The last three months have flown past in my summer job as Murata’s processing operator in the assembly of sensors manufactured by the company. Even though this time was brief, it has taught me a great deal and given me plenty of resources for the future. In this post, I will share some of my thoughts and experiences about my summer at Murata.
I first heard about Murata in 2019, when I attended a university course on microsystems and electronics. A few companies visited the course and spoke about the field in general, their own specialties and the job opportunities and career paths available in their companies. I remember making a note of Murata right away and then looking for more information, as I realized that my studies lined perfectly with many different career paths available at Murata. Right away, I decided to apply for a summer job at Murata and, luckily, received a job with the company the following year.
A branching study path
My study path had a few twists and turns. I started my studies in the master’s degree program of automation technology at Tampere University, where I started to focus on control technology. However, after two years of studies I realized I was very interested in biomedical technology and its opportunities, so I refocused my attention to these studies with the hope that I could combine my new studies with what I had previously learned.
I didn’t get to do very many courses before I understood the importance and potential of developing small-scale electronics and various measurement methods and realized how many purposes these can be applied to. When I needed to change cities due to changes in my life situation, I decided to once more apply for a transfer to Aalto University’s electronics and electrical engineering program, and this is the path I’m on right now.
Surer start through orientation
The job application process at Murata was nice and smooth. Just a few hours after submitting my application I was called in for an interview, which also seemed like just a relaxed chat. It did not take long before I was signing my employment contract and choosing suitable shoes for working in the cleanroom. Then I just eagerly waited for the work to start!
At Murata, orientation usually takes a while even in production work, as there is so much to learn. The orientation of us summer workers took two weeks, during which we followed our own trainer around in groups of two or three and learned the duties assigned to us as well as the company’s general policies and safety instructions. After this, we worked in our own shifts for a week by the side of an operator appointed to us to ensure that we were familiar with the shift’s routines and assignments.
This week, in particular, gave me a great deal more confidence for the work. It was great to see how it was possible to learn so many new things in such a brief time, especially as learning them would have been quite impossible elsewhere! Even though I was familiar with working with microscopes, for example, and had already used a cleanroom during my university studies, I still learned many things I had not even heard about before. The teaching process started from the basics, so we were not expected to have any base skills, which means that all the people in the orientation group, coming from very different backgrounds, had an equal, great start with their work!
Practice to support the studied theory
After working for a month, I had developed a pretty good routine. Summer workers only work in a few production areas, which means that their work days have a clear structure and learning the assignments well can be guaranteed. I have met some really great people in the work team, and I always got help in any and all questions I had. It has also been interesting to hear the experiences of people who have worked as operators for a long time and listen to their stories about the history of the assembly work before it reached its current form.
I could easily see myself working with Murata also next summer, should the possibility arise, as I already saw several interesting job opportunities at the office I could apply for. It is nice that I now also have some experience with Murata’s products and customs through this summer’s job.
As a whole, my summer at Murata gave me a great, practical overview of the things I only study in theory in the university, as well as many other things that were completely new to me. In addition to the electronics field, I also became more familiar with production management perspectives as well as the hardware and software used. For interested workers, this really provided an extensive learning opportunity. The past summer has definitely reinforced my previous ideas about my career path and has showed me that I really am in the right place and in the right field.
Maria Kaunisaho,
Processing Operator
Recent Comments