Martin started as a technician and now works as an engineer at Medtronic in Minnesota. Learn about Martin’s journey from Mexico at the age of 15 and how he became a technician and ultimately an engineer at a major multi-national healthcare technology company.
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://ate.is/MNT-EC
Dakota County Technical College: https://www.dctc.edu/
Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinadelafuente/
Medtronic: https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/index.html
Episode Page: https://talkingtechnicians.buzzsprout.com/
Martin started as a technician and now works as an engineer at Medtronic in Minnesota. Learn about Martin’s journey from Mexico at the age of 15 and how he became a technician and ultimately an engineer at a major multi-national healthcare technology company.
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://ate.is/MNT-EC
Dakota County Technical College: https://www.dctc.edu/
Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinadelafuente/
Medtronic: https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/index.html
Episode Page: https://talkingtechnicians.buzzsprout.com/
Peter: 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.
In each episode, you'll meet a working technician and hear their story. That means interviews, with real technicians, about real jobs. At the end of each episode, I’ll suggest actions you can take if you want to be a technician too. We want to inspire you to take action and pursue the career of your dreams.
In this episode, you'll meet Martin DeLa Fuente. Martin works at Medtronic in the greater Minneapolis / St. Paul area of Minnesota.
Peter: Martin, welcome to Talking Technicians.
Martin: Hello Peter, thanks for having me, I’m glad to be here.
Peter: I’m so glad you’re here too . So tell me a little about yourself. Where do you live and how long have you been there for?
Martin: As you mentioned, my name is Martin De La Fuente. I’m originally from Mexico. I moved to the United States when I was 15. And maybe those that can do the math correctly - I’ve been here about 20 years. So you can figure out about my age. I came from Mexico and settled in Minnesota, so I’ve always lived in Minnesota, directly from Mexico. I think Minnesota is a cool place, I can tell you a little bit about Minnestoa but it’s probably not for everyone. The climate changes very drastically. Winters are long, but summers are great. So you can see the seasons and maybe not for everybody - there’s a lot of outdoor activities - so it’s been quite interesting to compare when I was in Mexico and looking at the movies or watching movies, and then coming here, it’s actually just like the movies. Everybody is always outdoors and you know people that love cities, like my brother went back to Mexico City because he didn’t like it here so Minnesota may not be for for everybody, especially the very cold temperatures.
Peter: And do you live with a family right now in Minnesota?
Martin: Yeah, my family - I have my parents here, my brother here, and I have a little family of my own, I have two children. They are 7 and 5, which it’s quite challenging. But at the same time very rewarding. They are at a very cool age when they can have conversations with me, they interact as adults sometimes, yet still kids so it’s quite interesting that interaction with them. They currently go to the Spanish-immersion school. So it’s also very interesting trying to cope with the American culture and then sort of teach them our Mexican culture if you will. That also has a very cool dynamic.
Peter: Awesome. So tell me about where you work. What’s your job title and what do you do day to day at work?
Martin: My current title, I’m a manufacturing engineer. I work at a medical device company called Medtronic. And my day to day work varies a lot. But mainly it’s to solve problems. Whether it is with the process, whether it is with equipment. Whether it is coming up with different solutions to address those two. It involves a lot of technology. And knowing a lot of the technology to improve or solves those problems. And sometimes to solve those problems you need to use the technology - the technology that’s new. To address those problems, so you have to keep up with technology from that aspect. My day to day basis like I said it changes it depends upon the problem - it can be process related - which it can be process related if it depends on a lot of people. It’s where it’s most interesting. Because you do seek the technology to try to address and you can’t ever move away from the human factor which makes it challenging. That would be my day to day activities. Trying to solve problems and working in teams to figure those things out.
Peter: And when you started as a technician, how much money did you make?
Martin: As a technician, it ranges somewhere from 18 to 25. It all depends on your skill set. It also depends on the area. Right, there are different kinds of technicians. There are technicians that are production, just production support. And there are technicians that are project - depending on the area too If your expertise is giving maintenance to equipment you may do a little bit less. If your expertise are in lasers, in something more technical- then your rates go up. Even if you are starting or just graduating. So it ranges around that.
Peter: And were there opportunities to advance in your company if you started as a technician?
Martin: Oh definitely much so. I mean as a technician, you can be a technician I, II, III , IV, and you have such a wide range of activities. Like I said, you may start as a maintenance technician, or a technician that specializes in a specific type of technology. As I mentioned, lasers - right, or even automation, and electricians, or mechanical and electrical. From there, you can continue to grow and mentor others, and share your knowledge, then you can potentially get projects - and you know it’s a good combination, because then the more you know, the more experience you get, you can work with engineers and speak that technical language - and go back and forth and it becomes a very good and very cool dual that you develop.
