Transformation machine operator

I completed my professional baccalaureate, specialising in services to people and communities in need, at the Maison Familiale et Rurale. After I graduated, I couldn’t find a job that really suited me. I applied for a job at the Papeteries de Clairefontaine and started working here when I was 19. I have been a full-time employee here for eight years now, and my current position is Transformation Machine Operator.

It is my job is to bring the reels to the machine and install them, and also to transform the paper into reams. The papers can come in different substances, and the reams have different formats. Before a production run starts on the machine, I check what type of order is to be produced. I make all the important adjustments and also do the required checks: quality, format and packaging. During production, the reams are set on work tables. Then, once the pallets are done, the last step is to wrap them in protective film.

At my workstation, despite all the equipment on hand, we sometimes have to work in pairs. Team spirit is important. What I really like about my work is that we pay close attention to the quality of the products before we even consider production volume. I am very strict about this. My biggest success was getting hired to do this job. When I first arrived, they said I wouldn’t make it in this trade, but here I am!

I never gave up when I first started, and that’s a piece of advice I would pass along to the younger generations. You have to be curious and willing to learn new things and profit from new experiences in order to see what suits you best.

Over the next few years, I would like to become a Deputy Forewoman or a Controller. But first I need to gain more confidence and experience. “Always persevere” is my motto!