I had between 2 to 3 years experience of CNC operating, setting and programming using Heidenhain on milling machines. Bridgeport to be precise.
This was from 2003 to 2005 and since then have not been able to get a job in CNC. Note that between 2005 and 10 I wasn't working on CNC so from 2010 is when I started trying to get back in. My initial training was triggered by my applying to the engineering department at the place I was working at the time. I wanted to work for that department doing anything they tasked me and just after I applied the CNC guy left so they seconded me and trained me. I started just operating, and then setting and my programming started by making tweaks to existing programmes from which I learned completely how to programme on my two 3 axis machines. After a year they brought in a certified Bridgeport trainer to teach me over 2 weeks while my mentor was on holiday. However it was only a foundation course and I learned nothing new but did get certificated. I left when my job was on uncertain terms as more and more work was being outsourced as I was the only CNC operative who was already running two machines. Rather then re-task me in Engineering I was being told I would have to go back to Assembly.
There are 2 issues I have of which I know. By 2010 it was 5 years of rusty knowledge so I cannot guarantee how good I can be to an employer, I would need some retraining without a doubt and might even have to start at the bottom which I would be fine with. By now it's 11 years outside of the trade.
The other issue is that all the programming I did was directly into the machine but I did write some of them to paper as well to make a little portfolio for myself. The main problem here is I have no CAD experience.
I would still like to go back into CNC, it's apparently still a high in demand job. Me being smart alec says it's because all these companies looking for CNC personnel won't train them.
Every interview I've had since 2010 for CNC work has been through agencies and I wonder if this is a big contributing factor alongside my inactivity as to why I didn't land a CNC role. My thinking is that is that if a company has gone to an agency then they need someone ASAP and whom can hit the ground running. That clearly isn't me, I'm honest about that and when I've been to interviews I've been honest about it, it's no good for me, the agency or company when I turn up day one and cannot perform what's required.
So I see three options.
Give up on CNC.
Re-train at my own expense. And the follow up to this is advice for where to train.
And lastly, I apply for companies which I don't think are advertising. My thinking here is they aren't in a rush(yet) to employ new staff so maybe it's a good opportunity for them to nurture a budding talent such as mine.
It's something that's been on my mind again for the last week so I decided to seek advice and so far this forum has been valuable. Maybe it can't help for CNC but I welcome advice from anyone.
Thank you to those who read this far.
This was from 2003 to 2005 and since then have not been able to get a job in CNC. Note that between 2005 and 10 I wasn't working on CNC so from 2010 is when I started trying to get back in. My initial training was triggered by my applying to the engineering department at the place I was working at the time. I wanted to work for that department doing anything they tasked me and just after I applied the CNC guy left so they seconded me and trained me. I started just operating, and then setting and my programming started by making tweaks to existing programmes from which I learned completely how to programme on my two 3 axis machines. After a year they brought in a certified Bridgeport trainer to teach me over 2 weeks while my mentor was on holiday. However it was only a foundation course and I learned nothing new but did get certificated. I left when my job was on uncertain terms as more and more work was being outsourced as I was the only CNC operative who was already running two machines. Rather then re-task me in Engineering I was being told I would have to go back to Assembly.
There are 2 issues I have of which I know. By 2010 it was 5 years of rusty knowledge so I cannot guarantee how good I can be to an employer, I would need some retraining without a doubt and might even have to start at the bottom which I would be fine with. By now it's 11 years outside of the trade.
The other issue is that all the programming I did was directly into the machine but I did write some of them to paper as well to make a little portfolio for myself. The main problem here is I have no CAD experience.
I would still like to go back into CNC, it's apparently still a high in demand job. Me being smart alec says it's because all these companies looking for CNC personnel won't train them.
Every interview I've had since 2010 for CNC work has been through agencies and I wonder if this is a big contributing factor alongside my inactivity as to why I didn't land a CNC role. My thinking is that is that if a company has gone to an agency then they need someone ASAP and whom can hit the ground running. That clearly isn't me, I'm honest about that and when I've been to interviews I've been honest about it, it's no good for me, the agency or company when I turn up day one and cannot perform what's required.
So I see three options.
Give up on CNC.
Re-train at my own expense. And the follow up to this is advice for where to train.
And lastly, I apply for companies which I don't think are advertising. My thinking here is they aren't in a rush(yet) to employ new staff so maybe it's a good opportunity for them to nurture a budding talent such as mine.
It's something that's been on my mind again for the last week so I decided to seek advice and so far this forum has been valuable. Maybe it can't help for CNC but I welcome advice from anyone.
Thank you to those who read this far.
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