field service engineer

assembler

packer

sales representative

shipping and receiving clerk

Videojet Technologies

I was the IP paralegal for 6 operating companies of Danaher.  When I started, the number of entities I was responsible for was only 2.  As Danaher acquired more companies that fell under my corporate division, the IP portfolios of these companies were absorbed but not the legal personnel to support them.  My responsibilities grew exponentially over time.  I did not mind at first as I thought my diligence and performance over the years would be appreciated.  If it was, I did not feel that way in the end.

Danaher prides itself in being a lean working environment.  They tend to hire highly motivated individuals that thrive under high work loads and pressure situations.  They hire individuals that can hit the ground running with little handholding.  I took pride in the fact that the I was that type of individual and luckily my work experience and education prepared me well for this job.  I was eager to prove that I could absorb the increased workload and prove my worth.  I was able to handle the increased work load for several years but my efforts and dedication were not recognized.

A typical day would start with working on the day to day responsibilities of my position but would quickly transform into a series of fire drills and ad hoc projects quickly derailing any chance to accomplish the tasks that were originally planned.  It was difficult to get a sense of daily accomplishment as tasks were frequently pushed aside and de-prioritized only to become a priority at a later date.  Again, this was part of the lean work environment and was the norm, not the exception.

What did I learn?  I learned a lot.  The responsibilities that would normally be handled by an entire IP department were now concentrated into one person.  I was well versed in many of the roles from my previous experiences.  The only difference was that instead of several well trained individuals working in their respective area of expertise, I had to assume the role of each.  Initially I took great pride in being able to perform under these conditions but over the years as the work load increased, I began to feel that nothing would be done by management to level load my increasing responsibilities/workload.

Management:  There are some very bright stars sprinkled throughout management and it was a pleasure to interact with and work for so many of them.  These bright stars out shined the members of management that were unapproachable and difficult to work with.  Like many of us worker bees, management too was spread thin and  required to perform under the lean environment.  I took some solace that at least they too were under the same types of pressure.  The feeling of always being overwhelmed permeated not only from within but from above.

Workplace culture can be characterized as reactive.  Periodic events would be held to increase morale but usually too little and too late.  It was almost patronizing to attend some of the company events.  I applaud the individuals who genuinely strove to increase morale and improve the workplace culture, but they were usually tasked to do so from above.  Morale and an enjoyable workplace should be created organically, not mandated.

The hardest part of the job was also one of the most satisfying ones.  The level of diligence required to solely operate the support functions of an IP department are very high.  Mistakes and errors could potentially have adverse affects on the business.  Expectations were high and I did not want to let management down as they were counting on me to perform my responsibilities.  What began as an ever paranoid feeling that I could do or not do something that would hurt the business turned into a sense of pride and confidence.  Over the years, my confidence in my ability to handle the job grew and I was certain my performance/work product was an asset to my department.

The most enjoyable part of the job?  The people.  I met and worked with so many amazing people.  We were all on the same Viking ship manning our oar.  They of them helped me through some hard days and I would like to think I helped them get through some of their tough days too.  It was a pleasure work with them and to get to know them on a personal level.

Starting with Videojet was one of the most exciting challenges in my life. I was hired on as a Field Service Technician and had no prior experience to that role. Once I was on the road with other techs for OJT I grew to love it! It placed me in front of new customers and new challenges every day. One day you could be at a bottling plant, the next a food processor and then a pipe manufacturer. I was given a territory that needed a lot of help, after a couple years I tripled the revenue and soon required additional help. Due to the growth the territory now requires 3 technicians. I was able to travel from Maine to Texas, Chicago to Florida helping customers and other technicians and loved every minute of it. This performance thrust me into managing this and other territories to grow the business more. After a few years managing I took another role that allowed me to have access to the entire country basically growing the company behind the scenes. My heart was always in the field and face to face with customers so I took everything I experienced back to the field in a new territory. I was very excited about this but soon found myself under attack and no longer wanted. Loved by 1000's...hated by 1. I would recommend Videojet to anyone just not in a certain location.

