This blog series intends to shatter some "manufacturing myths".  Sometimes there is a perception of manufacturing being dirty, dead-end, unskilled, monotonous and boring.The reality is, it's bright, clean, fulfilling, hi-tech, versatile and rewarding!

I had the privilege of interviewing some Zentech employees - a way of humanizing the manufacturing industry to demonstrate why you may want to consider a manufacturing career.

Cyndi - Scheduling Manager, Zentech Bloomington

Stephanie: How long have you been working at Zentech? 

Cyndi: I started 12 years ago as an SMT Operator. 

Stephanie: What else have you been doing here? 

Cyndi: I became the Lead of SMT and then eventually the supervisor and I was asked to help out with scheduling. Eventually they offered me the scheduling position. 

Stephanie: Were you working in manufacturing before? 

Cyndi: I was, but the place I worked for closed in 2008. At that point, I went back to school and got a degree to be a paralegal, actually. But I decided I didn’t like being behind a desk! 

I enjoy manufacturing, I enjoy being able to see what I accomplished at the end of the day, physically making something. 

This blog series intends to shatter some "manufacturing myths".  Sometimes there is a perception of manufacturing being dirty, dead-end, unskilled, monotonous and boring.The reality is, it's bright, clean, fulfilling, hi-tech, versatile and rewarding!

I had the privilege of interviewing some Zentech employees - a way of humanizing the manufacturing industry to demonstrate why you may want to consider a manufacturing career.

Lyndon - Production & Test Manager, Zentech Dallas

Stephanie: How long have you been at Zentech? 

Lyndon: I have been here for a year and a half. 

Stephanie: Were you in manufacturing before this, or is this new for you? 

Lyndon: I am new to manufacturing. 

Stephanie: What type of schooling did you have? 

Lyndon: I went to school for Electrical Engineering. 

Stephanie: What is your title here at Zentech? 

Lyndon: I started out as a Test Engineer and have recently been promoted to Production and Test Manager. 

Stephanie: Congrats! Have you always wanted to be an Engineer?

Lyndon: When I was little, I wanted to be a lawyer or an engineer. 

Stephanie: What school did you go to? 

Lyndon: Texas A&M. 

Stephanie: I’ve noticed the younger generation isn’t as interested in manufacturing or doesn’t realize it’s a viable career. What do you think? 

Lyndon: I think they often opt to go to school because they think they can make more money elsewhere rather than manufacturing, but the path to earning more money takes longer. 

However, what they may not realize is, in manufacturing, there’s more options, without a lot of school. You can immediately get your foot in the door and work your way up.  

And manufacturing is fun; building is fun.

Stephanie: So, to the person who may not want to or be able to afford schooling, why would you recommend manufacturing?  

Lyndon: You can make decent money right away doing full-time work and you will learn a lot very quickly and actually get hands-on experience instead of just sitting in a classroom. A lot of people gain satisfaction when you can see how a product is built from beginning to end.