S02-E12 Live at the HI-TEC Conference - 3 technicians share their story

Recorded LIVE! At the HI-TEC Conference in Salt Lake City, UT - A special episode of Talking Technicians: We welcome back Linzee, Mark and Glen from Season 2 and hear different perspectives working as a technician. Hear live questions from the audience and feel what it’s like to be part of the HI-TEC Conference.

The Talking Technicians podcast is produced by MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center, through financial support from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education grant program.

Opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the National Science Foundation.

Join the conversation. If you are a working technician or know someone who is, reach out to us at info@talkingtechnicians.org.

Links from the show:

The Micro Nano Technology Education Center (MNT-EC): https://micronanoeducation.org/

Jobs at Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/jobs/jobs-at-intel.html

MTTC at the University of New Mexico: https://mfg.unm.edu/mep-nanofab/mttc.html

University of Utah Electron Microscopy: https://cores.utah.edu/electron-microscopy/

Episode Web Page: https://micronanoeducation.org/students-parents/talking-technicians-podcast/

Transcript

Peter Kazarinoff  0:03  
From MNT-EC, recorded live at the HI-TEC Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah: This is Talking Technicians. The podcast about technicians: who they are, what they do and where they come from. I'm your host, Peter Kazarinoff. And in each episode, you'll meet a working technician and hear their story. That means real interviews with real technicians about real jobs. At the end of each episode, you'll help hear actions you can take if you want to be a technician to. In this episode, you'll hear from Mark, Linzee and Glenn. Each of our guests today has been kind enough to share their experiences previously in individual Talking Technicians podcast episodes. Today, we want to hear more about their stories, why they're so enthusiastic about working with us, and have a chance to ask each other questions as professionals at different stages in their career. So next, I'll introduce each one of our working technicians today. Linzee works at Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon outside Portland. Linzee has been part of the technician workforce for a couple years. Mark works for the University of New Mexico NanoFab facility after 20-plus years working at Intel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And Glen, our third guest, recently graduated from a microscopy program at Salt Lake Community College here in Salt Lake City, Utah, and started working as a lab tech in a nano teaching facility this spring. We're excited to share each one of these perspectives. A technician entering the workforce, a technician who has a couple years industry experience. And a technician who has been working in the industry and has a wealth of experience to share. The micro nano industry is long lasting, and has developed exponentially in the last few years. And these technicians represent that growth. So Mark, Linzee and Glenn, welcome to Talking Technicians.

Linzee  2:15  
It's an honor.

Peter Kazarinoff  2:16  
So Mark, Lindsay and Glen, what has been being a technician meant to you and your everyday life? Lindsay, would you like to start us off? What does being a technician meant to you? And what does it meant in your everyday life?

Linzee  2:33  
Being a technician means that I have the opportunity to provide for my children and make our lives a lot better. It's stable, I have opportunities. Our family is thriving right now because I am a technician.

Peter Kazarinoff  2:49  
Thank you. And Glen, as a relatively new technician, what was the first moment, he made that connection between what you learned in class at Salt Lake Community College and what you're doing now in the Nanolab?

Glen  3:03  
So that moment was when I took what I learned in lecture. And then when I sit down and an instrument, and everything starts to come together, and you feel like it's not really your first time sitting down at it, you understand what all these buttons do. And that makes it a lot easier. Because anytime you sit down and a half million dollar instrument, there's anxiety, but to know that, hey, I've got this. I've know what all this does, it really helps out and it makes it much more satisfying.

Peter Kazarinoff  3:35  
And Mark, are you ever bored with work after this time working in the micro nano industry? Do you still learn new things? And what's been the biggest learning curve in the last three to five years? What gets you excited at work, Mark?

Mark  3:49  
Bored? No. There's a lot of times when I have to do administrative stuff like paperwork and things that are not exciting. But I do really enjoy working on the equipment. I love to troubleshoot, I love a challenge. And when I complete something and I can see the result of it and see that I fix something that equipments working. Well, I get excited.

Peter Kazarinoff  4:13  
Lindsay as you've evolved in your career in the last couple years, what are some of the challenges you experienced in your life at work? And were there any aha moments working as a technician the last couple years?

Linzee  4:25  
Absolutely. So one challenge that I ran into the largest challenge was myself. I have the opportunity to move up or do pretty much whatever I want to at Intel in the tech world. But that's up to me. And I was stopping myself for a little bit because I didn't understand that. But once I did understand that and took took hold of my my training and my opportunities available. That's when I started to grow and get more good More knowledge, learn more things. And that was really the aha moment. Like I have to put my hand up and get my training taken care of myself, I have to take the initiative.

