Adam Balogh
Laney College
Oakland, CA USA
"The most fulfilling life is one that is about learning and developing. Go into it with the sense that life is a project about becoming a more knowledgeable person, and enjoy that process."
Career Roadmap
Adam's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I didn't have a very favorable outlook on blue collar work like machine technology and industrial maintenance when I was first starting out. I eventually realized that not only is this work very intellectual, it is also very fulfilling in a manual and problem solving sense. I was really drawn to the independence of it all and being able to take pride in what I've built.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Comparative Literature
Associate's Degree
Machine Technology
Laney College
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Machine Technology Instructor:
Bachelor's Degree: Machine Technology
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I was born in Hungary, but when the Soviet Union fell and the borders opened up, my family decided to immigrate to the U.S.
2.
I attended a four-year college, where I earned my degree in comparative literature.
3.
After graduating from college in 2010—one of the worst years of the recession—I managed to find a job at a coffee shop...but I hated it.
4.
Seeing me struggle with depression due to my career and financial situation, my girlfriend (now wife) paid for me to go to a community college so I could find something that I truly enjoyed.
5.
Attended Laney College, where I randomly decided to start taking classes in industrial maintenance and machine technology and immediately fell in love with it.
6.
After only two semesters of classes, I was able to find my first job as a machinist before I had even finished the program.
7.
Eventually earned my associate’s degree in machine technology and worked a variety of machining jobs at companies like East Bay Municipal Utility District and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
8.
Returned to Laney College as an instructional assistant and am now a full-time machine technology instructor; in my spare time, I run a YouTube channel called “Machine Tech Video Blog” for fun.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Blue collar work is dull and mindless.
How I responded:
I didn't have a very favorable outlook on blue collar work like machine technology and industrial maintenance when I was first starting out. I eventually realized that not only is this work very intellectual, it is also very fulfilling in a manual and problem solving sense. I was really drawn to the independence of it all and being able to take pride in what I've built.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
After college, I worked at a coffee shop which I hated. I became depressed by my situation and started developing some self-sabotaging habits. My girlfriend ended up paying for me to go to community college so I could find something I truly enjoyed.
I was a comparative literature major in college, but when I graduated I couldn't find a job. I ended up going back to school to study machine technology and quickly found work in that field.