Micron Student Site: Job Talk

"There are many different technical careers for people to pursue. You just need to find one that fits you and the skills that you bring to the table." –Joe, Production Supervisor

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What do you do in your position?

For the most part, I am a "Supervisor of Resources." I manage million-dollar tool sets, ensuring that engineering is aware of production needs and, most importantly, effectively managing area employees on the production floor. There are many different factors that influence the decisions I make, but my main focus is running the right mix of product in the area to meet weekly and quarterly goals for product shipments.

How or why did you decide to enter a technical career?

I was not entirely sure that I wanted to work in a technical career when I was going to school. To help get a better understanding if this was something that I wanted to pursue, I interned at Micron's Boise site. The way the internship was laid out, the amount of interaction I had with all levels of management and the types of projects that I worked on made for a very impressive internship. I did my internship the summer before my senior year, and after I finished, I knew I wanted to pursue a position at Micron.

What do you like about your job? Give an example of an interesting project or opportunity.

The thing that I like the most are the "fires" that flare up that need immediate attention. You will have issues on a weekly and sometimes daily basis that become your number one priority. These are things you typically can't plan for - personnel situations, equipment going down (resulting in bottlenecks), and fulfilling your boss's requests.

One of the things that we as a company have set out to do is make a wide variety of parts available to our customers. One of the current items I am working on is keeping our low volume parts moving through all areas on the production floor at a reduced cycle time. The production fab I work in is currently running 14 different parts, which, for a production fab, is a ton! In general, the more parts you have the higher the number of processes or recipes that you have to run to make each part. My role is to coordinate with the supervisor for each area to get the necessary tools available to run the low volume parts in a timely manner.

What high school courses helped you prepare for your job or
college program?

I don't think there was one magic class that prepared me for my current position or even college. For me personally, the thing that I think helped the most was the diversity of classes available. Electives that I took in high school in philosophy, printing press and marketing along with the basic core curriculum gave me some basic knowledge in other areas. You hear talk of having a sound base to build from; this is something I strongly believe helps you prepare for college or a job with a company. Anything you can do at the high school level to broaden your knowledge base will help you be successful in the long run.

What post high school education did you pursue?

I attended the University of Idaho for four years and received a bachelor of science degree in business with a double major in information systems and production operations management. Since starting at Micron in 1998, I have taken classes to enhance my leadership skills, computer skills, communication skills and production-related knowledge and skills. In all, I've taken more than 434 class hours.

What advice would you give a student interested in pursuing a technical career?

There are many different technical careers for people to pursue. You just need to find one that fits you and the skills that you bring to the table.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy playing golf, traveling (weekend trips to Sun Valley and McCall) or just shooting some hoops with friends. One of the best trips I took this past fall was to Stanley, Idaho, where we did a day hike and had some great views of the Sawtooth Mountains.

Education: Production Supervisor II

Degrees typically sought for this position are a Bachelor of Science in production operations management.