S04-E04 Ethan is a technician that supports other technicians at Intel

Ethan is a HPM technician at Intel in Hillsboro, OR outside Portland. HPM technicians at Intel support other technicians that work at Intel. Hear about how Ethan went from working in the hospitality industry to long-term career in the semiconductor industry. Ethan talks about his work, what it feels like working in a semiconductor factory (a fab), and how he balances his studies at community college with his work as a technician.

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:

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

Portland Community College Microelectronics Program: https://www.pcc.edu/programs/microelectronics/

Jobs at Intel: https://jobs.intel.com/

Transcript

Peter Kazarinoff  0:02  
From MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center, 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. I teach technicians and engineers that Portland Community College. 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 hear actions you can take if you want to be a technician too.

In this episode, you'll meet Ethan. Ethan is an HP technician at Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon outside Portland, Ethan, welcome to Talking technicians.

Ethan  0:53  
Hey, Peter, thanks for having me.

Peter Kazarinoff  0:54  
So, Ethan, you're an HP M technician at Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon. And Hillsboro is outside Portland. Where do you live?

Ethan  1:05  
Yeah, I'm actually I'm conveniently located sort of just between the two. So yeah, technically in Portland, but close to Hillsboro.

Peter Kazarinoff  1:12  
And how long have you been in Portland for?

Ethan  1:17  
Over a year now, although I did live in Portland previously for a couple years.

Peter Kazarinoff  1:20  
And so next, let's kind of talk about your work and also about your job title. So you work at Intel, and you work as an HP M technician. Could you describe what an H Pm technician does?

Ethan  1:36  
Yeah, so HPM stands for High Performance Maintenance. And yeah, unlike the METs, the Maintenance Equipment Technicians, I operate in support of the METs. So basically making sure that they have the tools they need to do their preventative maintenance and other work, as well as trying to help standardize the processes overall.

Peter Kazarinoff  1:57  
And when you say MET's, what are the MET technicians, and what are they doing?

Ethan  2:02  
Yeah, so the METs are more of the technicians that really get hands on with the the tools, but the tools is that sort of the colloquial term in within the industry to refer to the machines that actually make the chips. And then, so we sort of provide them with the maintenance tool to keep the big tools working. So they're the ones more in the fab that actually get hands on with the equipment.

Peter Kazarinoff  2:27  
So Ethan, how would you describe, like your day to day work? When you go into work? What kind of things do you do?

Ethan  2:34  
Yeah, well, in my position, in particular, there can be a lot of variability, which definitely keeps it interesting. But well, a big part of what we're doing is responding to calls from the MBTs, especially if they don't have the equipment that they need to do the work that they're trying to get done that day. So we're we're certainly on call quite a bit. But we also do a lot of planning ourselves trying to stage a lot of the equipment is safe throughout the fab and these cages that the MBTs can access depending on what they need. So we try and make sure that things are staged, where they need to be in training, anticipate the needs.

Peter Kazarinoff  3:09  
So you're trying to make sure that when those MET technicians are going to do their work, they have got everything that they need in order to get their job done. Is that about right?

Ethan  3:19  
Exactly.

Peter Kazarinoff  3:21  
And what did it feel like your first day at work? What did it feel like going into Intel for the first time?

Ethan  3:27  
Oh, that was, that was big. Yeah, I grew up I had some friends who helped me build my own computer with one of Intel's first dual core CPUs, just to date myself back in the mid 2000s. And so to be setting foot on the campus, and actually, you know, feel like I was becoming a part of the process. That was, that was pretty cool. It definitely, definitely daunting. Intel starts there. The for the new hires, especially for technicians, but also for engineers, they have their new hire Academy, where they give you a bit of a crash course on on big picture, what you're going to be doing, you learn, obviously, a lot more of the day to day from your actual team. But I joke, it's a little bit like learning a second language. So it was a mix of odd a little bit of intimidation.

