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Loving Your Job

11 students participating in the Johns Hopkins University summer Research Experience for Undergraduates dropped by last week for one of a few company tours they’ll go on as part of their experience. I took them on a tour of the theater, crammed everyone into the basement shop, and even marched them up the stairs to the roof-deck. I presented the work we do as engineers and talked about some of the opportunities and benefits of working in a small company. By the end of the hour, I was starting to field questions about our internship program and hiring process. How could they not? When someone loves what they’re talking about, it’s infectious.

I love my job

Not very many people like their job, much less love it. I’ve sat quietly while others commiserate at a dinner party about their job, the people they work with, or the work itself. It’s not that I love work in general or that I think any less of them for complaining. Actually, I can appreciate their frustration. I just count myself lucky that I get to work on some really cool projects with smart, motivated people that have the same nerdy interests and social deficiencies as me.

You’d probably hate my job

But, that’s not to say everyone should work at Key Tech, even with the roof deck, pool table, and flexible hours. I know that a lot of people do not like being presented with new technical challenges every day. While many people like reading about the latest technology as it pertains to their cell phones and computers, researching new fabrication techniques for microfluidics, modeling the thermal behavior of shape memory alloy wire, or studying new methods of making ultrasonic measurements might just bore them to tears. If that wasn’t enough, they’d probably bang their heads against the wall in frustration once they realized the chances of designing another micropump using shape memory alloy wire was slim to none. However, for an engineer with a short attention span and a compelling need to tackle new problems, it’s the perfect job.

But, you might still love the people

Even when you don’t like what you’re doing, isn’t it better when you’ve got good friends with you to share your pain? But, the flip-side isn’t as true – great work doesn’t always make up for bad people. The team at Key Tech not only has a great time, but they are some of the best engineers I’ve worked with. Not only are they motivated and competent engineers that get excited at the opportunity of being stumped, but they’re also fun people that enjoy a ride down the zip line or firing off a potato cannon.

Your perfect job

No matter your favorite pastime or your career ambitions, there is a perfect job out there for you. You can do something you love and work with people as motivated and excited as yourself. It may take you a few imperfect jobs to find it, and you may even have to create it yourself, but wouldn’t it be great to sit around a dinner party where everyone talked about how great their jobs were?



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