MAKER
“I came into this with very little experience. I started out as a deburr technician. I took jewelry making in school and because of my attention to detail I was drawn to deburring.”
Kaitlin Martin
MEET KAITLIN
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Nickname
Kait
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Hometown
Born in Andover CT and currently living in Ellington.
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Position
Operations Leadership Developmental Program
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Employer
Horst Engineering
East Hartford, CT
Q&A
What do you do?
I’m currently in a rotational program. In the morning I organize and plan the shop floor for the next day or any short running jobs. I expodite material and tool kits to the designated machines. In the afternoon I shadow an experienced machinest to learn the skills they have learned over the course of their career. I’m learning CNC Lathe.
How do you find meaing in it?
I grew up around aerospace. My father was a highly skilled tig welder, (I remember NASA calling him wanting him to work for them when I was young). My dad and I would go to the air show when he worked for Pratt.
My boyfriend flies helicopters and a uncle of mine is a EMT for life flights. My entire family moved from Maine to work at Pratt in the 80’s and there was always talk about different things pertaining to work around the dinner tables.
I do it because I know that I want to make sure the parts we make keeps my loved ones safe, and eveyone’s families safe.
Who led you to a career in manufacturing?
I was looking for a change and I needed something that was going to be stable. We were still in the midst of COVID when I applied. I needed the sense of security along with doing something super empowering and cool. I always dreamed of flying! Something that is not always the norm for a woman of my age. I needed the challenge and I decided this was going to be my next adventure.
What challenges have you overcome to succeed?
As much as I would like to say there woman are fully accepted in this industry and respected, there is always going to be that one bad apple. I came into this industry with very little experience. I really was starting at ground zero. The little knowledge I had was from high school 10 years earlier.
I started out as a deburr technician. I had taken jewlwery making in high school and my attention to detail as a florist is what drew me into deburring. I quickly mastered deburring which is one of the harder things to master in the industry.
There is a lot of pressure on the deburr technicians as we have the parts right before they are going to be shipped to the customer. You also have to have the dexterity to go along with it. The challenge that I had to over come was earning the respect of a lot of the machinest as a “outlander” I’ve also had backlash as a woman. I remember someone telling me that I should just go back to the office, that’s where woman should work and that they were happy for me to go back into the office as I would stay clean there.
That machinist also told me that it would be too difficult for me to understand. I said: “I have a degree in accounting and mathematic and understand all the machines axis.“ His mouth dropped. I called my dad that night and I was like, “Shoot, I’ve never had that happen to me before.” He was like, “Kait, you’re going to have these challenges. Just ignore them and prove them wrong, keep your head up and keep moving forward.”
Everyone knew me as a florist but I have a degree in accounting and I’m finishing my bachleor’s in Business Management and Manufacturing.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking about a career in manufacturing?
I would say just do it. Do it now and regret nothing. What’s the worst that can happen? You’ll learn a skill that can help you in many other fields if you truly don’t like it. I wished I had done it sooner.
The thing in life is that you need to become uncomfortable. We get wrapped up in staying where we feel safe.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy reading. I love yoga, hiking and going up in the helicopter with my boyfriend. Family, of course, is big for me as well. I own a small business which is booming right now. I make knit scarves and I also own a small flower shop.