Journeyman
(Male, Age 51) from Richton Park, IL
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 51 who works as a Journeyman in Richton Park, IL. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Journeyman |
|---|---|
| Salary | $65,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Richton Park, IL |
| Years Experience | 21 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
Large company, apx. 200 individuals throughout the company. They are a sheet metal company (punching and processing of metal for use in other products)
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I run the machines that punch out “holes” in large peices of metal; I also set the coordinates of the punches
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Health, dental. life insurances
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Well compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I do not really have to work with others; considering I punch metal all day, the only interaction I have with others is when I need to pass the punched-material on. I enjoy this aspect because it allows me to do my work without distraction.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I peice-punch metal and set the machinery’s coordinations; this is not a collaborative effort
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 2
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 4
Supervisors: 8
Job Title: 6
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 5
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Driving to work; arrive approximately 7:45 AM and start at 8 AM. During those 15 minutes, I put my lunch away and got my machine started. |
| 8am to 9am | I set the coordinates on my metal punch. This usually takes an entire hour, as coordinates are specific and I cannot misplace the punches, or else the punched metal will not be correct and the time, work, and metal are wasted. |
| 9am to 10am | Punched metal. At 9:30 AM I had my first break – I had coffee. |
| 10am to 11am | Punched metal until apx. 10:20 AM – finished the first set of metal to be punched. At apx. 10:30 AM (I took a self-appointed 10 minute break), I began setting the new coordinates for the new punch job. |
| 11am to 12pm | Finished setting coordinates at 11:30. Started punching metal and continued until 12:00 PM. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch; called my wife and ate |
| 1pm to 2pm | Continued to punch metal |
| 2pm to 3pm | Continued to punch metal |
| 3pm to 4pm | Continued to punch metal |
| 4pm to 5pm | Decided to work overtime (pay of 1.5x normal salary); continued punching metal |
| 5pm to 6pm | Drove home for the evening. |
| 6pm to 7pm | Home |
| 7pm to 8pm | Home |
| 8pm to 9pm | Home |
| 9pm to 10pm | Home |
| 10pm to 11pm | Home |
| 11pm to 12am | Home |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referred to the job by a friend
What was the application process?
paper application
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
No, not really – I filled out a paper application and got a call several weeks later
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
N/A
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, at the time it was a simple task with a very detailed explination
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, it involved explinations of the machines I would be using, how to place the metal in the machines, and that was about it. I was not allowed to set the machines right away until I got my degree.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
I had no background – I was a clean slate, so it allowed me to focus on what I was doing and learning to do it well
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Go to college and get at least an Associates Degree in engineering – that will save a lot of time of having to start at the very bottom.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
They need to be physically able to lift amazingly large peices of metal, be able to be incredibly accurate (if a hole is just a fraction off it’s mark, then the whole peice will not work), and be patient.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, I am a Journeyman – it took a long time working my way up from the very bottom.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Works slow and throughly – rushing and/or not paying attention is the number one reason for both accidents and botched work
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, it is a stable job that offers a fair and competitive wage and great incentives (health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance).
What are your current career goals?
To continue at this job and retire with a fine, well-built nest egg
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is not a glamorous job, but someone needs to do it and those that are in the field are well paid and compensated for their fine work!
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Journeyman | 21 years | 70000 | Punching metal and setting the machinery coordinates |
| Prior Job 2 | N/A |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:2
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
N/A | ||
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
N/A |
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