S05-E08 Logan is a Quality Tech 3 at Renewal by Andersen

Logan is a Quality Tech 3 at Renewal by Anderson in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Logan highlights career development opportunities at Anderson, including promotions to technologist positions. Logan notes that technicians can earn around $25 an hour and can secure benefits like 401(k) plans and PTO. Logan contrasts his experience at a large company with his previous role at a small firm. Hear how Logan emphasizes the importance of asking questions, critical thinking, and independence, learned from his nanotechnology program at Dakota County Technical College. Logan advises aspiring technicians to gain experience and consider furthering their education.

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/

Jobs at Renewal by Anderson: https://www.renewalbyandersen.com/careers

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 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 Logan. Logan is a quality tech three at Renewal by Anderson in Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Logan, welcome to Talking Technicians.

Logan  0:53  
Thanks bear. Glad to be here.

Peter Kazarinoff  0:54  
Logan, Ellsworth, Wisconsin is kind of close to the Twin Cities. Can you describe where it is and how long you been there for?

Logan  1:01  
Yeah, it's in the western part of Wisconsin, obviously. And then it's about 45 minute drive to St Paul. So it's just little, little 3000 population town right below Hudson, basically. And so it's just a little drive up to 94 and over, and then we're in this wind cities. And how long have you been there for? Yeah, I've lived here for about three years. And I mean, I grew up in River Falls, which is another little bit bigger town, just pretty close Ellsworth. So that my whole life. So I've been in this area forever.

Peter Kazarinoff  1:37  
So Logan, I want to start off by talking about where you work. You work at Renewal by Anderson. Can you describe like, what they do? And then we'll talk about your job title and what you do.

Logan  1:49  
Yeah, so Renewal by Anderson is a division of Anderson windows, which is a very common window across the United States, a lot more well known up here in the Midwest, but they go across the whole country, and renewal is basically another division where they you have to custom order your windows from renewal. So you can't go to Home Depot or buy anything and get renewal label. You have to personally use their installers to purchase a renewal window. My day to day work would be, I basically work a project, so it changes every other like, quarter, I guess kind of just depends on what we're working on. But a lot of measuring parts, a lot of project management, we have an expansion project going on, so bringing in some equipment and that kind of stuff, and then just a lot of, like in your projects, you network with people to kind of get stuff done. It's a very big company, so it's not just you can go and plow through each day and do it all on your own. It's a lot of moving parts. So you have to kind of work with everyone through each, you know, red tape that you line up into.

Peter Kazarinoff  3:01  
And Logan, you're a Quality Tech 3. Can you describe a little bit about what that means, what's a Quality Tech and what's what's a 3?

Logan  3:10  
So Quality Tech, they had of they have just recently, since about, I'd say, 2020, 10 and on. They kind of created a quality department. So instead of relying on every engineer and manager and all of that to implement quality into their work, they kind of had people come in to focus specifically on quality. And so tech three just there's different levels for people's progression in their career path, and it actually goes up for us. So they start at quality tech one or a technician one, up to a tech three, and then you can get a promotion to technologist, which is basically an engineer without a four year degree. And so it's a good career development that they have that way.

Peter Kazarinoff  3:51  
So Logan, talk to me a little bit about compensation and salary. If someone goes to a community college around the Twin Cities area, and then starts out like in a beginning technician role, what might they expect to make?

Logan  4:07  
Renewal, or even just Anderson in general? I would say it all - obviously, it always depends on what your experience is coming in or what you have coming out of college. And each person has the right to negotiate their starting wage. But I would say it's roughly, give or take a few dollars. Around the $25 an hour range is what you can kind of expect coming in. And then from there, you know your your career, they have plenty of room to progress from there.

Peter Kazarinoff  4:32  
And you mentioned that there was a lot of opportunity for professional growth to, like, move up to tech two, to tech three, technologists and stuff like that. So besides salary, are there other benefits, things like healthcare or retirement?

Logan  4:46  
Yeah, at Anderson, they are very well rounded company with a lot of market competitive benefits. So I get 401, K, PTO. It's actually pretty generous where I'm at the. MNT, I mean every I mean, there's not any, like, super luxurious benefits that they give, but I would say, you know, compared to like a 3m their benefits are right in line with their.

Peter Kazarinoff  5:12  
Logan, what did it feel like your first day at work at Anderson? What did it feel like going to into that big company for the first time?

Logan  5:20  
I think you kind of just said it big. I came from a small company when, after I graduated from Dakota County Technical College and nanoscience technology, I worked at a small company for four or five years, and we were very small, so like, the red tape was kind of just tackled by yourself, and then just and then here it was just like, well, there's 10,000 plus employees where I work. So it's like, Well, you got to know this person to get to know it was that was kind of the biggest wake up. And then just the sheer size of our facilities is, is very big. Anderson, kind of, it's like half the town in Bayport, Minnesota. So that was, that was just the one thing. When I walked into that company, was like, this is huge, which means there's a lot of opportunity for growth.

