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The Case of Alex From Amazon
Alex started his career with a series of customer service jobs in different industries before moving to a warehouse associate’s role at Amazon.
Even though it was better than his earlier jobs, it was nothing like what he had envisioned for himself as a professional. No surprise, therefore, that he felt stuck and could imagine few ways of moving up the job ladder.
That was before he discovered that Amazon had a range of career choice options for its employees to choose from, either through in-person programs at collaborating colleges or through flexible online learning courses on Unmudl.
The discovery reignited Alex’s passion for robotics, which he had pursued through numerous courses in middle and high school, before going on to study mechanical engineering in his junior and senior years at high school.
The Pathway to New Skills
Alex began his upskilling journey with an introductory course in Mechatronics and Robotics Maintenance, followed by a Level 2 course on the same topic.
The introductory course covered the basics - understanding electrical schematics, how they are applied in real world settings, and basic mechanical knowledge.
Alex found it the best course to begin with for anyone who has no clue where to start in this field.
The Level 2 courses were a lot more in-depth but easy to grasp because of the extensive use of visual aids and animations that watered down complex concepts into digestible capsules.
The courses were designed specifically to make it easy for learners to gain hands-on skills through a motor virtual trainer (MVT) – a software-based simulation that allows users to practice and learn about electric motor control and troubleshooting in a virtual environment.
The MVT enabled a perfect replication of real-world equipment and scenarios. As Alex puts it, “It felt exactly like going for a three-month in-person apprenticeship program”.
The Unmudl Experience
Unmudl courses are designed specifically for working professionals and learners who have to balance other commitments with their coursework.
Alex’s upskilling efforts were further facilitated by Amazon’s culture of fostering continuous learning and upskilling.
With a four-day workweek, he was free to spend all his free time on the Unmudl courses, finishing them off in the short span of just one-and-a-half months.
That is when Unmudl’s unique Skills-to-Jobs ® approach came through for Alex with a game-changing opportunity.
An Unmudl counsellor nudged him towards Principals of Control Systems, an 80-hour self-paced course that combined online learning with virtual simulations.
This course would be an attractive complement to his skills in mechatronics and robotics. It would also help him complete a significant portion of the coursework for the SACA micro-credential titled Certified Industry 4.0 Automation Systems Specialist.
Today, Alex can’t thank the counsellor enough for suggesting the course. “It was amazing. She didn’t have to do that, but she wanted to see me succeed and help me grow within the organization”, he remarks gratefully.
The Outcome
Any questions Alex had about his coursework were answered within a day or less. Unmudl also helped him write job applications and prepare for interviews.
All that helped him stand out from the competition while applying for the role of a Robotics Technician at Amazon.
“Taking the Unmudl courses helped me show I had the relevant knowledge in specific areas like variable frequency drives (VFDs) and troubleshooting electrical circuits,” he says. “Taking the Control Systems course also came up during the interview, so management understood I was keen on applying for a controls position whenever that came up,” he adds.
Unmudl's rigorous training not only helped Alex land his dream job as a Robotics Technician but also helped him excel at the workplace.
“You get a lot of errors with drives every day and it takes a lot of troubleshooting to figure out where the issue is. The Unmudl courses help me understand the various systems and perform better every time,” he says.
“I have no complaints so far”, he adds.
