Today’s Industry Person of the Week is Dylan Day. Dylan is a millwright. Here is what he had to share!
Q: How did you get started working in your field?
Dylan: I got started in the field at a young age, I grew up with parents that were truck drivers and family that were farmers and had a gravel pit. I’ve been working around mechanical equipment since I was old enough to hand parts or tools. I didn’t think this is where I would end up though, to be honest with you. I branched out into a bunch of different careers so far in life, but came back to maintenance in my mid-twenties and decided to stay due to the constant work, challenges, and the people in the industry. The sky’s the limit on where it can take you.
Q: What do you love the most about your job? What are you most proud of?
Dylan: What I love most about my job is the ability to grow my critical thinking skills, to be able to look at something and understand what is going on inside of it, being able to see the big picture of what is going on. I also love the travel aspect of this industry, being able to go to different sites, helping them with their problems, seeing the world, and connecting with people. I am most proud of my opportunities to mentor and train people in the skills that I have gotten. I try to be open, accommodating, and understanding of the people that I meet and get to meet them where they are.
Q: What advice would you give to someone considering this line of work or new to the field?
Dylan: Get involved, don’t be afraid to ask the “stupid question”, show interest, read, watch videos, listen to podcasts, take training, learn the skills you want to have. If you want to get into the field I would recommend that you research the industry you want to be in, have a bit of an understanding of the types of equipment you will be working on, and don’t be afraid to try new things or to branch out. I would also recommend the best advice I was given “when you stop learning or stop being challenged in a workplace it’s time to find a new job”.
Q: Can you talk about a project you recently worked on?
Dylan: My most recent project was the installation, commissioning, and start-up of rotating equipment at a gas plant in Northern Alberta. We had about 60 aerial coolers, 40 +- pumps (plunger, centrifugal, progressive cavity), 7 compressors (reciprocating, centrifugal), a gas turbine, and many auxiliary systems. It was a great learning experience and enjoyable to be able to see a project through from start to finish.
Q: Anything Else you would like to add?
Dylan: I love the industry and the people that are in it. Reach out, ask questions, get involved. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for connecting with Rob Kalwarowsky, listening to his podcast, and getting involved in the industry more than just being a worker. Do the things that scare you, take the risks, grow in both a professional and personal capacity, don’t be afraid to reach out and learn from your peers, at one point they were you.
That is probably my favorite work picture of myself, I’m in the belly of a gas turbine, one of the Siemens reps from the UK took that photo because he couldn’t believe I could fit in there.
THANK YOU, DYLAN! WE LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING UP WITH YOU THROUGH THE #PUMPTALK COMMUNITY!
KNOW AN AMAZING PERSON WHO IS MAKING VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN INDUSTRY? NOMINATE THEM TO BE AN “INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE WEEK”!
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