Peter Kazarinoff  4:16  
So learning that second language is learning that lingo that you have to have when you're at your job as a technician.

Ethan  4:22  
A bsolutely, yeah, I've got a I've got a ever growing list of acronyms that I keep on my work phone to help me understand a half half the battle is just knowing what you're talking about.

Peter Kazarinoff  4:34  
So Ethan, could you provide a ballpark salary for technicians that work in the semiconductor industry like you?

Ethan  4:42  
Yeah, well, it's certainly going to vary quite a bit, depending on what well I shouldn't say quite a bit, but there's a decent range of variation depending on what company you're working for and what level you're starting out on. But if going into Intel, you can, you can look to be earning 50 to $60,000 when you're working as a technician at their Ronler Acres facility.

Peter Kazarinoff  5:03  
So that's a pretty good starting salary, in addition to the money that you get paid for the year work, are there other benefits like health care, dental care, retirement, things like that?

Ethan  5:15  
Oh, yeah, that's the, that's the big bonus with Intel is that the benefits are awesome. It's pretty hard to beat. I'm currently only working as a student technician, because I'm still in school. But I still have full benefits, which is pretty amazing, pretty hard to find that for somebody in my position.

Peter Kazarinoff  5:31  
So you said that you're also currently a student? Are there opportunities for professional growth? Intel, if you start as a technician, can you stay at the company and move on to other roles? 

Ethan  5:42  
Absolutely. Yeah. And certainly encouraged to, they love to see that internal growth and movement. And they, yeah, they're great, because they what they offer is financial reimbursement for those who are going to school for a relevant subject, while also working there. So they highly encourage you to get further education, there's a lot of opportunities for upward mobility within the company. If you've got a you know, a thirst for more knowledge, then it'll pay off.

Peter Kazarinoff  6:10  
Ethan, in your job as a technician, do you work individually? Or do you work in a team?

Ethan  6:16  
A mix, I am part of a greater team. And we're broken up the depending on the shifts that we're on. But you know, you you do find yourself sort of, you're changing hats a lot, especially the team that I'm on. So there's, it's not unusual for me to be working on my own. But I do try and play a part in the greater team as well.

Peter Kazarinoff  6:37  
So you mentioned that it depends upon which shift you're on. Is your work as a technician, shift work? Or do you work a nine to five schedule five days a week?

Ethan  6:47  
Yeah, so the technicians are definitely on shift work. So we've got four main shifts, it's going to be either front half or back half of the week. And it's going to be typically either Sunday to Tuesday or Sunday to Wednesday, and then Wednesday to Saturday, or Thursday to Saturday, depending on the week. Wednesdays gets a switch off each week. And then yeah, you're either working 730 in the morning to 738 and eight at night, or the opposite, you know, 730 at night to about 738 in the morning.

Peter Kazarinoff  7:18  
And Ethan, do you have that possibility of like increasing your hourly wage, through things like overtime, or differentials?

Ethan  7:28  
Definitely. And Oregon in particular is a great spot for that every time you get over 10 hours in the day, you're gonna start hitting overtime. So even if I only go were to go in for one shift a week, I'd still have two hours overtime, just from working that 12 hour day. And yeah, anytime you get over 40 hours in a week, you also get additional overtime. So on those longer weeks, where you're working four days a week, you're gonna be getting a decent number of hours overtime there.

Peter Kazarinoff  7:51  
So not just your hourly base salary, but then you can also think about these little bumps in your hourly wage. That sounds like a great deal working as a technician.

Ethan  8:02  
Oh, yeah, no, it definitely- it adds up faster than you expect.

Peter Kazarinoff  8:08  
So Ethan, let's switch gears and talk a little bit about how you got to where you are now, what was your work experience before your current role?

