Melissa Phelan-MissyWelds

CWB Certified Welding and Fabrication Technician and Robotics Programmer and Technician

Kingston, Ontario

Canada

Three words that describe you?

Unique, Hardworking, Creative.

Who are your role models and mentors?

My role models and mentors are constantly being added to on a daily basis. They are the men and women who do not give up, the men and women who make mistakes, and the men and women who build each other up.

What is your favorite thing about your current job?

Currently, I am laid off of my full time position due to COVID-19.

What originally got you interested in your current field of work?

My current field of work is due to certain situations in my life. I had to move back home when my father got ill about three years ago.

What career advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell myself to trust in myself and my confidence in my skills and knowledge.

When you started your current job, what most surprised you?

When I started my current job I was working with mostly wood substrates and laminates so it was a whole new learning experience for me as far as that work.

Do you have an embarrassing or funny story you can share about work or something that has happened at work?

Well, I am a welder so when I get burnt it looks funny for everyone else but it’s just embarrassing for me, does that count? Haha!

Have you had to deal with conflict or confrontation while at work? How did you handle it?

When dealing with conflict or a confrontation in a workplace you have to use your head, keep calm and solve the problem or situation with the best of your abilities. Sometimes no reaction is the best reaction as well.

Do you have any suggestions on how to encourage more women to try a career in the trades?

If you want a very rewarding and challenging career, where you need to push your limits on a daily basis, welding is that. Finding out what you like working with and just improving on yourself every day by practicing, researching, and asking professionals already in that specific trade can be very informative.

Who has had the biggest impact on your career choice?

Myself.

If you could do anything, besides what you're doing now, what would you do?

There are so many things I would love to do, life has endless possibilities! I can’t tell you all the secrets, but more automotive work will be in my future, I just know it.

What was the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up?

I still remember when my father had his first brain aneurysm when I was young and I wanted to become a neurosurgeon so I could save people like him.

What type of role do you want to take on after this one?

No one knows what the future holds. If you told me when I was 15 working at a Chicken and Tater restaurant what I was going to be when I was 32, I certainly would not have believed you or understood why.

Life is full of roads, corners and turns... you just never know...

What do you remember most about your first job?

I used to work for a Chicken and Tater restaurant when I was 14 years old. I remember loving going into work because I got a free meal before and during the shift! It was the best job ever as a 14 year old.

How old were you when you started working?

I started working when I was 14 years old.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

The worst job I ever had was at a Butcher Shop when I was a teenager. I had the job of cleaning the meat trap at the end of the night and there is NOTHING worse than the smell of that.

What are people always surprised to discover about you?

I am a twin.

Who is your favorite person in the world?

My favorite person in the world is my Grandmother (she tells me how it is…. hahaha)

What is the craziest thing you hope to do one day? 

Move to a foreign country and experience life from a different perspective.

Anything else you would like to add or comment on?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about me, and getting to know me a little better. Blue Collar Sisters kicks ass and go follow me on Instagram @MissyWelds for my work.