Well, Whats your job?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I started in 3rd grade delivering fruits and veggies from the back of a truck. (can you believe people actually bought food from traveling vendors in the alley.)
Had paper routes through high school. Started working as stockboy in an auto parts store at 15, Delco, Mopar and small engine parts.
Worked at Switchcraft in the final production stockroom and saw manufacturing up close. Learned how good switches and connectors are different from the cheap stuff and got to see metal plating operations and large scale machine shops up close.
Summers in college I worked for a TV manufacturing plant, learned to drive fork trucks, speak a little spanish, and how to read people. This was my first realization that saying "I can do that!" can you get you somewhere.
During college I worked for the A/V dept which eventually became Peoria Public TV and the Central Illinois ITFS (educational to schools) broadcaster. Here I learned that time isn't the same everywhere and the only clock that mattered was in Sister Mary's classroom in Mendota.
When I graduated, I had several job offers from TV stations in Chicago but took a job at Chicago Public TV WTTW, where I have been ever since. I have been lucky to be part of an award winning organization and part of a team that produced the longest running music show (Soundstage), developed stereo for TV in the US and became the first TV station to broadcast in stereo on a regular basis. We developed a lot of equipment to handle audio that wasn't available at the time. I work in Electronic Maintenance and Design and I am responsible for the quality of our audio broadcasts. I also repair, install, test and align equipment and design facilities for new equipment use. I am proud to work with a great bunch of people. While I have been here I have also been active in my union, I.B.E.W. Local 1220, as a steward and President.