Peter Kazarinoff  6:06  
And Logan, what does it feel like now, you've been there for a while, you've got some experience under your belt. What does it feel like working at Anderson now?

Logan  6:13  
Kind of have my niche. I mean, I'm in a good group right now, you know, and there's a lot of opportunity within that group. So I don't know everything. Still, I know a lot within our little niche of our group, and that's kind of just the route I think everyone kind of takes, unless you completely change your group, you know, if you move into a different career path and you end up in a different place, then you kind of got to learn the ropes of that area. So right now, it's comfortable, because I know who to go to, what to do and all of that. But as progression happens, I'll run into that same feeling that I had on day one, of like, I don't know anyone around me, and I don't know who to go to right now if problems arise.

Peter Kazarinoff  6:55  
So Logan, you mentioned that you went to Dakota County Technical College. Let's next talk a little bit about your education, progression and background. What did you do after high school?

Logan  7:06  
High school, I went straight into Dakota County for that two year program that was under Deb Newberry, and then Billy Copley had a big role in that program, and they so it took that I did, took three years to take that two year program, which I would think, if you asked Deb or Billy, that would be very common. And then I just started as a tech after that. And so I've been a tech national for about eight years now, but about two or Yeah, three years ago, sorry, I started to get my bachelor's degree online through Bemidji State. So I graduate in about four weeks now. So that's a little bit exciting, but So yeah, that's my background for education right now.

Peter Kazarinoff  7:50  
Logan, tell me a little bit more about what you learned at Dakota County. You mentioned that it was a nanotechnology program. What kind of things did you take from that program and then bring into your work?

Logan  8:01  
Yeah. So that program was really cool because we got to learn a lot of the high end equipment. We went to the care fac of the U of M and stuff like that, going to the clean room and did that. Unfortunately, my career path is not letting me down areas like that, to use cool equipment like that. But that program really set me up to be like, above expectation technician, like coming in, and it's a really good resume booster, compared to, like, just someone who comes from, like, a manufacturing line and then gets promoted into a technician role. It's just they really, they kind of taught me how to be an engineer before, like, without taking, like, just mechanical engineering or that type of coursework, they kind of made you think a little bit harder and outside the box throughout that program, because it's not intuitive or anything like that. It's really outside of a lot of people's realms.

Peter Kazarinoff  8:53  
And Logan, were there any roadblocks or tough points when you're at community college? You mentioned that you did it in three years, but that was pretty common. What was the hardest part of school for you?

Logan  9:05  
I think for me, it was just responsibility at the time, coming out at 18, you just kind of don't know what you're gonna do. Like the four year program has been a lot easier than the two year program, actually, right now, it has to do with a little bit of maturity. But no them classes were just, they were just tougher because they were, I mean, a nanoscience and or micro, you know, technology, or anything like that. It's just not something you deal with every day. So it's not as quite, it's almost the opposite of what you think reality should be. So that was a little bit tougher. And then just schedule work life balance made it so to do it three instead of two was just laid a little bit more sense for me in that time.

Peter Kazarinoff  9:47  
Right - And that sounds like that was a little bit more manageable at the time too. So you mentioned now you're working on engineering degree at Bemidji State. How did the stuff that you learn at Dakota County? So. You up for that?

Logan  10:02  
Well, mixed with that, and then the experience, because I'm going for Applied Engineering, which is basically quality engineering, just kind of fit with my line of work. It's just like, it was kind of a seamless thing. So it wasn't like repeat, but it was everything they talk about in my four year program. It's like, oh, I use this stuff every day. Or I can add, like, I can add this into my everyday instead of just learning something, you're like, I don't know what I'm going to use this. So it's a little bit easier to remember and kind of apply it when you're doing your schoolwork. So that's been kind of, like, really, really nice going through this program. It's like, well, I know I'm learning this stuff and I'm going to apply and apply it tomorrow at work.

Peter Kazarinoff  10:42  
So, Logan, you mentioned some of the technical skills, like the equipment that got used in the inner science program at Dakota County. Did you also learn things like interpersonal skills, or use those in your job? Some people call these like soft skills too.

Logan  10:59  
Yeah, at the the two year, you know, the program really made sure to learn how to, like, do stuff on your own and how to ask the right questions instead of just being spoofed the answers. And that really helps out in the professional world, because there's nothing a boss want. You know, your boss doesn't want to hear you asking a million questions of like, how to do this exactly right? You know, they just want you to hand hand off project, or hand off an assignment, get it done, and then get the results. And then they can help you, you know, through the way. But they just want you to be independent, on your own and get the job done. And that two year degree, I think, is something that like really opened my eyes and shown how to like. It trained me how to be that way.

