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Gone are the conventional days when you had to choose one career path and stick to it forever. When you have skills and ambition, making a career change can be a great decision at any point in life. Once a plastics engineer, Russell Becker now happily works as a Structures Technician at the MHIRJ service center in Bridgeport, West Virginia.

When you think of an apprentice, who do you picture? Russell likes to joke that it certainly isn’t him, although that’s exactly how he started his career at MHIRJ after many years spent working in plastics. When the opportunity to make a worthwhile shift came his way, he took it. Watch his story on how he went from apprentice, to contractor, to full-time team member in just months:

 

AN OPPORTUNITY THAT HAS WINGS

When life throws us curveballs, the catalyst for change can come out of nowhere. For Russell, it was a conversation with a friend at a football game. After expressing that he had been laid off from his job and looking for new opportunities, his friend asked if he’d ever considered a career in aviation. “I'm like, no. I'm a plastics guy. He goes, well, you know what? Why don't you just give it a shot? We're looking for sheet metal guys. I said, well, I know sheet metal. He goes, well, come on up.” And the rest is history.

After taking the initial tests, Russell scored off the charts and was welcomed to the team. “This was only going to be a pit stop for me, but I don't think I'm ever going to go back to plastics. I like it too much here.” he says.

FAMILY VALUES

Now that he’s been part of the team for two years, Russell can speak on how much he values the camaraderie with his colleagues. He’s been well-supported and mentored in his journey, and loves that his days are spent both learning and laughing, expressing that his team keeps his spirits high. “Working with those three, it's a perk because they're hilarious,” he says, and adds: “It's a lot more family oriented than I anticipated to be. I mean, I thought aviation was just a bunch of former military guys, until I got here. But a lot of the guys here are local. They started here as apprentices and work their way up through it.”

While not working, Russell loves spending quality time with his wife, sons, and daughter in and around beautiful Bridgeport.

Get to know more MHIRJ team members and follow their journeys in WINGPSAN. Looking to make your own leap? Check out our current opportunities: https://mhirj.com/en/careers

Sometimes life takes you in unexpected directions. Just ask Carrington Valentine, Quality Control Inspector at the MHIRJ service center in Bridgeport, West Virginia. When his military career came to an end, he was presented with an opportunity to pursue a career in aviation, and he hasn’t looked back since.
 

The beauty of the aviation industry is that your diverse skills can take you far. For Carrington, his military background, aviation education, and attention to detail have afforded him the opportunity to grow his career with MHIRJ. Pair that with the social life he’s cultivated with his team and the active lifestyle he enjoys outside of work, and he could tell you that he’s truly managed to land that sweet spot between work and play. Watch his story:

 

TURNING CHALLENGES INTO SKILLS

As a Quality Control Inspector, it's essential that Carrington has an eye for detail. But this wasn’t always something that came easily to him. “The biggest obstacle that I've overcome in this industry is learning how to be detail-oriented. I am more of a global thinker. I see the big picture. So, learning and understanding the fine details of aviation maintenance has been my biggest struggle. But because of this career field specifically, I have developed the talent of being detail oriented, and that's how I ended up becoming an inspector,” he says.

Stories like his go to show that even if you think you don’t have everything it takes, anything can be learned and any skill can be sharpened over time, in turn taking your career to unexpected new heights. Carrington now prides himself on his attention to detail when he carries out tasks like the primary inspection where he and his crew spend about two weeks inspecting every single inch of the plane to find anything that needs to be fixed.

PASSING ON WISE ADVICE

When it comes to career advice, Carrington takes what he’s learned and passes it on to those who are following in his footsteps. His military background looked quite different from his current role, but taking on sound advice helped him achieve the work ethic he has now. “I would say probably the best advice I received in my career is to take your time and enjoy yourself. This is a very high stress career field where everything you do matters. And if you're not careful, you can let that overwhelm you. So the best thing that I've learned is just to take your time, relax, and enjoy yourself,” he says. And his best advice for those coming in? “Enjoy the journey. Because this career field, is a journey. A lot of times you're going to start off as an apprentice before you get your license.”

And enjoying the journey is exactly what he’s done. On working at MHIRJ he says “It's a very fun and laid-back environment. One of my favorite things about working here is that is that the people here are really friendly, and if you ask them a question, they'll stop what they're doing to help you."

Meet more MHIRJ team members and hear their stories in WINGPSAN, and take a look at current opportunities to join them: https://mhirj.com/en/careers

After eight years and counting with MHIRJ, Shannon Kniceley, Quality Control Inspector, knows that teamwork makes for the best work. While the camaraderie and support of her fellow inspectors helps everyone take their work to the next level, what she’d really love is for more women to take the leap into a career in aviation.
 

Not one to shy away from a career path that’s typically male-dominant, Shannon knew that getting her associate degree in aviation maintenance and her A&P license would open new doors for her. After spending years serving in the Army National Guard, Shannon decided to attend Fairmont State College at age 30. This made her a shining example of someone who wasn’t afraid to step out of her comfort zone to pursue an opportunity that’s paid off in more ways than one. Watch her story:

 

FROM A&P TO A TO Z

If you ask Shannon, or any of her teammates for that matter, getting your A&P license is the smartest step you can take towards starting a rewarding aviation maintenance career. While she considered pursuing a career in oil, gas, or coal mining, it was this path that changed the trajectory of her life. And it all started with the right education.

“We have a program that you can apply for to go to college and get your associate degree and your A&P license free since it's a technical school. You get that, and it's just giving you the tip of the iceberg when you go to school. You get the more in depth once you come out. Because the A& P license is a license to learn, and it just opens up doors of what you want to do,” she explains. Working at MHIRJ then gave her years of hands-on experience that has helped her keep learning and advancing her career. “There are opportunities here for growth. And it's there for your taking,” she adds.

BETTER LIFE IN BRIDGEPORT

As a single mom, choosing the right place to raise her son was also a key factor in Shannon’s decision to live in Bridgeport, WV after some time away. “When my son was younger, I decided to move back here because I wanted him to go to the Bridgeport schools. They have a lot more opportunities, and I wanted him to get a better education.” Now they enjoy the beauty and small-town charm of Bridgeport with convenient access to the big cities like Pittsburgh. “Aviation is a great career in which if you are a single mother, you can make a good life for yourself and your child,” she adds.

Learn more stories about life at MHIRJ on WINGSPAN, and make your next career move by exploring our current open positions: https://mhirj.com/en/careers