Peter Kazarinoff  5:14  
Glenn, you recently graduated from a microscopy program at Salt Lake Community College. Would you be willing to talk about that program in your work at community college?

Glen  5:23  
Yeah, so we have certificates of proficiency and nanotechnology and another one in microscopy. I had come through an a nanotechnology club, to get access to undergraduate research. That's when I was introduced to these programs. Went through those programs and fortunate for me, the guy who ran a microscopy lab went to industry and that position became available. So I was able to take all those skills that I had learned and the certificates programs, and then move right into an academic position.

Peter Kazarinoff  5:56  
Mark, you've got a wealth of experience in the micro nano industry. But you also started out going to community college, could you talk about your community college experience and how that led you to your work as a technician?

Mark  6:08  
Sure, I went to community college for diesel mechanics. I was a professional mechanic for a lot of years. I had a knack for electronics, I had a knack for wiring, I went into the Air Force, worked on the F 15. fighter jets and the very high tech industry absolutely loved it. And then just wanted to pursue that type of a career. When I got out. It took me a while a couple of years of denial letters, but I finally got an interview at Intel. And that opened the door. And from there, it was just a matter of how much I wanted to push to how far I went.

Peter Kazarinoff  6:39  
Mark, have you seen education and community colleges evolve? Since you started? How do you see community college education differently from when you did your diesel program?

Mark  6:50  
Oh my gosh. Back then it was you had to go to class you had to have hands on. You know, you had to read the books to learn. Now, the internet. And the online courses are phenomenal. There's so much information out there that's accessible that you can use to this day, I still use it. I still access the information. I network with a lot of other colleges and stuff like that, when I can't figure out what I need to do. I tap into those resources, because there's always somebody that knows more than me, and they're always willing to share. And that's a wonderful thing.

Peter Kazarinoff  7:23  
Linzee, you're also a community college graduate. Can you share with everyone where you went to school and what your degree path was and how that led you to work as a technician?

Linzee  7:33  
Sure, I went to school at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. There I did the two year program to get my electronics engineering tech, a or associates as well as an industrial electronics tech associate. And there we we work together it was it was like a family with the same people for these two years. And we were able to kind of use each other and help each other throughout the program, which really identified the need for diversity for me, I understood that diversity means different ways of looking at a problem equals a faster and better way to solve the problem. After college actually, before even graduated, we had recruiters coming to the school and interviewing us even there at the school. I got to offer letters from Intel before I even graduated. So they just came in swooped us up.

Peter Kazarinoff  8:37  
Linzee, you mentioned that Intel swooped you up. What kind of benefits? Do you get working as a technician? As a career? What kind of things does Intel provide that help your family?

Linzee  8:51  
Oh, man. So Intel, amazing health benefits. What else we have paid time off holiday hours. You know, the managers are always flexible. If you want to take some extra classes, you totally can if you want to go back to school and get a bachelor's degree they're going to help pay for that. There's just so much I couldn't say no. You know, yeah, it. It was it was an amazing opportunity for me. And I couldn't say no, that's definitely what got me there.

Peter Kazarinoff  9:30  
So I'd now like to invite any of you to come up to the microphone and ask a question of any of our working technicians. Mike, you want to ask a question first?

Mike  9:42  
Let's see man to start with you at Intel. How do you keep up how do you continue to gain your skills? Does Intel have a formal program levels of technician How does it work? How do you keep up? 

Linzee  9:55  
Well, it's always changing at Intel. The module that I work in We're always changing. I'm in the unit's module, which, after the wafers are cut and packaged, they come back to Intel. And my module is in research and development. So we stress test the microprocessors, to see where they're failing and collect the data for the engineering team.

Mike  10:23  
So how do you keep up with the latest metrology stuff? And how do you keep your skills current,

Linzee  10:29  
They do have several classes that you could take. But it really depends on where you're heading in the company. So to be in a certain position, you'll have to take certain classes or certain web based training. So in other words, I really encourage you to do it. Absolutely. Cool. There's so many opportunities. Yes.

Andy  10:53  
So how much of your college education do you use on your job?