Ethan  8:17  
Oh, gosh, too much to tell here. I have to cut a lot out of my resume. But I primarily worked in hospitality. I didn't even have a stint as a small business owner when I was in Washington, working solo as a personal trainer. So I had a lot of different. Yeah, a different experience coming into this. But it was part of what drew me to the industry in wanting to make a career change for the long term was that that opportunity for continual growth over the long run. And I just wasn't seeing that I previously I was working as a manager in a restaurant. And that was great. You know, I worked with great people, but I just realized I was stagnant. I wasn't going to be going anywhere. But coming in Intel, you know, it's just, if you want to grow, there's a lot of opportunities for it.

Peter Kazarinoff  9:05  
So you felt like you wanted to move in to a career that had a whole bunch of growth. How are you able to move into that career as a technician in the semiconductor industry? What was your education background?

Ethan  9:17  
So my education background was a little unique. I got a degree in geology, which is very unusual as Bachelors of Science from UVO. And, but I didn't end up using it. The running joke is I spent $30,000 to make hikes more fun. But the the long term for me was that you know, that was that was a degree I got just after I graduated from high school, primarily restaurant work in between getting that degree and now it was Yeah, I have never put my education to use. So for me coming into the industry the the bachelor's degree will help especially a bachelors of science that will recognize that but it's not obviously directly applicable to the world. that I'm doing now. So I did enroll in the associate's degree at Portland Community College for the micro electronics, which is why I'm a currently a student technician. So that, you know, there, it's interesting, you don't exactly have to have a specific education to become a technician. They'll hire all sorts of folks, depending on their aptitude. But it certainly helps if you if you get a relevant education, and it's definitely worth it to you'll see a paid pay bump for getting relevant degrees.

Peter Kazarinoff  10:30  
So Ethan, you're currently in community college Technician Program at the micro electronics program?

Ethan  10:36  
Yeah, micro electronics program, associate's degree, Intel actually helped set it up at Portland Community College. And I know that there's been folks who've been visiting from other parts of the country, Ohio and Arizona, where they're building more of the fabs to try and set up similar programs that community colleges there. So great opportunity. It's a very specific education, obviously, although Portland Community College pairs with the Oregon Institute of Tech, OIT, so that you can actually go from the microelectronics associate to then continue on to pursue an electrical engineering degree. If that's something you choose, you want to do a bachelor's for that.

Peter Kazarinoff  11:14  
And Ethan, what are you hoping to do in the future? What's going to come up for you?

Ethan  11:20  
Well, I definitely don't have a specific plan. I guess I'm trying to do a bit of the opposite I did with my last bachelor's, which is try and make sure it's something that I want to do as I'm going, you know, rather than put all my eggs in one basket, and but so far, it's working out great. So long term, I'm definitely considering continuing on to try and get a bachelor's or master's in electrical engineering. I've really enjoyed the subject matter so far. Obviously, there's a great financial and professional incentive would that as well. And so that's that's something that I'm definitely considering. I haven't I haven't decided on it yet. But it's great for me to have those opportunities.

Peter Kazarinoff  11:59  
Ethan, what's the hardest part of community college for you? What's the hardest part of the micro electronics technician training program

Ethan  12:08  
It's something to be aware of is it's, it's wonderful. And it's a great opportunity being able to work. So the I only work part time I work 212 hour shifts a week, and then they give you obviously, you get the rest of the week for school. But, you know, there is a decent amount, especially the second year of the associate's degree, there's a decent amount of school matters. So it keeps you pretty busy. That is one thing to be aware of. So you know, time management is definitely something that you you need to stay focused on, you know, it's not the hardest thing you've ever done. But at the same time, you know, you've got to stay on top of things. So that would be, you know, definitely a challenge of the situation, you know, you are you are taking on a decent amount all at once. But it's you know, it's I'm only six, seven months away from graduation at this point. So you know, the short term work is definitely worth the long term payoff.

Peter Kazarinoff  13:03  
So Ethan, what's something unexpected about working as a technician that you only learned after you started?

