How to Become a Machinist
- 1). Ask yourself whether you are mechanically inclined and whether you possess an attention to detail. A successful machinist must be able to concentrate on his work and produce accurate results 100 percent of the time.
- 2). Obtain a high school degree and include mathematics, physics, communications, drafting, metalworking and blueprint reading in your courses, if possible. In addition, gain whatever computer education you can.
- 3). Become experienced with machine tools, such as lathes, drill presses and milling machines, through part-time jobs while you are still in high school.
- 4). Be aware that much of your competition in this field receives training in community colleges or technical schools. Ask for informational interviews with local companies to gain insight into the specific type of training that they require of beginner machinists.
- 5). Ask your high school guidance counselor for a list of community colleges or technical schools that offer programs for machinists. In addition, download the Web sites of the Precision Machine Products Association (pmpa.org) and the National Tooling and Machining Association (see ntma.org). They offer in-depth information about the field and a partial list of training facilities.
- 6). Ask the school that impresses you most if its program includes apprenticeships or job-placement services.
- 7). Make certain that the school offers courses in the use of computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools.