Peter: And so how did you become a technician? Did you have any work experience or education experience before you became one?
Martin: No, they way it happened - yes and no - the way it happened was through school, you know you learn as much as you can. I got the opportunity, the opportunities come. You do have to gain some sort of experience, the experience that I gained was through school and then looking for internships. Internships are very, very critical - because that’s the way to learn. That’s the way you gain experience. And not only as a technician, as an engineer - anywhere in the field that you may be interested in. Those internships are what will gain you that experience that will help you continue that journey. You know develop that path. But I started with no experience - got very interested, had to pay attention obviously in school, learn the material - making sure that I was set. To know and to perform the expectations for a job. And that’s how I started. The internships are what got me there and once you start building your resume, based on those experiences, then even though you just graduated, you can put that on your resume and then companies or people that are hiring, see that and that obviously puts your resume on top of others.
Peter: And you mentioned that we went to school. What level of school, after high school, what did you do next?
Martin: After high school, I attended a community college. Didn’t know what I wanted to do, really - and I thought is was a very good option for me. Went to a community college. I played very competitive soccer there while I figured out what I wanted to do. Figured I’d play my sport and then while I do that I can figure things out. I did figure out I wanted to go into the technical field. I attended the nanotechnology program at my community college, located in Rosemont, Minnesota. And from there - took me about two years to graduate. I did some internship as a technician, doing some cool stuff with nano lithography and helping clarify some processes - how to make them better - what worked what didn’t. So that was the internship there. And then realizing that I loved what I was doing and the technical field and I decided I would like to continue my education so I attended the University of Minnesota, and got myself a bachelor’s degree. My bachelor’s degree is in manufacturing operations management. But the emphasis that I have for that particular degree is really, really technical. So with the combination of both, I was able to land a job as an engineer.
Peter: And what was something unexpected about being a technician that you only learned about once you started working? What didn’t you expect that you encountered once you started?
Martin: That’s a very interesting question and especially for the young crowd. I thought - you know being younger - I though that as soon as I was finished school - you know I that I was going to know a lot. And I did, I did. But if somebody is going to ask me something, I was under the misconception that I would be able to solve it and have answers in my head right away. Which was not the case. You realize that you do need that knowledge, but normally when you are in a work environment, your a technician you have to figure things out. You have to use the knowledge that you acquired through school and apply it, but if those problems weren’t there right - if the problems were easy - then they wouldn’t be there. You know. So those problems are unique as they are - so that’s what I learned. I learned going into the workforce it’s a challenge because not everything is written down. You basically have to figure it out. Have to be able to use you knowledge and sometimes people will guide you and sometimes they won’t because they can’t guide you. It’s your job to figure it out. As a technician, as an engineer both - it’s your job to figure it out - which is what I love about my job.
Peter: What advice would you give to either current students or people who want to transition their careers and become technicians?
Martin: One of the advices I would like to give is continue to read, continue to keep up with the technology. There are so many opportunities out there. Learn how to get the answers. And make sure that as the technology continues to advance - how are you able to make that connection of that new technology and apply it to the concepts and or the things that you need. So for the people that are trying to transition, I would say your really have to like what you do. You have to know that as a technician - you are going to have to solve problems. And so it you like problem solving and things along those lines - you like technology - continue to go that route. But you have to keep working at it. As technology continues to grow, to evolve, you have to keep up with it. That would be my two cents. If you were to going to make that transition, continue the growth - your career growth.
Peter: To finish out, are there any resources or links that we should share in our show notes?
Martin: Well from my personal contact info - yeah, you can contact me through LinkedIn. That would be the most professional way to go about it. Martin De La Fuente. And if I can be of any help - I love to help and guide and coach - and all that fun stuff because also the things that I’ve learned is that the more I’ve been able to help and coach. Sort of teach if you will, I learn more. And that’s good for me. Then I can continue to have that information ingrained in me and you know learning from others too when looking at other perspectives and points of view, it helps you, it helps me in this case broaden my point of view and I can see things differently too and then get ideas. You know it’s all about feedback and how we grow as a community as a group. So I mean I’d share my LinkedIn if you know, you would like to connect, I’m happy to help.
Peter: Well thank you Martin. Thank-you for sharing your story on Talking Technicians.
Martin: You’re welcome. I’m glad I could be here.
Peter: This 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. We are always looking out for great guests to share more stories with you.