The Lies You’re Believing about Working in Manufacturing

As the older generation retires from their long-cherished careers in manufacturing, there’s a huge gap between open jobs and interested applicants. Manufacturing jobs offer great benefits, high pay, advancement opportunities, and economic stability. Yet despite all these seemingly attractive reasons, if you’re a young person hunting for your first job or first career, you wrinkle your nose at manufacturing and skip onward to other, often less paying, service-oriented jobs.

What’s the deal? Why don’t young people want to work in manufacturing anymore? The team at ArcelorMittal believes the industry doesn’t have a pay problem; it has a perception problem. There’s a pile of misconceptions circulating about manufacturing, and we’re here to put them to rest.

“Manufacturing isn’t meaningful work.”

Older generations were highly motivated by a well paying job and good benefits, but that just isn’t enough for younger generations. In fact, 57% of Millennials reported that their top priority was finding work they found enjoyable or making a difference in society.

ArcelorMittal’s entire culture is wrapped around inviting all kinds of people into a community that is literally building the future. We’re committed to taking action for climate change, investing in a sustainable future, and creating a flourishing world for people and the planet. 

Everything that is made has to be made by someone, somewhere. At ArcelorMittal, we make the steel that makes buildings, ships, solar and wind energy, cars, appliances, and more. When you work with ArcelorMittal, you get to be a part of all that makes the world go round.

“I don’t want to be a button-pusher all my life. That sounds boring.”

Manufacturing is a worn-out term that sounds like something grandpa did his entire life. Forget “manufacturing facility.” Let’s call it what it actually is: a huge Maker space. 

Manufacturers (ahem, Makers) aren’t all button pushers. They engage in creative product design, advanced visualization, 3D printing, CNC programming, and app development. Makers/manufacturers are creative thinkers and innovators. Makers/manufacturers are finding creative solutions to tomorrow’s challenges.

You might begin in a “button pushing” role, but you don’t have to stay there, and you aren’t treated like a second-class citizen. ArcelorMittal emphasizes the importance of every person on every team to make an excellent product. It takes everyone.

There’s far more to manufacturing than manning a single station day in and day out. Opportunities abound for ambitious individuals to learn new skills and advance their careers. Your only limit is your imagination.

Does that sound like your grandpa’s manufacturing job?

 “All the good manufacturing jobs are far away, and I don’t want to move or have a long commute.”

Members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations are far less likely to want to move away for work, valuing putting down roots in the communities where they were raised, or at least with the communities they’ve grown up alongside. That’s true for folks all throughout our community, too.

ArcelorMittal has excellent entry-level and mid-level job opportunities right here in your own backyard. Now that you know the truth about manufacturing, browse career opportunities and apply today to take the right next step into a lucrative and fulfilling career.