Glen  10:59  
So with my education, and I want to speak specifically to those certificates of proficiency that that I was able to obtain, it is definitely been helpful. direct correlation to what's taught in those two actually what I do. And I've also noticed with other students who have gone through the program that have gone out into industry, or internships, or whatnot, they have all benefited greatly from that education,

Mark  11:25  
I can put some input on that too. Not only did I take diesel mechanics, I also spent some time at DeVry, electronics college. And in the Air Force, I went through several courses in the Community College of the Air Force. And those were very high technical classes, and those helped a lot. Those really helped a lot when you understand not just the basics, but also a lot of the internal drives of how things work and how to communicate your analog, your digital stuff like that, it it spreads out. And it's usable in almost every type of job out there, you know, that has to do with technical knowledge.

Elena  12:05  
So I actually have questions to all three of you. But maybe we'll start with Mark, because you've had an experience working in a cleanroom. On your average day, how much do you work with vacuum systems or equipment? And maybe like what types of systems you constantly dealing with?

Mark  12:25  
Vacuums systems are an essential part of every cleanroom almost all tools that do any kind of process run with a vacuum. I work with turbo vacuums, I work with molecular vacuums, cryogenic vacuums, stack positive displacement vacuums, I work with all of them every day, all the time. It's very important.

Elena  12:50  
How about Lindsey? Do you work with vacuum? equip them? 

Linzee  12:54  
Um, not so much in my department, we use vacuum to move the units in the robots. But that's about it. Yeah.

Glen  13:05  
And for me, it's my vacuum experience is limited. There are turbomolecular pumps, diaphragm pumps with the microscopes, I sputter coating processes that vacuums are used in. So that's, that's my experience with it.

NT  13:17  
Well, my gosh, my question is for all of you, developing, you know, curriculum is extremely difficult for us. I struggled a lot with math. How do you guys notice the changes in math? Do you? I mean, what level do you see yourself? Or you wish that you could have, you know, learn? You know, when you start working? God? How do you, you know, put yourself in the mathematical aspect.

Mark  13:53  
I can speak for myself, I can't speak for these guys. But I learned a lot more math than I use. I'll tell you that right now, I use a little bit of algebra, and most of the rest of it is just general math. You know, you need to know both sides of the number lines, and fractions and decimals, but very, very little math more than that. And I don't have to calculate that much the computer does it for me. So you know, it's the higher math, I really don't use that much.

Linzee  14:23  
The math that I use is very simple when it comes to counting units that go into the tool, and that come out of the tool. But on the component level, troubleshooting side, that's where I would use most of the math, such as finding specific resistance and, you know, simple circuit math.

Glen  14:48  
Yeah, my experience is about the same as a microscopy technician. Yeah, you need to take your calculus and trigonometry and all that but it's really not used in that field. You know, like you said, like, uh, you know, figuring out some basic formulas are about all that we need to use.

Danny  15:06  
So my name is Danny Kiner, I'm the director of a Lone Star College biotechnology program. I've been doing this for about 20 years. And let me tell you three things that are among the my favorite parts of my job. One is watching students who come into our program and see their journey developed into confident technicians, and then they go off into the workplace. The second one is keeping up with the students who have graduated from our program and watch them progress and get promoted and that sort of thing. And the third is listening to people like you from other disciplines and hearing about their journeys. Since the three of you are on different places in your journey, I wonder if I could ask each of you a separate question. All right. So for Glenn, first of all, you're currently working in your Institute's cleanroom? Are you looking to move more into industry environment? And if you could pick your dream job? What would it be?

Glen  15:52  
So my cleanroom experience is limited, I have done some work in it. Most of it is surface analysis lab. So microscopy. As far as going into industry, of course, that always depends. You have to look what's best for your family, and, you know, time commitments and everything. As far as dream job, I actually think I might be in it right now, working. While I'm working in academics, I get to train new people coming through on microscopes. And I get to see them have that wow moment, you know, when they look at a fly's eye or something else, and they go, I didn't know that we could do this. So to me, that's very satisfying in my job. And yeah, it's, yeah, there's a lot of other things that help benefits money, but enjoying your job goes a long way. 

Danny  16:37  
So when you're in your dream job, it almost feels like you never work a day in your life. Does it?

Glen  16:40  
Sort of.

Danny  16:42  
Good point. Good point. OK, for Lindsay, as you're now a few years into your career, and you have a few years of experience on your resume, where do you see your career leading you? And what is your dream role in the tech world?

