Atlas shrugging, essential raw material costs spiking if they’re available at all, environmental obstacles, and the real epidemic of Force Majeure Clauses, a term that far too many of us have become familiar with in the year we’re calling Catch 2022.
Sound familiar?
“We’re getting half-loads every day now. What used to take me a day now takes a week because materials just trickle in.” Chief Fabricator of bulk material conveyor systems- Central Florida.
All that stuff is understated by the mainstream. The major SNAFUs masquerading as “challenges” or “issues” can lead to a boots-on-the-ground struggle that builds up excess stress. And like the emotional boiler that it is, that stress requires a relief valve, especially in the demanding profession of engineering.
“The engineering profession can be rigorous and demanding. Not only are engineers tasked with developing structures or equipment that are safe, effective, and reliable, but they often have to do so under looming deadlines. This is true among engineers of all types, including industrial, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers. Projects must be completed on time and with careful attention to detail, meaning that stress is simply part of the job.”- Healthy Engineer Lifestyle Tips for Work-Life Balance– Ohio University
The day-to-day burden of damage control for broad-shouldered plant managers and heavy industry teams is rarely shrugged off in sectors such as civil construction, aggregates, industrial minerals, and manufacturing. If there’s any shrugging at all it would be because, hey, in the heavy industry world we’re used to it.
So how do the heavy industry guys and gals who keep the world turning blow off some steam?
Ladies First: Carla Mueller a Pint-sized Crane Climber
For Resource Erectors Heavy Industry Recruiting purposes, we couldn’t have found a better cheerleader for keeping the engineering talent pool replenished than the diminutive crane climber from Germany, Carla Mueller.
“Ladies (and of course men too), take a closer look at this line of work! It’s a really exciting job and every day allows you to look back with pride on the work you’ve achieved. We women also have a future in engineering and on construction sites. If I can do it with my 4 feet 9 inches, then you guys out there certainly can!”- Liftinghero Carla: Pint-sized crane climber with smarts
We also had to admire the career pipeline in Germany that guided Carla Mueller to her dream job. Vocational technical education and corporate apprenticeships are something we’d like to see more of here at home in the US. Here the outdated 20th Century “get a college degree at all costs” cultural standard may actually divert valuable human talent from their most lucrative, bullet point career paths.
Like the clear-cut path below that landed young Fraulein Mueller right where she wanted to be. At a lucrative job she loves, building humongous Liebherr cranes in the middle of a construction site in Munich at age 20.
How did Carla fast track to success?
- A passion for engineering developed starting with vocational training as part of her technical diploma.
- Hands-on experience in the skilled trades ranging from bricklaying and metal construction to carpentry.
- Assisted with the assembly of Liebherr K cranes in her own time, something she really enjoyed.
- Completed apprenticeship as a mechatronics engineer in two years.
- She is now 20 and loves her chosen career.
If your resume looks anything like Carla’s we need to hear from you. But how does a pint-sized lady engineer blow off steam after a long haul among the sausage fest sector of heavy-duty civil construction?
“I love nature, pure and simple”, she told the Lifting Heroe Community at Liebherr. Every weekend in the summer Carla can be found in the mountains of the Berchtesgaden and Chiemgau Alps.
Like so many engineers Carla enjoys being creative. She paints with watercolors, plays both the piano and the violin, and likes to read and game now and then to clear her head. Work-Life balance is becoming a higher and higher priority in heavy industry as companies like Liebherr recognize that essential retention and time for equally essential recreation go hand in hand.
About Resource Erectors
It’s always a good time to be an engineer at Resource Erectors, where our industry-leading heavy industry companies know that their human assets are their most valuable assets.
If you’re a heavy industry company building your production dream team or when you’re looking to make your own move up the career ladder as a top qualified professional in related fields such as sales, procurement, safety, process engineering, construction, bulk materials and more… don’t hesitate to contact Dan at Resource Erectors today so we can all get to work.
