Name: Orlando Silva
Profession/Industry: Computer systems engineering
Current U.S. Position and Company Name: Tool operator, Micron Technologies (employed through ManpowerGroup)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Education: Bachelor in Systems Engineering, Universidad Nicaragüense de Estudios Humanísticos (UNEH)
First Job in U.S.: Sales associate at Home Depot
Story Author: GTI Volunteer Gabriel Hamilton
Orlando Silva is a computer systems engineer from Diriamba, Nicaragua, where he owned and operated a computer repair and maintenance company and worked as the systems administrator at an Internet café. Orlando moved to Idaho from Nicaragua two years ago with his wife, a US citizen who he met while she was on a church mission.
When he arrived in Boise, Orlando got a part-time job at Home Depot and with a cleaning company while also taking classes at College of Western Idaho (CWI) and seeking a job in his field. Orlando learned about Global Talent Idaho (GTI) through CWI, as he sought assistance adapting to the expectations of the US job market.
GTI provided Orlando with interview training and resume assistance and he credits them with helping him to obtain his current position as a tool operator for Micron Technologies. For example, Orlando explains, GTI prepared him to anticipate common interview questions such as “Why do you want to work for us?” They also taught him how to write a U.S.-style professional resume that does not include a photo and that emphasizes relevant detail regarding duties and responsibilities at prior jobs.
It was at a GTI Career Summit that Orlando connected with the person who helped him get his current job. One of the GTI volunteers helping to do mock interviews during the event was a recruiter for Manpower Group, and Orlando so impressed her during his interview that she recruited him to apply for the position at Micron. Orlando seized this opportunity, which is outside his field, as a means to move towards a position that will leverage his systems engineering experience. And he has a plan.
The first step is moving from his current, temporary position as an operator to a permanent position as a Micron-employed Manufacturing Technician, which will provide more opportunities to use his engineering background and allow him to obtain employer support for further education and training. Orlando has applied for that position with the support of his current supervisor. His goal is to obtain the educational qualifications necessary to be employed by Micron as an engineering technician responsible for maintenance of the hardware and software used in microprocessor manufacturing processes.
