From office chair to workbench

Considering his career path, the fact that Aaron now spends his days working with a saw and a CNC machine is anything but self-evident. “I studied communications management,” he explains. “For five years, I worked in marketing for an online shop before moving to Ghent University, where I took up a communications role. The work was varied and interesting but I was left to my own devices and a large part of my work consisted of organising events with different groups of colleagues. As an introvert that wasn’t really for me. The mismatch was becoming increasingly difficult until I asked myself: ‘Do I really want to keep doing this?’”

“The answer was ‘no’. Aaron set out to find a job where he could work with his hands. Through career guidance and YouTube videos, he discovered his passion for woodworking. “I took the VDAB (Flanders Public Employment Service) Interior Construction course, a basic course that didn’t require any prior knowledge. Perfect for me as I’d never worked with my hands before. I learnt how to make cabinets and chairs and how to operate various machines. It was right up my alley.”

Learning on the job

After completing his six-month course, Aaron applied for the sample maker vacancy at Unilin. It was his very first interview. “I didn’t have any real work experience as a carpenter but that wasn’t a problem for Unilin, as long as I was willing to learn on the job. They gave me the opportunity to grow and my colleagues guided me from day one. I can always rely on their know-how when I’m working on special assignments.” Eight months later, Aaron has settled in just nicely. “Only those rare, highly specific assignments still require a little more experience."

No regrets about career change

The job is more physically demanding than his office job but Aaron sees that as an advantage. “I’d rather be physically tired than mentally exhausted. Of course, my new job also comes with responsibilities and deadlines but it’s different from my previous job. The work is very tangible and simply suits me better. The days fly by and I’m no longer watching the clock. My girlfriend tells me I come home with a smile on my face every day now. I haven’t regretted my career change for a single second.”

What does Aaron like most about his job? The variety. “It’s not as if I do the same thing from morning till evening. There are different steps in the process, each in a different place on the shop floor: I have to cut materials to size, glue them and sometimes work with the CNC machine. And at the end of the day, the tangible result of my work is in my hands. Literally.”

His advice for anyone considering a career change of their own? “Don’t hesitate, follow your heart and your gut feeling. That’s what I did and it was absolutely the right decision.”

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