Jozef was trained in electrical and mechanical engineering in Warsaw, Poland. He came to the United States to be with his two daughters. Although he had skills to work, he did not speak English well enough to get a job.
Electronics Technician
Jozef was trained in electrical and mechanical engineering in Warsaw, Poland. He came to
the United States to be with his two daughters. Although he had skills to work, he did not
speak English well enough to get a job.
Students: What kind of work do you do? Jozef: I work for a tool and die company as a mechanic. I check and repair electrical panels. |
Students: What kind of training did you need for your job? Jozef: I use technical skills that I learned in my country where I was trained as an engineer. The training I needed here was in English as a Second Language. I learned to read and write a little English in my country, but I could not do it very well. I could not understand or speak much English at all. I went to English class four days a week for six months. When I received a satisfactory score on the TABE test, and my listening and speaking skills were good enough, I exited the program. |
Students: How did you get your job? Jozef: I put together a resume before I left English class. I went to the Passaic Employment Office and looked at the jobs listed on their computer. I faxed resumes for about twenty jobs and got three answers. They called my home. I went on three interviews. At the first one, I had a three-hour test. I passed the test, but many people applied. When I was there, I saw five people. They did not contact me after that. The second interview was at the tool and die company. I interviewed with one person and we talked about the job.They thanked me for coming but did not offer anything. The third interview was for a service that repaired recreation equipment. It required driving all day in New York and New Jersey. I did not think that I would have a problem servicing the equipment, but I was afraid that I would have trouble finding all those addresses. I was willing to try because I needed the job, and I agreed to start the following Monday. When I got home, I had a message from the tool and die company. They wanted me to go for another interview. They asked me questions about reading blueprints and diagrams. Finally, they told me I was hired. Then I met with the boss to discuss hours and pay. I also get benefits, hospitalization, paid holidays and vacation. |
Students: What shift do you work? Josef: I work the day shift, forty hours per week . |
Students: What are your duties? Jozef: I assemble the mechanical parts and wire panels. They make the parts in another factory and I assemble them. |
Students: Do you work alone or with co-workers? Jozef: I usually work alone, but sometimes I need to speak to the other workers about things. |
Students: What do you like about your job? Jozef: It is better than my other jobs in the United States. Every job is different. This one I find interesting. I like making individual products. |
Students: What don't you like about your job? Jozef: That's not an easy question. I had a very responsible position in Poland, chief engineer. Here I had to learn the language. It is good for me now. |
Students: Is there anything that you find difficult at work? Jozef: The language is still difficult! I am lucky because my supervisor is from the southern United States, and he speaks slower than most people around here. Many Americans speak too fast for me to understand. |
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This web page was created by Kerren Vallone and the adult ESL students at Bergen County
Technical Schools, Bergen Workforce Center, 540 Hudson Street, Hackensack, New Jersey
07601 mailto:kerval@bergen.org
Last Updated 8-1-99