“I was really completely done with office work. A week felt way too long to me. I have always been someone who likes working with her hands. When I saw the vacancy at MCAP, I thought: this looks like really fun.”
During her trial day, Jill was introduced to regular cable assembly. At the end of the day, team leader Rolf also showed her the separate room for the KM3NeT project. “My first reaction was actually: bring it on, and I’ll see what it’s like. In the end, I actually find the work on KM3NeT even a bit more enjoyable. You are really working on your own project there and creating something from start to finish.”
Working on a special project
Within KM3NeT, special cable structures are manufactured for an enormous neutrino telescope deep in the Mediterranean Sea. Jill is involved in, among other things, processing fiber optics and other cable components. “I was completely new to this world, so in the beginning, I really knew absolutely nothing. By now, I have learned various operations. I think that’s great: you just notice that you can do more and more.”
Working with the fragile optical fibers was particularly nerve-wracking at first. The thin fibers must be handled carefully and can be easily damaged. “You really have to get a feel for that. By now, I’ve got the hang of it and it’s getting faster and faster. That is certainly satisfying.”
Doing a good job
That last point was exactly what Jill was looking for. She wanted a job where the day just flew by. “That was important to me. Enjoying being busy and having the feeling at the end of the day that you’ve accomplished something. I absolutely have that here.”
The atmosphere also played a role in her decision. Although Jill works a lot in the separate KM3NeT room, she has good contact with her colleagues in the other production room. During breaks, everyone sits together, and the owners simply join in as well. “Martin also comes in sometimes to have a chat. You don’t constantly feel like you’re talking to ‘the boss.’ Everyone just acts normally towards each other. I find that very pleasant.”
Her previous job offered security, but ultimately, job satisfaction weighed more heavily. “Sometimes you stay somewhere too long just because you have a permanent contract. At some point, you actually already know that you want something else. I am very happy that I took that step. And in five years? I hope to still be working here. If you enjoy going to work, I ultimately find that more important than earning a few extra euros.”
Do you also prefer to work with your hands rather than behind a screen and are you curious about technology? At MCAP you can simply learn the trade in practice.
