Originally from the Philippines, Bobby D., Bonding & Coating Technician, comes from a family of electrical engineers. After starting to study mechanical engineering, he decided school wasn’t for him and jumped into the job market. He was referred to ACT by an employee that he previously worked with and just celebrated his 5-year anniversary. Continue reading to learn more about Bobby in our next Employee Spotlight.
ACT: Hi, Bobby—thank you for accepting the Employee Spotlight award! Have you always worked in bonding and coating since joining ACT?
Bobby: Hi, thank you! For the most part, but for my first six weeks I was in the machine shop.
ACT: Oh, cool. What were you doing before ACT?
Bobby: I have machine shop experience from work I did through high school and college, but right before coming to ACT, I was a freight supervisor at Home Depot. I was there for 10 years. It was the first job I had in the United States.
ACT: What was it about ACT that made you want to work here?
Bobby: Coincidentally, I was Tina’s supervisor at Home Depot and she recommended the job to me. I then received a mailer about how ACT was hiring and thought, why not try. I’m glad I did, because I like it here and it’s not as demanding as my other job because I was working nights.
ACT: We’re happy you decided to take a chance! Tell us about what you do. What’s it like being a Bonding & Coating Technician? Is it more routine or does each day look different?
Bobby: Mostly, we bond electronic components to boards using military-grade epoxy. We also do potting and all of the manual coating. Whatever can’t be coated on machine, I do.
The days are kind of routine, but it depends on the board. The basic concept is routine, but the various boards and coatings is where the difference comes in—application, epoxy type, and margin of error depend on the board and project. Regardless, they each require attention so to not get damaged.
ACT: What is one of your favorite things about your job?
Bobby: Trying to be perfect and improve on my workmanship every time. I also like solving and fixing problems. My initial nerves are gone, so now I think, “what can I do to make it right.”
ACT: That’s a great mindset. What is something that could be challenging in your job?
Bobby: Large-scale boards can be more challenging to correct. They might need to be cleaned and re-sprayed, and that can be challenging.
ACT: Is there a brand value that resonates with you?
Bobby: I would say reliability and innovation. Innovation because I like to change and like new things. It’s important to improve and I enjoy technology advancements. Reliability because we need to be reliable in terms of the work we do, but also in our relationships with partners and coworkers.
ACT: Agreed. Great perspective! What does being an employee-owner mean to you?
Bobby: It means a lot. I am proud. I always talk about being an owner with my family and explain to them that I own shares of the company. It’s another retirement benefit that we have. It’s a good reason why we need to do good work because we all benefit.
ACT: Love the leadership mindset! Do you have any career goals?
Bobby: To retire, haha. Seriously though, to stay here and retire here. Working here is a good experience. It’s good to be back doing what my background is as a technical person.
ACT: Do you have any advice for new employees?
Bobby: When you work on a certain project or task, just finish it. Don’t wait for another day. You never know what comes next.
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