Talking Technicians
Talking Technicians
S05-E04 Matt is a Senior Research Technician
Matt is a senior research technician at the University of Kentucky's Institute of Sustainable Manufacturing. He shares his career path, starting from Somerset Community College, where he earned a 3D printing technician certificate, to working at Blue Origin in Washington State and then returning to Kentucky. Matt emphasizes the importance of problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and continuous learning in his field. He advises aspiring technicians to apply themselves and be open to new opportunities. Matt highlights the growing demand for additive manufacturing technicians.
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/
Somerset Community College 3D Printing Technician - Digital Printing Technology Program:
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 at 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 Matt. Matt is a senior research technician at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Matt, welcome to Talking technicians.
Matt 0:52
Thanks, Peter. I'm glad to be here.
Peter Kazarinoff 0:55
Matt, you work at the University of Kentucky. Do you also live in Lexington?
Matt 1:01
So I live nearby. It's about an hour drive. I live in Danville, Kentucky. Moved there last summer,
Peter Kazarinoff 1:09
And so you haven't been in Danville so long? You just moved there in the summer. Have you been in Kentucky for a while?
Matt 1:17
So actually, grew up in Kentucky after graduating, I moved out to Washington State for some better career opportunities in the additive manufacturing sector, and then just recently moved back to be closer to my family.
Peter Kazarinoff 1:34
Great. So Matt, let's talk a little bit about where you work. Can you describe where you work, at the University of Kentucky, and how would you describe your job title?
Matt 1:45
Yeah, so I work at the University of Kentucky specifically for the Institute of sustainable manufacturing. So we're researching different ways to increase sustainability in manufacturing as well as make it more versatile. We have a couple grants through the army, and so we work closely with them to try and find new technologies to bring to not only the battlefield, but also to different countries around the world that might be needing aid as well.
Peter Kazarinoff 2:24
So, Matt, what are some things you do day to day at work then?
Matt 2:28
So I'm the additive I'm kind of over the additive machines in our research lab. So I operate a friction stir weld additive machine as well as a laser powder bed additive printing machine. And then I also just help out students, for the most part. So students will come in with a project, and I will kind of help them out when they need something cut up or printed, as well as just general advice on whether something is feasible for machining and manufacturing.
Peter Kazarinoff 3:04
Matt, can you provide a general bar Park salary for a job working as a senior technician in a research institution like this?
Matt 3:12
Yeah, the ballpark is somewhere between 50 and 60,000 a year, so it's pretty good salary, especially for this area.
Peter Kazarinoff 3:24
So, Matt, you also mentioned that you worked in additive manufacturing in Washington State. Can you tell me a little bit about what you did in Washington?
Matt 3:33
Yeah, so in Washington, I was an additive manufacturing machine technician. I worked for Blue Origin, the rocket company, and so there we were printing rocket parts for our engines, and I was a team lead. So I led a team of about five people, and we worked with a lot of laser powder bed machines, various materials and sizes.
Peter Kazarinoff 4:03
And Matt, what did it feel like your first day of work going into that company in Washington State? That sounds pretty advanced.
Matt 4:11
Yeah, it was pretty crazy. It was definitely very new experience for me. There's a lot higher security than, you know, your typical cashier or a lot of manufacturing jobs, so it was definitely kind of scary to get into. But after I met the people I would be working with, I realized they're all just people very relatable, and everybody there was very nice and understanding.
Peter Kazarinoff 4:37
And what did it feel like your first day working at the University of Kentucky in the additive manufacturing lab?
Matt 4:43
It was definitely a lot different pace research, I've found is a little bit slower moving. There's not as many rate deadlines. So it was very laid back. Kind of just toured the place, got introduced to everybody. Okay, yeah, it was a really easy first day.
Peter Kazarinoff 5:03
That's good to hear. So Matt, did you do anything in between working in Washington and then going back to Kentucky?
Matt 5:11
So I moved back to Kentucky, and I wasn't working at the college yet. So I actually was working with a friend of mine, doing some concrete 3d printing, trying to get that set up and going down here, it's the first concrete printer in Kentucky, actually.
Peter Kazarinoff 5:28
Wow. So you've got quite a bit of 3d printing or additive manufacturing experience. So let's back up a little bit. Can you tell me a little bit about your education experience? For instance, what did you do after you were in high school?
Matt 5:44
So after high school, I started attending Somerset Community College. It's a technical college here in Kentucky, and originally I started in as a Welding major, but then I moved to C and C machining and traditional machining, because it interested me a little bit more. And while I was in that major, was when I actually found printing classes at the college. So that kind of got me started taking those. And then while I was working towards my associates, I was able to get my certificate as a 3d printer technician.
