293 days ago, I joined Form CNC as an apprentice, 187 days of work later with 3 & 5-axis programming experience, and today was my last day at the shop.
For the past few months, I've been networking and building up a few clients online, serving as a serial integrator (basically systematizing the day-to-day tasks of business owners and managing teams), and that side work is picking up momentum!
I love machining, and it's been a major blessing to work for my boss Wayne Werner; I could not have found a better opportunity than what he's given me. However, I don't think it's the path I'm meant to go as much as I love the work. Putting aside the touchy-feely "follow your dreams," I do believe the work I'm doing online for these business owners is more in alignment with who I think I'm meant to be.
He really threw me in the deep end with the work I started on pretty much from day one, and I cannot express the gratitude I have for his willingness to take that risk. In the short 10 months or so I've worked for him, my knowledge and understanding of machining and the different thinking outside the box techniques I could not have learned at any other shop in that amount of time.
Mr. Werner has really been a mentor more than a boss; hearing his life experience and advice has been valuable and given me many different perspectives I wouldn't have considered on my own. Though I made many expensive mistakes throughout my time working at the shop, he's been nothing but encouraging.
I truly value everything he's taught me and the experience, cleaning and organizing the shop, programming and making the parts, getting to see the ins and outs of how a prototype machine shop works! We parted ways on a good note, and he tells me that I've got a job there if I ever wish to come back into machining, which is very comforting! I'm looking forward to keeping up the relationship I have with him and checking in every so often!
Everything I've learned from the shop has been very well worth every minute; going back, I wouldn't have changed a thing, except maybe to invest more of my time and attention into it. As it is, the skills I've picked up working for Mr. Werner have been very beneficial in increasing my understanding of how I learn and attention to detail that I would have had a hard time learning on my own.
It's hard to say goodbye to my first non-family mentor, but it's been nothing but an amazing experience, and I look forward to the future!