1-27-10 The Coolest Industry in the World

I’ve had the opportunity, over the years, to have many jobs and to work in several industries. Granted, most of those years have been in the aerospace industry. But I’ve had enough time in the others to firmly seat the belief in my mind that the aerospace industry is the coolest industry in the world.

Why? I mean, really, what industry can you work in that does everything from building one jet every 6 hours to building a space shuttle to building a satellite to building a helicopter? The diversity of product is just fascinating. Okay, I admit it, I’m definitely an airplane geek. I’m one of those people that you see …. You know, the one that hears a jet and stops to look up --- and can usually identify what kind of jet it is.

I also love the diversity of process in the industry. Think about it. When you build an airplane, you are basically taking bits and pieces of various kinds of metal, forcing them into the required formations, adding miles of electronics and tubes, and then creating a whole new method of transportation. And millions of people depend on your expertise. Every person in the process has a direct impact on the safety and dependability of the product. Talk about knowing that you have an impact on the bottom line…….

And talk about the opportunities in the industry. Don’t like what you are doing today? Fine, move to another area. ‘Course it isn’t always easy to do that, but it IS doable. I’ve moved from Finance, to IT, to Manufacturing/Operations, to Program Management, to Sales. All within the confines of one industry -- even one company.

So what do you think about the industry you work in? Is it the coolest industry in the world? What about the company you work for? Is it the coolest in the world? And what about the department you work in, is it the coolest in the company?

I think aerospace is the coolest industry in the world. If you don’t think that about your industry or company, why are you in it?

I’ve always subscribed to the view that life is WAY to short to be doing a job that I hate or working in an environment (or company) that I don’t love. Is that what you do everyday?

Yea, I know, in today’s environment it is more that a little difficult to change jobs or change industries. But even if you can’t make the change today, what are you doing to get ready for the change when the time is right?

Something to ponder, eh?

Cheers!