Working in a factory operation isn’t always considered to be the most glamorous of jobs. But there is significant scope for progression when you look at the overall structure. So what are the things you need to actually start working in a factory? When it comes to entry requirements, you may not need any specific qualifications at all, which is very handy in the short-term. However, if you are looking to climb up the ladder in a manufacturing firm. Or you are looking at a specific aspect of working in a factory, like quality control. Some employers may ask for a generally good standard of education, such as GCSE’s.

What Experience Do I Need?

This is entirely dependant on the factory itself. They may ask for previous experience on a production line, or you may need experience in being a forklift driver, or certain transportation. You can obtain a qualification in forklift driving by applying for one. You can see what options are available to you by looking online.  

While you can get a job such as this through an apprenticeship, there are ways to get a factory role by applying through various temp agencies that specialise in factory and manufacturing work. If applying through this way, they may ask you to take a test to assess your practical skills.

What Skills Are Required?

Working in a factory isn’t a boring, mind-numbing job that can be done by a robot. You need skills in being able to work quickly and with a lot of focus. For example, if your task is to piece together a small item the size of a lightbulb, you need to be completely focused and alert due to the size of the object. As the task is repetitive, this will impact on your ability to concentrate, so you need to be sure that you are keeping your energy up. Working on a factory line can have you doing tasks like operating a conveyor belt. Or feeding batches of raw material into machinery for production. Or transporting goods to a warehouse or storage.

What Are My Working Hours?

It can vary completely. If you work shifts in a factory, you could cover a variety of shifts. You could work weekends or night shifts. With unsociable work hours, you could get unsociable pay. In addition to this, you can get bonuses for productivity. Sometimes your shifts may be very sporadic and have no consistency to them at all, to some this may make them question whether their pay will be correct by the end of the pay period, but with many businesses using employee time tracking software packages, your hours completed will be recorded and paid correctly.

What Duties Will I Have?

You will mainly work on a production line. Doing this you could spend a lot of your time standing up while operating machinery. Or you may sit at a workbench or an assembly line. Depending on your working environment, you may need to wear Safety Footwear or protective clothing. But these are usually provided for you. However, if you’re working in a meat packing factory, you may want to wear an extra layer as it can get cold.

Is There Opportunity For Progression?

Yes. The more experience you will gain you can be promoted to a shift supervisor. Or you could move into quality control. This can involve dealing with customer feedback or complaints. Other duties include rating suppliers, updating quality control policies, producing reports and training new staff.

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