful of excellent contacts through this site. One of the best is you friend Mr. Weeks, he has helped me out of a few jams.

motion guru, I actually pondered a position with you guys, but realized that I simply could not face the commute across the Columbia River every day from west of Portland. You have some really nifty projects!

I mention this only to reinforce that PM is getting the word out for you, and for other posters.

sfriedberg said:

motion guru, I actually pondered a position with you guys, but realized that I simply could not face the commute across the Columbia River every day from west of Portland. You have some really nifty projects!

I mention this only to reinforce that PM is getting the word out for you, and for other posters.

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My staff engineering manager lives west of Portland as his wife is a woundostomy specialist at OHSU and it makes her commute easier . . . he makes the commute early in the morning and is typically at work by 6:30 and leaves around 3:30 - 4:00 . . . It is a reverse commute compared to the masses and he doesn’t mind it at all. I would say about half of our employees come across the river and one is looking to move to Vancouver to avoid the Oregon income tax.

kustomizingkid said:

Not too surprising... anyone that is spending time here is obviously engaged with their career or education on a higher level. My coworkers make fun of me for being on this site. I just chuckle to myself, if only they knew the wealth of information here. I have made a handful of excellent contacts through this site. One of the best is you friend Mr. Weeks, he has helped me out of a few jams.

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Barry has gotten me out of a jam or two as well. We share a hobby of playing around with old GM trucks. I drove a 1950 GMC that I had fixed up to his house a few years back with my youngest son - he helped me fix a bad starter bendix on my stomp starter. A more talented Machinist, mechanic, and nicer guy you would hard pressed to meet!

kustomizingkid said:

Not too surprising... anyone that is spending time here is obviously engaged with their career or education on a higher level. My coworkers make fun of me for being on this site. I just chuckle to myself, if only they knew the wealth of information here. I have made a handful of excellent contacts through this site. One of the best is you friend Mr. Weeks, he has helped me out of a few jams.

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Mine too and I don't get it. Hey, they can enjoy doing stuff the hard/long way but I'll be on PM...

I think a lot of guys see online forums the same as the whole internet, lots of opinions and no way to know which are worthwhile.

I've learned that there is no shortage of particular opinions and practices in machining. The thing I like about PM is that it brings all of those view points together with factual data to back it up (... most of the time). So anyone with a basic understanding of the trade can get a good cross section of information.

I don't find it too tough to sort out the good advice from the trash... my personal favorite part is when you ask a ridiculously specific question and someone responds who has done exactly that. Between the member here there isn't a whole lot that someone hasn't done.

“At present we have need of a few more automation engineers, if you know someone who can write PLC code, program robots, and has a love for coordinated drive systems and motion control, send them our way!”

Bummer,
Sounds like fun, at 65 I am little too old to make big moves. Working with the FIRST Robotics kids instead.

I likely would love to work for you as a grinder hand, but I don't do that anymore...Work.

M.B. Naegle said:

I think a lot of guys see online forums the same as the whole internet, lots of opinions and no way to know which are worthwhile.

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Which is a strange reason to not visit forums because that's representative of the world as a whole.

I was a lurker on this site long before I joined in 2004. To me, it is continuing education. It's disingenuous to assume in this field that we have a combined knowledge of years of experience without having some vehicle for combining that knowledge. That is specifically what a forum does. If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

This thread reminds me of two axioms that I have heard all my life. The first is the value of networking. Your young graduate is certainly employing this.

The second is the value of group discussion of problems. Far, far too few managers take advantage of this one. Instead it is "my way or the highway" or stop wasting time and just do it. This group is an excellent, EXCELLENT example of the value of group discussion. Not only do different people have different ideas, but after exposure to the ideas of others they combine the ideas expressed and often develop a better idea than anyone in the group had or even imagined having individually. I call that win, Win, WIN!

I was once criticized by a manager for "wasting my time" for participating in an Excel group. What he did not know or even want to know was the knowledge gained from that was used many times in the course of my job to solve problems and even create spreadsheet tools that were used by others there on a daily basis. Group discussions do work. The funny thing is that same company actually paid an instructor to come in and teach their employees Excel. I sat in that class for two full days. I did pickup a couple of simple tips, but I could have taught that instructor a lot. I asked some pointed questions and he did not have a clue.

EPAIII said:

This thread reminds me of two axioms that I have heard all my life. The first is the value of networking. Your young graduate is certainly employing this.

The second is the value of group discussion of problems. Far, far too few managers take advantage of this one. Instead it is "my way or the highway" or stop wasting time and just do it. This group is an excellent, EXCELLENT example of the value of group discussion. Not only do different people have different ideas, but after exposure to the ideas of others they combine the ideas expressed and often develop a better idea than anyone in the group had or even imagined having individually. I call that win, Win, WIN!

I was once criticized by a manager for "wasting my time" for participating in an Excel group. What he did not know or even want to know was the knowledge gained from that was used many times in the course of my job to solve problems and even create spreadsheet tools that were used by others there on a daily basis. Group discussions do work. The funny thing is that same company actually paid an instructor to come in and teach their employees Excel. I sat in that class for two full days. I did pickup a couple of simple tips, but I could have taught that instructor a lot. I asked some pointed questions and he did not have a clue.

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I've been to some courses like that. If the instructor will take the time to listen and discuss your methods it's awesome, more often they scoff at the students and proceed down some unnecessary path.

The forum is a good place to learn, vent, compare notes, and BS.

I actually got my job in AZ by comparing notes and chatting with a forum member.

There used to be several members out here at the mine, but they've since moved or stopped participating.

What I like about this forum the riffraff wannabes don’t last very long here.