An Interview with Andrew Hromadka: Product Engineer; This month Ester Liu, our student journalist, interviews Andrew Hromadka of Ann Arbor, Michigan, a product engineer in the field of machine vision - Close-Up - Interview

Career World, Jan, 2002

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

A Definitely the variety. I love the challenge of each problem that needs a solution. I work with optical and electronic sensors that are used in size and shape measurements during automated manufacturing (for example, with car bodies or lumber processing). I think that if I were so narrowly focused that I was only designing or only manufacturing or only installing, I might get bored quickly.

What classes in high school prepared you for your job as an engineer?

A Mathematics and science are necessary. It's important to understand basic concepts and have a solid foundation in those concepts. Courses like shop class, learning how to machine metal, gave me some perspective on the rest of the process--how a design goes from being on paper to becoming reality. It also helped me to be self-reliant in the lab.

Were you involved in any special programs that have helped you in your job today?

A When I was in high school, I was part of an advanced placement chemistry and physics program. Projects in those classes sparked my interest in science and the scientific method. These projects introduced me to the real world of how science is done. In high school, whether doing homework or preparing for a test, it's all very abstract--it's just on paper. Doing something in which you have to learn rules for yourself will certainly help in the future. In the real world, the rules are a lot grayer when it comes to the difference between the success and failure of a project.

Who inspired you to go into engineering?

A I wouldn't say that any one person inspired me to become an engineer. It was a natural thing that I found for myself. I enjoyed understanding why things are the way they are, which naturally leads to science and engineering. If I had to pick one person who stood out in my high school education as someone who inspired me, I would say my advanced placement physics teacher.

Are activities important for you to be successful?

A Extracurricular activities at school are certainly of value because they introduce you to situations and environments that are outside the normal high school education, which is what the rest of your life will be. It's not as simple as doing homework or taking a test. You need to learn skills about how to get on in life, whether it's in your personal life or in the science community.

Are there additional skills or knowledge that high schoolers should have for this profession?

A It's important to be inquisitive and to learn. One of the most important things we have to do with our lives is to try to understand why things are the way they are. We achieve that by learning how to ask questions. The most important question is "why?" About half of what you learn in school is specific information. The other half is learning how to learn. Understanding how to solve problems when it is something you have never done before is something that is not as neat and tidy as a homework problem in a book.

Salaries create a great deal of curiosity among high school students and often play a large role in their career choices. What advice would you give them?

A It's important to enjoy what you do above and beyond everything, If you go to work eight hours a day and hate it, doing it just to get a paycheck, you're making a mistake and wasting your life. My best advice is: Find out what you love to do and find someone who will pay you for it.

Esther Liu, 15 Libertyville (IL) High School