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Alumni Career Feature – Don Stuck

We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.

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Don Stuck

• A.A.S., Electronics Technology, 1985
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Donald_H_Stuck@ptd.net

How did you choose your present career? Please explain how you decided to major in your area of study during college.

I've always had a fascination with electronics. I took electronic equipment apart as a kid - mostly TV's and CB radios. It was a natural fit to move into my present career.

What advice do you have to offer to a student who is struggling with identification of a major/career field in college?

The students really have to look at a career because it is something they like to do, not just because it is a high-paying field. Whatever they decide, it will be with them their whole life unless they retrain or get additional degrees. I feel if you're going to work for the next 40 years or so, you need to enjoy what you are doing and there needs to be a constant challenge.

How were you hired at your present position?

I really enjoyed working for Dupont but the location of the facility made it inaccessible to continuing higher education. I looked in the Philadelphia area and saw a position in the newspaper at Smith Kline & French labs. I applied and was hired as an instrumentation mechanic in the maintenance area. Since then I have held positions of Controls Engineer, Project Manager in charge of capital improvement projects in excess of $5 million per year, to my present position as the Manager of Facilities and Scientific Instrumentation. I am currently responsible for supervising 41 engineers and technicians.

What would you tell a Penn College graduating student about your career field?

It is an extremely exciting field and you are constantly learning. Technology has changed dramatically over the past five years and the future will continue to progress and change. It has changed four-fold in the last five years. To be able to survive in this career, you need to discipline yourself to constantly learn new technologies and keep abreast of industry changes.

What was the most significant thing you learned on the job during your first year?

The theory that I gained through the college provided a basis. My actual learning of my career took place the first year on the job. A student cannot be expected to go from the college to the workplace and know all requirements of the field.

What was most difficult about your transition to the world of work?

When I went to college, I was married, had a child, and was working at the same time. So, my transition was keeping my life balanced and seeing the benefits of what education provided me by going from a minimum paying job to a career with financial benefits.

What was the greatest strength of your Penn College/Williamsport Area Community College education? (What did you learn at Penn College that helped you a great deal in your career?)

The greatest strengths were the teachers and the financial aid department. I was more than just a number to them. Financial Aid staff did not forget about me. They made sure I got financial aid and was able to go to college.

What should students in your field do to prepare themselves for their career?

If you are in high school, take as much math and computer science as possible. If your school offers electronics, enroll in that program. If you are a new student in college, take as many computer courses as possible since the field has changed from hardware to software based. It is a computer intensive field.

What do you find the most enjoyable about your career field and your present position?

I like being a mentor. I like working with college students and new hires to explain how to advance in the field.

How do you see your field changing in the next 3-5 years? Will this change require you to obtain additional training?

The change has already started. In my field what was once proprietary equipment supplied by one manufacturer are now open systems integrated together by many manufacturers through the use of computer technologies and networking. Microsoft Certified System Engineer is a requirement within my organization that was not required five years ago. I'm presently enrolled at Penn College in the distance-learning program and am pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Technology Management. My career has progressed into management that supports my future plans.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in three years?

I want to obtain my bachelor's degree in management and expand on the knowledge I've gained to benefit my employer. My long-term goal is to retire early and come back to a college similar to Penn College to teach and pass on my lifelong learning to others in the field.

If you could redo your college experience, how would you prepare differently to enter the workplace?

I wouldn't change anything about my college experience. I think I was well prepared to enter the work force. The majority of the professors in my program worked previously in industry and are able to pass their knowledge and experience on to their students.

From your perspective, what are three to five needed skills that your employer was seeking in a new employee?

As a supervisor with hiring capabilities, one of the most important things is interpersonal skills and the ability to work with other people as well as the required educational background and/or related work experience. Good communication skills are a must.

Have you received any special recognition or awards through your employment or professional organizations to which you belong?

I was given a Gold Impact Award, the highest recognition you can receive within my company, for designing and implementing an extremely critical control system on time and under budget. Most Gold Impact Awards are given to employees who discover/develop a new drug. I'm a member of two professional organizations and I travel around the country giving presentations on technology and the long-term impact in their organizations.