September 23, 2024
At Jesse’s job every day is different – busting common misconceptions about the maintenance industry
Versatile tasks, continuous development, and a good work team are some factors attracting people to the industrial maintenance sector. New employees and people ready to change the industry are also welcomed.
For many, autumn is a time of change and new beginnings. You may be thinking about changing jobs or applying to a completely new field.
Quant is the maintenance partner of many customers operating in various industries. There are jobs for technicians, engineers, as well as for those interested in foreman level positions. You get to challenge yourself every day together with the team.
Today’s jobs in industrial maintenance are busting outdated prejudices. What do you know about this evolving field, where the development goes fast, and the well-being of the employees is a priority? Could it suit you?
The versatility of the work challenges and motivates
Quant’s maintenance technician Jesse Sairanen works with electrical work at the Mölnlycke Health Care Oy factory in Mikkeli, Finland, where Quant serves as a maintenance partner.
A moving task description takes you around the factory area to repair and maintain equipment. During the work day, tasks may be done alone, in pairs, or in a team of several people.
Sairanen has a regular day shift, where the best thing is the versatility.
– No day is the same, there is always something new. You learn to optimize your work tasks in such a way that you do them carefully and quickly at the same time.
Sairanen entered the industry immediately after graduating as an electrician over five years ago. For the last 2.5 years, he has been working as part of Quant’s team.
– In addition to completing planned tasks, maintenance is about listening to the customer, present development ideas, and take maintenance costs into account. In addition, some physical fitness and dexterity are needed.
What kind of skills are needed in maintenance?
At Quant, work can be done at fixed customer sites or as part of a mobile team working at different sites. There are plenty of roles – from maintenance technicians to engineers, as well as manager and supervisor positions.
Maintenance is needed in all industrial sectors, from forestry to the energy and paper industries.
Sairanen’s work at the client’s plant, where wound care products are manufactured, requires precise concentration. After all, it is also about fulfilling patient safety.
– The machines must be repaired in the right way, and they must work as they were designed to, he says.
The maintenance sector becomes more and more digitized; electronic services and programs are a significant part of the work. There is also a need to update old technology to modern solutions.
– Industries are developing all the time, and we have to be able to keep up with them. Artificial intelligence is also entering the industry. I believe that it is becoming an effective tool, Sairanen says.
Having fun at work is important
Based on the annual employee satisfaction surveys, our employees are satisfied with Quant as an employer. This is not a coincidence – actions have been taken to actively implement changes. According to Sairanen, a stable salary level, extensive occupational health care, and the employee benefits offered by Quant are important factors.
– Quant is a large company where occupational safety and employee well-being are developed and maintained. The employees are listened to, and measures are taken based on the feedback.
Thanks to a good team spirit, it is easy to turn to a supervisor or the Site Manager if something is wrong. Help is always available.
– The atmosphere among the colleagues is good. We all get along and know each other’s limits. If problems arise, efforts are made to resolve them, Sairanen says.
Are you new to the maintenance industry?
Sairanen encourages those interested in the maintenance industry to apply for jobs in this sector. As an example, in the technical field, there are roles suitable for persons with various educational backgrounds. But you must have a desire to learn new things.
– Common sense and eagerness to learn, as well as good fitness in general, make a good starting point. In addition, all special skills are in high demand and help you get a job.
Depending on the customer, different shift models are used. In addition to the usual day job, many people are attracted to shift work with extras.
Jobs in the maintenance industry may be associated with prejudices. However, there are big differences between different industries and work environments.
– Persons who are not working in this field may think that the job of a machine line repairman is always dirty. This may be the case in some industries, but in reality, for example, in a factory that manufactures wound care products, its rare that even a fingertip gets black, Sairanen laughs.