From Information Services to Quality Control/Manufacturing (the examples so far are from medical device manufacturing).

Thursday

• "Hi Pomela" "Hi Dave. You can clock in up to 15 minutes before shift." "OK.  Thank you."
• Pomela checks in with me about every 15-20 minutes throughout the night to make sure that I don't have any questions etc.  It's nice to know that someone is trying to keep the new guy out of trouble.  A couple times she asks "Have you finished your training?" "No, I'm too busy trying to inspect these pouches." "Go ahead and do it now.  Just don't let it take you 2 weeks even though it should take you 2 weeks to do it."  Right...  What does that mean?
• A little bit later "How is that training coming?  It seems like it is taking 2 weeks..."  Oh, I get it now.  UGH!  This is not quite how I was expecting a Quality Control thing to go.  Seems more like RAD software development...
• I did meet a couple other folks from my temp agency though.  There are quite a few folks with less than 1 year experience here...Including my mentor Pom... 
• Oh, did I mention that it isn't sample testing?  No, it's 100% pass/fail but without the option to fail and also without the option to communicate really well because of a language barrier...

From Information Services to Quality Control/Manufacturing (the examples so far are from medical device manufacturing).

Wednesday

• 1530 comes and I am clocked in.  Looking around for people I know.  I find Craig on the manufacturing floor.  "Have you met Maria or Sean?" "I don't know who they are."  "Follow me then."  I am starting to notice a pattern here and it isn't very reassuring.  At least they resolve it quickly enough.
• "Maria, this is Dave.  Will you set him up with someone tonight?  He is our new inspector."  Maria, "Sure thing.  Follow me....  Pomela, this is Dave.  Will you be able to show him the ropes?"  Pomela "Sure thing.  First things first though, we have a pre-shift meeting."
• This meeting, well, let's just say that there is an apparent different level of trust between office work and manufacturing work.  Not sure why at this point...
• Gowning up for a clean room is an interesting experience.  Especially when there are about 25 people trying to go through and use space that is designed for about 8 people.  Don't let the white smock touch the floor, put on the little hair net, put on the booties but once a booty is on don't step on the "dirty" side of the bench, put on the rubber gloves and then slather disinfecting spray all over them.
• Go into the clean room but only when the door you just came through is fully closed or else a loud buzzer goes off.
• Clean rooms have lots of people and are not nearly as automated as the coursework at MWCC IRT had intimated that it would be.  The most popular automated devices were puch sealing machines (basically hot iron pinchers") and there were a couple of presses that are driven by air pressure.
• The next several hours are spent with my head spinning around trying to listen to and hear everything.  It seems like the popular languages are some type of Spanish and some type of Russian.  About 75-85% of the folks were speaking them.
• What have I gotten myself into?

From Information Services to Quality Control/Manufacturing (the examples so far are from medical device manufacturing).

Tuesday

• Allowed to come in at 0700 and the plant training manager was at my desk at 0715
• Got my web learning id and password, he then showed my NO LESS THAN 60 documents to read and remember, however he did state "We realize that people learn best by doing and expect  that you will only retain about 10% of what you read".  Well, at that is reassuring...
• The rest of the day was spent reading until 1430.  Mark comes back down and says "Has anyone come to talk to you?" "Nope." "OK, let me give Craig a call.....He wasn't at his desk.  May I give him your cell number?" "Sure thing" - 15 minutes later Craig calls "Do you know where I sit?" "No, no I don't." "OK, I'll be right down.  Are you still by HR?" "Maybe?  Same desk that Mark pointed to me yesterday."
• "Tomorrow you can come in at 1530 to 2330." "OK.  Will do."

From Information Services to Quality Control/Manufacturing (the examples so far are from medical device manufacturing).

Long time no anything.  Well, until the "career change" happened.  Below (above) will be an attempt at a career change for those late in life.



Monday

• Up and out of the house at 0500 to be there by 0730 (being out of the workforce for 7 months or so absolutely destroys whatever self worth you might have had)
• The new commute btw, is 30 minutes...
• Roads are crappy and 495 is blocked by a fleet of plow trucks, good thing though, going at 20 mph will reduce my parking lot wait time as I was scheduled to arrive at 0630 when I only need to be there at 0730.
• Parking lot at 0645, I'll head into the lobby at 0700 because gasoline is expensive.
• Receptionist is nice enough.  There is apparently someone else starting today too BUT I'm not on the list to start today (glad I printed out the email I got from Kelly Services)
• The person I'm supposed to meet today, yeah, they aren't in yet.  <time passes>  I hear more talking and it seems that the person I was supposed to meet with "Doesn't have time for me."  Apparently I'm not his job.  Note: the other new person didn't show up.
• It's ok, I have a mentor for the day.  The other guy can pound sand for all I care.  Oh, and it's 0800 by the time Mark comes out to meet and welcome me.He asks if I've had a tour when I interviewed and was taken aback when I said "No".  ...  It's a nice place for a manufacturing plant, clean, brightly lit, fairly quiet.
• 0930, "OK, you'll need to read through these until we can get you set up.  Seems that there was a miscommunication and we need to get that squared away.  But you're all set, no worries."  #thud - 75 pages for about 6 training documents.  That should keep me awake...
• 1500 - "Hi Dave.  Did anyone come talk to you today?"  "No Mark just you."  <sigh> "OK, no worries.  How about 0700 tomorrow?"  "Sounds like a plan.  Thank you and see you then."