At Westminster Tool, we believe that our people are what make us different. Our monthly Employee Spotlight is a way to introduce you to the people that make us who we are – and that enable us to exceed expectations.
Danielle O’Connor
Position: Manufacturing Planner
Age: 24
Education: 4 Years at a technical high school focusing on manufacturing technologies
Years at WT: 6
Q1: What are some of your hobbies, outside of work?
Hiking, going to the gym, playing volleyball. I especially love nature & landscape photography when the weather is nice!
Q2: What is something you enjoy about working at Westminster Tool?
I love the support I get from the industry giants (people who have been in the trade for 20+ years) that I work with. If I have questions, I know I have a very knowledgeable resource at my disposal and can learn from them daily. Spending 5 years working with the experts on the shop floor before moving to Manufacturing Planning really set me up to do well in the area. I have some shop floor “hands on” experience, now I get to see more from the Mold-Design side. As I gain exposure and experience on both sides, I think I will get more “dangerous” in this role.
Q3: What is the best advice you have ever received? What was the worst?
Some of the best advice I have ever received came from my father. My dad has always told me to be proud of what I do. If I can’t stand next to my work and say with 100% confidence that I am proud of the results and that I did my best, then I am not truly done with that project. The worst advice I ever received was from a kid in my manufacturing class in high school. Freshman year, right after the first week of shop finished, he said to me, “Girls can’t be machinists, so don’t bother.”
Q4: What was your first job? What did you learn from it?
Westminster Tool was actually my first job. I got pretty lucky. Aside from the trade-specific things I’ve learned, I have also learned a lot about emotional intelligence and how big a role proper communication plays. Whether I’m at work or at home, EI has drastically improved the quality of my relationships.
Q5: What motivates you?
I think I am heavily motivated by my intrinsic values, one of those values being personal growth. Having a career at a company where learning and bettering myself every day is encouraged makes my job fulfilling.
Interested in joining our team? Visit our Careers page to learn more!