Ethan  13:11  
Well, for me personally, especially coming from a restaurant background, I was very pleasantly surprised with how much they really emphasize having a balance throughout your workday, you know, not overworking yourself. Intel has a software that actually is on their work computers that sort of encourages you to take regular standardized breaks. And for somebody who likes to get in a workflow, it can be maybe a little bit annoying to have your computer tell you to get up and stop working for a little bit. But you if you embrace it, you realize it is a great way to make sure that you stay more measured and and don't overwork yourself throughout the day. It's long shifts, you know, 12 hour shifts are long. But it's nice to know that the company and and I think the industry as a whole recognizes that shift work is it is a demanding thing. And they do also encourage regular breaks and structuring your workday so that you're not overworking yourself, which is really nice to see wasn't that way in hospitality?

Peter Kazarinoff  14:13  
Ethan, how did your life change when you became a technician? What's different now compared to when you were working in hospitality?

Ethan  14:21  
Well, it's I think the biggest thing that strikes me is definitely more structured work. I mean, obviously, you're on a pretty set schedule, that that three days on four days off four days on three days off, which is which is how the the shift work works out, you know, you can know in months from now, what days you're going to be working and that's great, actually, it makes it much easier to plan around. So that's, that's been one of the biggest changes for me is having a lot more structure and feeling like I can make, you know plans in the long run and know what I'm going to be doing. So I've really appreciated That is another big upside of the industry is that they highly encourage you that, you know, they get a really good vacation time, you know, time off packages. So, you know, planning a trip planning to be away for a bit, that's, that's not a big deal. You know, as long as there's not a big work conflict, which rarely there is, you can plan pretty far ahead. And again, it's that one of those big benefits of that structure.

Peter Kazarinoff  15:20  
So Ethan, what advice would you give current students or people who want to transition their careers and work in the semiconductor industry? Like you?

Ethan  15:29  
Yeah, big picture is, it's a tremendous professional opportunity, obviously, everybody's going to be coming from, you know, their own individual background. So whether or not it's the right transition for for someone is obviously going to be a personal choice. But, you know, when, you know, sadly, big picture, we know, the cost of living and stuff like that, it's, it's rising quite a bit, you know, there's, and it can be, it can be difficult to find yourself in a career that feels like it's sustainable, if not, you know, growing long term. And so in the semiconductor industry, there's great earnings opportunity, and there's great room for growth. And again, like it was just talking about, it provides you that structure where you feel like you can actually have a work life balance. So I would say that, you know, if, if somebody's looking for a new career, and, you know, again, the technicians at least are working those 12 hour days, if you're okay with working those longer days. And it does tend to be slightly more technical material, got to be able to read schematics and different procedures and understand them. But if that type of work seems interesting, you get to work with great people. And, and, you know, it's, it can be a great long term career.

Peter Kazarinoff  16:40  
So Ethan, do you have a final call to action for students or people who want to transition their careers and work as a technician like you?

Ethan  16:49  
I would say that, you know, if you're really looking to invest in yourself, you know, if you want to put yourself on a path, with the potential for growth, this is a great opportunity. And, you know, the, the subject matter may not be for everybody, especially if you're gonna go to school for it is a bit more math and science heavy. It's not the heaviest workload, you're not getting a PhD in mathematics here. You know, you don't have to understand the theoretical stuff. But if that's something that you're comfortable with and you're willing to put some work in, this can be a great opportunity for long term growth in structure. And for me, it's been definitely the right choice.

Peter Kazarinoff  17:26  
Well, Ethan, thank you so much for talking with me about your journey and your story becoming a technician.

Ethan  17:33  
Oh, definitely. Thank you for having me Peter.

Peter Kazarinoff  17:35  
And please keep in touch.

Ethan  17:37  
Will do.

Peter Kazarinoff  17:43  
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. 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. We're always looking out for great guests to share more stories with you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai