Daylan
What do you like about your job? What do you do on your regular basses? and What do you dislike from your job?
I want to be an aircraft mechanic #engineering #mechanics
2 answers
Heath Gurganus
Heath’s Answer
I'm a systems engineer, and I work with code to provision servers and other types of compute infrastructure. There are obviously some differences between my job and that of an aircraft mechanic, but also some similarities, too—both fields require significant education, on-the-job training, and experience to get to certain levels. There's also the opportunity in both fields to be either a general practitioner or to specialize in a few specific areas.
As mentioned above, most of the time I'm at work I'm on a computer. Sometimes I'll be at my desk at work or at my desk at home, but I can also do my job from pretty much anywhere there's a wifi or cellular Internet connection. I appreciate this flexibility and ability to work from wherever quite a bit—it allows me to get work done when I feel inspired to solve a particular problem, rather than only when I'm sitting in my office. I'm also given a fair amount of autonomy and creative freedom when solving problems, and I value that a great deal.
There aren't a lot of things I dislike about my job, but there are some things I like less than others. :) For example, as with many larger companies I'm sometimes expected to attend meetings that may not feel like the best use of my time. There are also sometimes lengthy processes for doing things that may be relatively simple otherwise. That being said, my particular company also empowers us to speak up and suggest alternative ways of doing things if we see something that could be done in a smarter, simpler, or more efficient way, and I exercise that empowerment pretty often. That has a few very positive effects: a.) it makes me and those around me more effective at our jobs, b.) it makes me feel engaged and invested in our organization, and c.) it keeps minor complaints from growing into major issues. This is why I continue to think that the degree to which a company solicits and uses input and feedback from its employees is one of the biggest factors in what makes a great company, and what makes a company great to work at.
Hope this helps!
Daniel Sauble
Daniel’s Answer
Another interesting thing about my journey is that I didn't actually start my career as a Product Designer! In school I studied computer science, got several software engineering internships, and only switched to product design a few years later. In fact, I even went into product management for a couple years just to try something new, and then switched back to product design where I still am today. Generally the smaller and faster growing the company you work, the more opportunities you'll have to experiment with different jobs early in your career and decide what you love most. Larger companies also provide these opportunities, but because they tend to hire more specialists, it can be difficult to try something new that you're not particularly good at to start.
The last thing I'd suggest is that your particular job matters much less than having a mindset of learning. Change is inevitable, so being good at a specific thing is less valuable than the ability to spot new opportunities, pick up the skills required, and do awesome things with awesome people.