Peter Kazarinoff  11:42  
Right - and how to interact with a supervisor, yeah, that's really important.

Logan  11:46  
Yeah, that was the other thing, you know, that was the main thing that they kind of did, is, like, showed you how to do the work and how to critically think, and then how to present that to your boss was, like, a big thing.

Peter Kazarinoff  11:57  
So Logan, what was something unexpected about working as a technician, that you only learned after you started, what was something you're like, oh, right, I didn't expect that.

Logan  12:09  
More confident you can show yourself to be, and the more was the cool. It was more like, better questions you asked, the more responsibility people will give you. So like, the work I do now, I would say is like 5050, technician work and engineering work. And just the more you can prove yourself through time, the more interesting your work will get. Because when you first start as a technician, they're handing off the stuff that engineers kind of don't want to do or don't have time to do. So that's like, kind of where your role is like meant to be. But as you prove yourself more and more throughout your career, the more interesting and the more complex the work you do will be.

Peter Kazarinoff  12:49  
So Logan, it sounds like being able to ask the right questions. That's an important skill, not just having the technical skills or the know how yourself.

Logan  12:59  
Right - yeah, I would just ask any question. I mean, people say there's no dumb questions, but even if there is, it's better to ask the question than to not and not know. So I mean, I've kind of taken that. I mean, you know, there's, there is the right questions, there's the wrong questions, but just just keep on asking, because you just keep on learning. So that's kind of what I've learned throughout my life and through my career. 

Peter Kazarinoff  13:21  
So Logan, what happened in your life? How did your life change when you became a technician? What was different once you started working and graduated from Dakota County?

Logan  13:34  
You put yourself like when you work as a technician every day, at least for me, it was like everything came more of like a trial and how you can make everything better. Because when I started it was like in research and development, all this and so it was like, we're always trying to think of how to make things better, although you can apply that back to your life. So like, just like a perspective change in life. When I started doing that, when you start thinking like that every day at work, then your whole life kind of doesn't revolve around work, but like, just your independent stuff that you do at home, kind of that filter, kind of changes.

Peter Kazarinoff  14:06  
How was working with a family while you were a technician? Have there been some challenges? Are there some big rewards of doing that? What's that been like?

Logan  14:16  
No, I think everyone around my life and my family has been supportive. You know, I've had some my parents, they've been very supportive through it, but they my dad, he mainly is, like, you gotta kind of push to be an engineer. There's a little bit more pay for it. You know, there's just a little bit more opportunity within the financial behind it. Because he's worked at the same place I worked at when I when I first started out at Dakota County, and he's like, you know, they they pay these people quite a bit more, you know, as an engineer compared to a technician, and you're doing a lot of engineer work. So why not get the education to become that? You know, why not get paid for what you're the value you're truly bringing? So I. Yeah, there, I wouldn't say there was not, like technicians, not overly, like stressful or anything like that. I think it's more of a fun, more of a fun job. I'd rather do that than working on the line, or, you know, anything like that. But yeah, once you start dabbling in that engineering work and you're not getting paid for it kind of gets a little frustrating. I will say that.

Peter Kazarinoff  15:23  
So Logan, we're kind of finishing up, but I'd like to ask you, what advice would you give current students or people who want to transition their career and become a technician, like going from that working on the manufacturing line to becoming a technician? What would you say to them?

Logan  15:39  
Yeah, I would say, go for it. If you're doing a two year, keep doing your two year. Get it. Get experience as atechnician. I think it's one of the best resume boosters. You know, I personally, if I was a hiring manager, I mean, I'm a little biased, but I would rather have a person who got a two year, got it, you know, got some real world experience, and then got their four you know, even if you're planning on getting your four year become a tech for a little bit while you're trying to get your four year, because you get a lot of skills that, like you see, the company actually needs, instead of just from a book. And then for people from the line, if, if you have more of a, you know, if you're more of a technical kind of mind, you know, they'll welcome you with with wide arms as a technician, because they need people like that all the time.

Peter Kazarinoff  16:24  
Well, Logan, thank you so much for being on talking technicians and sharing your story with me. I really enjoyed hearing about your career progression and going into Renewal by Anderson, and also talking with you about your community college experience and now moving on to engineering education.

Logan  16:39  
Yeah, thank you, Peter, thanks for having me.

Peter Kazarinoff  16:41  
Please keep in touch.

Logan  16:43  
Yep, will do Thank you.

Peter Kazarinoff  16:52  
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.