We must be masochists!

[tonyaimer]

Guys

Check out this link to the most hated jobs on CNBC.

News Headlines

And we do this for fun?

The article is a bit short of know how but if true does
it make us all masochists?

Tony Aimer

Johannesburg

[R.DesJardin]

Everyone knows CNC's run by themselves, so why would anyone hate that. I get the no room for advancement but that is no different than any machinsit or welder or..... Now it seems you need a at least a 4yr degree to do any office job like manager/supervisor/sales/purchasing.

[dertsap]

I can see it being true
there are more bad shops out there than good , too many times the stress that is involved in making complicated expensive parts that have been under quoted and put into an impossible time frame can be over whelming , as the boss continues to bring in more work than the shop is capable of putting out .
I've seen big boys near broken to tears and in near shock as their machine comes to a rumbling halt as the new insert tool has had a meltdown and is now welded to the part . Many times the boss will come around near shift end and your best and hardest work is still not good enough nor is anyone else's .
The skill set that is involved to be of excellence in a stressful trade is high and most times is under paid , poor or no benefits and low labor law dictated holiday's , while a clerk in a mail room of some corporate office gets $20/hr , full benefits and 4 weeks holidays along with their 1-2 weeks sick days .
It's a frustrating trade and we do but truly can't blame the bosses(most bosses) because they are trying to compete in a competitive market .

on the other hand there are a lot of great shops out there but those are the shops that nobody leaves from , so those jobs don't come around too often

[MetalShavings]

I've had it drilled into me since I was a kid. "The best type of employment is Self-Employment."

That goes for any field of endeavor you decided on; be it machinist, upholsterer, accountant or whatever.

Of course, for a great many of us, this is easier said than done.

At any rate, (referring to pay rates and job satisfaction) working for a machine shop can be just as fulfilling provided you have a good employer.

MetalShavings

[jupdyke]

I think one key difference is that many of us do this for a hobby for a reason. I define a hobby as something I enjoy doing, and the moment I stop enjoying it, I walk away. If I was simply operating a machine and only running high production quantities of some meaningless part I would hate it.

But the fun comes from designing something, building it, testing what works, solving problems and finally seeing something you build come to life. For me there is no nothing better then that. Also, the machine is at your command to build whatever parts you want. Not your corporate overlord.

Maybe I am wrong, but where I used to work the CNC operator also CAMed up the part. Which was specialized knowledge and I think that those CNC operators should get credit for learning those skills, they do more then just push a button. I am a mechanical engineer and I spent a lot of time talking with those guys learning how to make my designs better. Anyone that thinks a machinist is beneath them is a fool. Also, they make great drinking buddies . They would come see me in my office to get a few minutes in the air conditioning and if management ever came by we pretended to talk about a part I designed. lol. I think that is why my parts always got done first, not to mention my personal parts, that I payed for with a six pack of beer. I miss that job.

Josh

[benji2505]

If you look at the jobs that are considered worse, there are jobs on that list that all have super-benefits and bonuses, all office work, no dirty hands/cloth. And the respondents hated it even worse. Director of IT, Director of Sales and Marketing, Product Manager, all these jobs are preceived worse.

I am convinced that the recovery in the US will go via a renaissance of manufacturing and knowledgeable CNC machinists will be a scarce ressource. With the dollar taking a dive into the abyss manufacturing in the US will start to look very sexy pretty soon.

Benji

[MILLMARK]

While I have used the word masochist more than a few times in reference to this trade, I'd have to say that I enjoy it most of the time. And if you have no chance for advancement, you're either at the wrong shop, or maybe you should re examine your skills

[n1k86]

All we have to do is push a few buttons and make sure the coolant is ok? I must be doing something wrong, creating extra work for myself