Peter Kazarinoff 6:23
And Matt was that certificate in that work at community college useful when you went out to Washington to work in that manufacturing?
Matt 6:33
Oh, yeah, that was a big help. It kind of gave me a leg up in the hiring process, because they knew I understood printers, and even if I hadn't worked with the specific printers they had, they knew that I understood the process. I also really enjoyed the program they had at summers. It was very multi scoped, so they went over a lot of how to you know if you wanted to run your own business, doing 3d printing from your home. But then also scaled it up to how to make parts specifically for 3d printing and how to maintenance printers as well.
Peter Kazarinoff 7:13
Matt, what was the toughest, toughest part of school for you? You mentioned that you first worked in welding, and then C and C machining, and then on to printing. What was hard about community college?
Matt 7:26
For me personally, I was homeschooled, so going from the laid back style of homeschooling into a classroom format was actually probably where I struggled the most just keeping my attention focused for, you know, set two hour class.
Peter Kazarinoff 7:43
And Matt, how did Community College prepare you for where you are? Now you mentioned that there were a lot of different aspects to that. 3d printing certificate, things like business as well as technical skills. What are some of the things that you use now that you learned in community college?
Matt 8:01
I feel like I learned a lot of my problem solving at community college just trying to think of different ways to find a solution. So my teacher would give us a project to solve a problem, and then he would have us make a part or design something to solve that problem and then kind of help walk us through some of the drawbacks of what we came up with, or help us modify things. So yeah, he was a big help with my problem solving, and that had been very useful in my professional career.
Peter Kazarinoff 8:38
So it sounds like you do some problem solving work. Now, besides those sorts of technical skills, are there any interpersonal skills that are important? Some people call these soft skills or professional skills. Do you use those in your work?
Matt 8:55
Oh, yeah. So interpersonal skills are very important. I've come to find out originally. I didn't, didn't really think that before I got into the field, and I think, I think they're very important in just about every job. Yeah, I would say you need to be able to communicate your needs and capabilities to your teammates, and also be able to tell them when something is not feasible, such as a deadline, so that you can work to address that before it becomes an issue.
Peter Kazarinoff 9:27
Matt, what's something unexpected about working as a technician that you only learned after you started? What was something unexpected about working that first job in Washington?
Matt 9:39
I think something unexpected is just how many different walks of life you see as a technician. So I worked with some people that had used to work at a warehouse. I worked with a guy that had worked at a port, you know, worked with a guy that did construction before that. So there's a lot of different. Different walks of life that you see as a technician, and, yeah, it really draws in a lot of different people.
Peter Kazarinoff 10:09
Matt, how did your life change when you became a technician? What's different now and what was different in Washington before, when you were a student?
Matt 10:19
I definitely feel like whenever I'm working, I have a like a purpose. I have something to focus on and kind of challenge me, and I think that helps me become the best version of myself and really strive to do better and learn more about the machines and ecosystems that kind of make up the industrial world.
Peter Kazarinoff 10:45
Matt, what's something at work that gets you really excited when you think about like going in for the day? What are you most excited about?
Matt 10:53
I'm really excited whenever there's a new project coming in, because that means there's going to be a lot of new problems, a lot of new things to figure out, like what kind of material we're using, and how this will react, and how are we going to be able to machine this. So that gets me fired up. I like to see it as a challenge, and try and strive to meet that challenge.
Peter Kazarinoff 11:17
Matt, what advice would you give current students or people who want to transition their careers and work in your industry and work as a technician like you?
Matt 11:27
Don't be scared to apply yourself. There's a lot of technician jobs that there isn't really any formal training for, and you just have to take the skills that you've already learned and show them that you can apply those skills to the new field. And I think being willing to learn new skills is a must for a technician.
Peter Kazarinoff 11:52
Matt to finish up. Do you have a final call to action for students or people who want to transition their careers and work in additive manufacturing like you do, you feel like additive manufacturing is growing right now?
Matt 12:06
Oh, yeah. So additive manufacturing has really been taken off the last couple of years, and a big problem with the industry is there's not very many trained technicians, so we really need more additive manufacturing technicians in the field, and it's a great way to get in on the ground level, get some good experience, and within a couple years, you'll be set for life making good money. But yeah, just, I would say, just try and pursue it. Don't be afraid if you don't have some crazy qualification, just show them you're willing to learn and apply yourself.
Peter Kazarinoff 12:43
Well, Matt, thank you so much for sharing your story with me and talking with me about both your community college experience and your industry experience working as a technician.
Matt 12:52
Yeah, thanks for having me. I really enjoyed it.
Peter Kazarinoff 12:54
Please keep in touch.
Matt 12:56
Will do Thank you. You
Peter Kazarinoff 13:04
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.