Coming from an education in printing, it excites me to see the concepts that I learned in my classes being applied to the industry. That learning, however, did not stop once I was handed the diploma.
In fact, I am taught something new by the industry every day and I am challenged to continue asking questions so that I can better understand the industry and its people.
From the grocery store to the package that arrives at my door, I see the influence that printing has on my everyday life, but only now am I able to truly grasp how each piece came into being. It is easy to take for granted the packaging and printing on consumables – never realizing how much work goes into creating those packages and why they are made the way they are. I have a better respect for the packing and printing industry after seeing my customer’s final products on the shelf and each fresh sighting brings a smile.
Because of my position, I have the wonderful opportunity to travel all over South America and see the different parts of the industry from new perspectives. While the products are often similar and the manufacturing process is standard, the people make all the difference. They are open and welcoming to the “new kid” and are interested to see how I can help their process. They view me as someone who is able to assist them in making decisions that will better their process and also as someone who can help solve problems if an issue comes up. That’s the best part of the job – problem solving and finding solutions with my industry family.
By Anne Lander