Linzee  16:54  
I don't know. Because there's so many different opportunities. There's so many different doorways to AI, I really want to go deeper into component level troubleshooting, and really get into, like, the nitty gritty, you know, I want to get down and dirty with the actual components. That's what I love to do. Anyways, I'm troubleshooting, like Mark was saying is, is such a, it's such a fulfilling thing to do when you actually finish something, you fix it, you figure it out. It really feels good. Future wise. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, there's so many things. I hope I get to try it a lot. You know,

Danny  17:38  
Sounds like you're enjoying the journey, though. Yeah, it's pretty obvious. Okay. And finally, Mark. So with years of experience in your industry and academic background, what do you think's the most important thing for a new technician? Who's just entering the field? Should they what should they have at their fingertips? And how are they need? What did they need to have to be ready to move forward in their careers?

Mark  17:57  
Well, that's kind of a conjunctive question. Right? It's, what do they need at their fingertips? I'll address that first they have, they just need to understand that it's there. And that's the access to knowledge and information. Okay. The most important thing that worked for me was attitude. Okay, I go in it with an attitude that I don't know what I'm doing. But I can figure it out. And then knowing how to tap into resources. Okay, that's, that's a huge one. And then what was the rest of the question?

Danny  18:28  
The restof the question is, what do they need to have to be ready to move forward in their careers?

Mark  18:33  
Oh, there we go. Attitude. Think, you know, you have to understand, it's not going to work every time. And you can't let it defeat you. You have to be willing to say, Okay, I got beat today. I'm gonna go in tomorrow, and I'm gonna do it again. There's a lot of how do you say, when you first go into a position or a new equipment set or work with a new group? The information is overload. It's overwhelming. You just have to understand, yeah, we'll get there. When you know, one step at a time, one page at a time, we'll get there. And for me, that's, that's what pulled me through was knowing that, yes, I'm overloaded, that I'll get there.

Danny  19:13  
Almost like we have to overcome this cultural thing that we have, where failure is looked at, as is a shortcoming on your part, but it's actually the best teacher there is, isn't it?

Mark  19:22  
Failure is knowledge. Absolutely. You know, it gives you knowledge about the things that didn't work, and when you know what doesn't work, then you can head towards the things that do work.

Danny  19:31  
Okay. I appreciate all three of your answers. Thank you.

Linzee  19:33  
Thank you.

Peter Kazarinoff  19:35  
So now, I'm going to give each one of you a chance to ask each other some questions. Glenn, do you have any questions for a technician who's been in the workforce for a couple years or for an experienced technician?

Glen  19:49  
Yeah, I think question I would have for you guys. Has there been anything that either yourselves or as you've seen technicians come along, that maybe the I don't Let's say they're missing, but maybe there's some characteristics that they could have strengthened to before they get out into the job market.

Mark  20:10  
Good question. Good question. I can only go from a biased point of view, which is me, right. But I would think that one of the one of the things that you need to carry with you as you go, is the fact that whatever you decide to do, if you pursue it, you may not get where you want to go. But you'll get where you should have gone. I didn't necessarily start out to be the technician, I am, I wanted to work on high tech equipment. Well, now I just, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it. And it was just a matter of me telling myself, you don't know what you're doing? Keep going, keep going. You'll learn.

Glen  20:58  
So there'll be forks in the road?

Mark  20:59  
Yes. Oh, yes.

Glen  21:00  
Okay.

Linzee  21:02  
I believe that is extremely important for new technicians to understand how to communicate with other technicians. And use that diversity in an in a positive manner in a good way. Working together is huge in the tech world, and figuring things out. As well as furthering your knowledge in any anything really. So I see some texts that don't have that skill, and it is a little bit harder for them. So that's definitely something that we need.

Mark  21:40  
Absolutely, absolutely. You know, I've always been a big believer that if I can share as much of my knowledge as possible with everybody I work with, they'll make my job a lot easier.

Glen  21:51  
That's so true.

Peter Kazarinoff  21:54  
Linzee, in regards to moving forward in your career, what would you ask a technician with over 20 years experience or someone who just came out of community college?

Linzee  22:04  
What What was most rewarding? Like, what did you do in your career that was most rewarding?

Mark  22:12  
Watching other technicians get that aha moment. Right, when when you're trying to train them? You're trying to get them knowledge on a certain equipment set or a process or something? And to see that light go on? And then all of a sudden, you go, yes they got it.

Linzee  22:27  
It does make your life a little easier.

