Local 16 (Portland, Ore.) apprentice Stephanie Razmus was a math teacher before she entered the sheet metal trade. Now, as she learns testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB), she gets to apply her math experience in the real world: “Bending metal to create things is fun,” she says. Learn more in her sister story:
What unique strengths do you bring to your trade?
Enthusiasm for learning, the ability to work with a variety of people, and my strong math background.
What do you love to do when you are not at work?
I enjoy reading, being outside, being physically active and spending time with friends and family.
Goals in the future — any ambitions or changes to your career, growth or education?
I want to keep learning and become a TABB-certified technician.
What surprised you about your trade?
I was pleasantly surprised by how intentional people are about diplomacy on the jobsite.
What do you find frustrating about your job/trade?
The slow times. Inactivity is a challenge for me.
What’s the coolest job you’ve worked on?
Hanging duct at NTT, simply because it was the first time I was actually involved in the construction of a building.
What traits do you think a good sheet metal worker has?
The ability to work well with others, a desire to learn, attention to detail and an interest in the work you’re doing.
Why sheet metal?
Bending metal to create things is fun, and the trade is so diverse — it has places for everyone to find their niche, with options to learn and experience many different things throughout your career. Plus, I get to put the math I was previously teaching in a classroom to work in real life.
Tool you can’t live without?
Digital multimeter.
Best advice you got as an apprentice?
Mistakes are inevitable, expected and okay. Just use them to learn.
Best advice for an apprentice?
Be open to actively learning — not just the tasks you need to perform, but also the rhythms of the people you work with. And mistakes are part of the learning process. Just be intentional about doing your best with what you know at the time, and as you learn, your best will get better.
What do you think about Tradeswomen Build Nations?
I don’t know much about it yet, but I’m excited to learn more. It seems like a great opportunity to meet new people and build community.