Videojet is a leader in industrial printers. They have a lab where several technicians work testing and developing existing and new printers. I worked with a senior engineer resolving issues they had with a recently acquired system. I learned how the printer worked & tore apart returned units to analyze why they failed. We ran a “design of experiment” to determine how we could improve the life cycle time of the units. I analyzed statistical data looking for clues to improvements.
I also learned to varying degrees how the other printers worked. This allowed me to contrast and compare how the various units worked. I would do test and studies for different engineers. A very fun and interesting job.

I would start the day by checking to see which printers were working and record the data on them into a database. I would be given other projects to work on lasting from a day to a month or more.
I learned how printers worked. I studied the history of printers seeing how the technology got to where it is today. I got to use my pneumatics & electronics background as well as push on my uses of Access and Excel.
I thought the management there was excellent.
My co-workers worked pretty well together.
The hardest part of the job was dealing with the ink & solvents. Some were very hazardous.
I liked being independent and part of an engineering team!

Working at Videojet has had its ups and downs. Being in a field service role provided semi-flexible working hours that were largely dependant on balancing the available work load. Little to no daily oversight requires a high level of personal responsibility to meet customer requirements and corporate goals. Metrics are very demanding and results driven. The workplace culture is largely selfish in nature which is directly tied to employee compensation packages. Local management tends to be both capable and nurturing. Senior management positions experience a high level of turnover, with no high level VP's staying on for more than two years. Reductions in product quality in favor of marketing expansions has led to the repair portion of the job becoming more difficult. New job responsibilities are being added quarterly with no additional compensation. Work/life balance is difficult due to the nature of the job and how you are always dealing with both customer facing issues and internal issues via email and phone.

As others have said, there is a big disconnect from management to field. They have made the job incredibly difficult. Politics also are out of control. Quality control is lacking lately causing those in the field to have to solve problems that should never have existed in the first place. Prepare to be grilled by management for the smallest things.

There are some good facets of the job. The pay is pretty good, company car, good benefits, and flexible work time are a plus here.

Bottom line: It's a tradeoff. How much BS are you willing to put up with for good pay and benefits?

A typical day is long and stressful
I've learned how important being trained well is. (which I wasn't)
Management piles on work, and has unrealistic expectations. Then come down on the employees and departmentfor missing the mark and not being good enough
They are NOT "all inclusive and accepting" to everyone, you need to be one of the "in or popular" employees.
Hardest part was showing up everyday.
Most enjoyable part was the end of the work day.



I've only been here for roughly 4 months so take what I say with a grain of salt. Promotion seems to be extremely slow for management. I've heard of people getting promoted in 6 months and I've witness someone getting promoted after 5 years. I feel like there are a decent amount of senior people in the position that I'm in so it'll take some time for me to advance. I'm still loving it. I'm just not sure if it's the best path for someone who wants to get into management. 

Can become monotonous over time, seeing the same issues and customers. You can go from having a simple PM call everyday for a week, or having multiple calls per day including high pressure down-time customers that yell at you to fix the printers. Training and on boarding were horrible. A LOT of driving. Also, you are a salesman, and if you don’t meet their high sales expectations, you won’t get a raise.

This company drives results as the number one focus. The people who work at Videojet are hard working - the company is their life...with out much choice in the matter.  Long hours are a norm - and are expected.  Many of the KPI targets are conflicting, which makes it difficult for cross functional departments to work together.  There are many opportunities for growth - however most of the office is full of management, not many people getting it done.  One of the best aspects of working here is the exposure to Lean Manufacturing and Business tools through the many classes offered by the Danaher Business System University located on site.

Videojet is a niche company that has a very profitable business. As long as your team is contributing to the day-to-day aspect of the company, the job security is usually high. However, there's a lack of career path for junior-level employees. Once you've been in your role long enough, you kinda just stuck there. Your manager will also sorta expect you to keep being there forever, without ever working with you to come up with a plan of development. Overall, an ok company with great business, but not everyone especially people of the buttom seems to be benefited from it.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Field service engineer 23 salaries reported	$28.98 per hour
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Shipping and receiving clerk 8 salaries reported	$19.94 per hour

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