Karem

Plant Manager

Get inspired by one of our makers, Karem, whose career is fueled by a passion for learning new technologies and fostering an innovative mindset.
Karem wearing a hardhat and a safety vest

What inspired you to become a mechanical engineer?

My father told me the story about how he wanted to be an engineer, but he couldn’t. When I was a child and he started talking about my future and my career, he used to say I would be an engineer and would go to college at Monterrey Tech, so I think I heard that enough to really want to do it. I always wanted to create or transform something! I like to find ways to improve and simplify how things are done and also wanted to be able to work with people. And I found that by becoming a mechanical engineer.

 

Why would you recommend a career in skilled trades?

There are wonderful opportunities to succeed in the trades, and these jobs give you the chance to influence how things are done. You get close to the action, you learn about new technologies and foster an innovative mindset. They are some of the most exciting jobs out there.

“You get close to the action, you learn about new technologies and foster an innovative mindset.”

Karem
Plant Manager

What’s your biggest career accomplishment to date?

I think the best accomplishment is knowing that I’ve chosen the right career because it makes me happy, I feel passionate for the job I do, and it fulfills my soul. But certainly, becoming a plant manager is one of my biggest career accomplishments!

 

What’s one misperception that people have about your job?

People still think this is a man’s job. I remember, when I was in high school, my counselor gave me the advice to try for a different career… one that was more “female.”

 

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were looking into career opportunities?

The scope of a career. I had no idea what a mechanical engineer could do, what type of roles they could take, and I had no idea about what a normal workday was like. I think it is very important for people looking into career opportunities to talk to people in the professions in which they are interested, to visit a facility, to spend time exploring a typical day – so they can broaden their vision of all that is required.

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