Mark  22:29  
It does. It does.

Peter Kazarinoff  22:30  
And Mark, would you like to ask Glenn or Lindsay any questions as newer members of the technician community?

Mark  22:38  
Yeah. And the question is kind of for both of you, okay, you've got your feet on the ground, you kind of see where you're at now. What's your goals for five years down the road?

Glen  22:49  
Great question. I think for me, personally, five years down the road, I want to see the program that I'm involved in, grow, try to stay cutting edge, stay up with the times. I love seeing students come through and being able to go out into industry, and building those relationships in industry to continue that would be very important. I know that we're kind of in the infancy, you know, and it's great to reach out. And not only that, but to be able to work with people across the country, because we have that technology that we can do that. Yes. So to be able to show a middle school student in West Virginia, what a scanning electron microscope looks like to grow, that would be definitely a goal.

Linzee  23:35  
Five years from now, I have no idea. I know that I want to increase my knowledge base. And I always want to make more money, even though I'm making pretty good money now. It's always never enough. Right? So yeah, more knowledge more money.

Peter Kazarinoff  23:57  
So to finish up our episode, I'll ask each one of you the same question. And maybe we'll start with Glen. Glen, from your community college experience. Do you see any gaps or opportunities in technician education? What can we do better in the technician education community?

Glen  24:15  
Great. There's always gaps. My boss isn't here, right? I want to make sure I don't know. I think it's, like I said earlier, is trying to stay up. You're keeping up with the Joneses constantly. There's other schools that you're competing with, who are trying to get these technicians ready for industry and you need to make sure that you are staying there in a way to do that is to communicate with industry, and make sure that what you are doing or what you're teaching your students and when they leave, they have the skill sets to be successful.

Peter Kazarinoff  24:46  
And how about you mark? What would you say to technician educators to improve technician education?

Mark  24:53  
Tough question, Peter. The fact that technicians are given just kind Basic training and are put out in the workforce is, it's kind of tough places like Intel will train them on everything they need to know, you know, in the beginning of their career there, I think we need a little bit more hands on base training within some of the facilities, right, whether it be internships, or whether it be in the community colleges or the colleges, where we get people in and actually show them the basics of what we're telling them on paper or giving them on an online class. If I can get somebody in and show them the difference between a convect Tron and a bear Tron the ranges that the vacuum holds up into, you know, or house butter tool actually works or something like that. It's a lot different with hands on, you know, the knowledge kind of sinks in. So I would like to see a little more hands on.

Peter Kazarinoff  25:46  
And how about you, Linzee? Do you see any gaps or opportunities in technician education at community colleges?

Linzee  25:53  
should make it other college that I went to did a really good job, I believe, with, with teaching us how to find resources and how to use resources properly, how to ask questions, when you're when you when you're unsure, and how to help others ask questions or feel comfortable with asking questions as well. So I believe that that's huge, and that every every Tech College should, should definitely be teaching that.

Peter Kazarinoff  26:26  
And finally, do you have a final call to action? For folks who want to become technicians and work in an industry? Like you, Glenn do have a final call to action for future students?

Glen  26:37  
I would just say if it's an interest of yours, go for it. There's plenty of jobs out there plenty of opportunities. And if you put your mind to it, stay focused, you'll get to where you need to be.

Peter Kazarinoff  26:47  
How about you Mark, what's your call to action?

Mark  26:50  
I've made a very good living as a technician. I have some pretty nice toys, like nice house. I would say if it's something that interests you, please get on board. If you have any questions, get a hold on me.

Peter Kazarinoff  27:04  
And Lindsey, how about you? What would you say to future students who might want to become technicians

Linzee  27:10  
Do it. I'm serious. And you know what, it's interesting. The, the whole tech world it's so interesting how things work. I love it. So just do it. Because you're gonna you're gonna make that money. You're gonna have that knowledge people are gonna look up to you're gonna be able to provide. It's just, it's just an amazing career path. And I'm proud to be here.

Peter Kazarinoff  27:39  
Well, Linzee, Mark and Glen, and everyone out here in the live audience at the high tech conference in Salt Lake City. Thank you for being on Talking Technicians.

Talking Technicians is produced by MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center through financial support from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education grant program. Experien - The opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the National Science Foundation. Join the conversation. If you are working technician or know someone who is reach out to us at info@talkingtechnicians.org We're always looking out for great guests to share more stories with you. Thank you.