hexagon logo

Crazy Job Market

What's the CMM job market like near you?

I live and work in the far northern outskirts of Chicago. There is a fair amount of industry around me, but there are typically only two or three CMM job openings at a time within my commuting area. Most of them are normally the same few jobs that nobody wants or they just don’t pay enough.

However, right now it seems like there are quite a few jobs available near me that I'd be happy to take if I didn't already have a good thing going. Also, where I work we have been down a CMM programmer for many months and recently lost two more who left for greener pastures. HR tells me that no one is even applying, let alone anyone with good qualifications! We are working to build talent from within, but it's going to take some time.

How about you?
Are you currently understaffed? Or should I say, more understaffed than usual?
Do you see a lot more job openings near you?
Am I the only one dumb enough to do this for a living? What am I missing here?


  • Summer time, eh? What's happening then?


    Someone is retiring and no, I don't plan on quitting this place anytime soon.


  • Congratulations! It is pretty great when they offer you the job on the spot like that. That's when you know you have bargaining power. It's also a little suspicious, but you may have been the only applicant they have seen.

    "we pay less than fast food and treat them worse" - Some days I look at what they pay in fast food and retail and think... I could make that work. Then I remember what it was like to deal with entitled customers and realize how grateful I am to do what I do.

    I hope you enjoy the new job!




    Thank you! I was a little wary of how desperate they seem but I read reviews on the company. Looks like the owner can be a little hands on/micro-managey but I can handle that. Honestly the bar at this point is so low that I'll be happy as long as there's no insults or yelling. I'm excited to get back into machining too, plastics sucks. I've been telling all my coworkers that the job market is crazy right now and to go out and look for better opportunities.
  • Wish you the best man! I had a year where I switched jobs 10 times for more pay... I nearly tripled my pay (but that's not too hard to do when you're making peanuts) what an adventure that was.
  • Kp61dude!, that is an insane amount of job switching. An adventure indeed. Filing taxes that year must have been mess.
  • I guess I'll add to the good news... I have accepted a new job! Massive pay bump (25%), 80 hours vacation time on day 1, full benefits on day 1, 401k at 90 days and they will let me flex my hours for my racing! They also encourage headphones which makes me really happy and they have no issue with me being on here while at work!

    I feel stuck in my position at my current job. The new job is CMM programmer/inspection manager. I will be the sole programmer and will have 3-4 operators (between 2 shifts) working under my direction. I will also be organizing the filing structure for CMM programs and writing work instructions as well as updating all old programs. Basically the company is giving me control of the inspection area. They have a decent setup now but they and I know that there is a lot of room for improvement which is why they are bringing me in.

    I interviewed Monday for 2.5 hours, my longest interview ever. The quality supervisor wanted to give me a formal offer that day but, since it was later in the day and key people had already left, the official offer had to wait until yesterday.

    The only downside is my drive to work doubles to an hour one way but that has never bothered me before at previous jobs. This job is taking me out of the aerospace world and into surgical but I am ok with that since I will be having almost full control of inspection.

    I honestly can't wait to start and I will be starting right after my birthday!

    Oh, and to top it off... one of the shops capabilities is 3d printing stainless and titanium!

    I guess I'll keep this account so I don't lose my post count Sunglasses
  • I guess I'll add to the good news... I have accepted a new job! Massive pay bump (25%), 80 hours vacation time on day 1, full benefits on day 1, 401k at 90 days and they will let me flex my hours for my racing! They also encourage headphones which makes me really happy and they have no issue with me being on here while at work!

    I feel stuck in my position at my current job. The new job is CMM programmer/inspection manager. I will be the sole programmer and will have 3-4 operators (between 2 shifts) working under my direction. I will also be organizing the filing structure for CMM programs and writing work instructions as well as updating all old programs. Basically the company is giving me control of the inspection area. They have a decent setup now but they and I know that there is a lot of room for improvement which is why they are bringing me in.

    I interviewed Monday for 2.5 hours, my longest interview ever. The quality supervisor wanted to give me a formal offer that day but, since it was later in the day and key people had already left, the official offer had to wait until yesterday.

    The only downside is my drive to work doubles to an hour one way but that has never bothered me before at previous jobs. This job is taking me out of the aerospace world and into surgical but I am ok with that since I will be having almost full control of inspection.

    I honestly can't wait to start and I will be starting right after my birthday!

    Oh, and to top it off... one of the shops capabilities is 3d printing stainless and titanium!

    I guess I'll keep this account so I don't lose my post count Sunglasses


    Incredibly happy for you!!!!!! Congrats!
  • I went to "like" your comment and I almost flagged it... oops.
  • I guess I'll add to the good news... I have accepted a new job! Massive pay bump (25%), 80 hours vacation time on day 1, full benefits on day 1, 401k at 90 days and they will let me flex my hours for my racing! They also encourage headphones which makes me really happy and they have no issue with me being on here while at work!

    I feel stuck in my position at my current job. The new job is CMM programmer/inspection manager. I will be the sole programmer and will have 3-4 operators (between 2 shifts) working under my direction. I will also be organizing the filing structure for CMM programs and writing work instructions as well as updating all old programs. Basically the company is giving me control of the inspection area. They have a decent setup now but they and I know that there is a lot of room for improvement which is why they are bringing me in.

    I interviewed Monday for 2.5 hours, my longest interview ever. The quality supervisor wanted to give me a formal offer that day but, since it was later in the day and key people had already left, the official offer had to wait until yesterday.

    The only downside is my drive to work doubles to an hour one way but that has never bothered me before at previous jobs. This job is taking me out of the aerospace world and into surgical but I am ok with that since I will be having almost full control of inspection.

    I honestly can't wait to start and I will be starting right after my birthday!

    Oh, and to top it off... one of the shops capabilities is 3d printing stainless and titanium!

    I guess I'll keep this account so I don't lose my post count Sunglasses


    I flagged 30.1 so we're all set


  • I SAID ALMOST!Sunglasses


    GO BIG OR GO HOMEAlien
    1800 here I come