When Shannon (22) started at Printforce through an employment agency in August 2024, she never expected to be operating a large printer independently just a few months later. “I ended up in the packing department. Packing books, processing orders, putting stickers … It was fun right away! And I also felt right at home. The colleagues were fun, helpful, it just clicked. Even then I thought: I want to stay here.”
What she did not know at the time was that her workplace would soon change. During a team meeting, someone asked if anyone was interested in a technical role with the printers.
“That immediately caught my attention. I am not someone who likes to sit still. If I get the chance to learn something new, I want to try it. At the same time, I also thought: I will have to leave my lovely colleagues in packing. But I was too curious. I just had to go for it.”
She spent a day shadowing her supervisor and looked at different machines up close.
“Getting a taste of the technical side, literally seeing what it involves. And then I knew right away: this is what I am looking for. You work with paper, with large machines, you have to stay focused and work precisely. It is physical, but also mentally challenging. That suits me.”
Shannon now works on the cut-sheet printer, a machine that handles loose sheets of paper. She operates the machine independently.
“I make sure the right paper is loaded, set up the machine, and closely monitor everything during printing. It sounds simple, but it has to be accurate down to the millimetre. If the settings are even slightly off, you immediately see it in the end result. Then you have to react quickly and make adjustments.”
No day is the same, she says.
“Sometimes everything runs smoothly, sometimes a rush job comes in or you need to change the settings. You are constantly busy, and it is really satisfying when everything goes well and the final product looks sharp.”
What started as a temporary job through an agency has now become a permanent position. “I have been hired and I am really proud of that. That I was given the opportunity to grow and now fully contribute to the team feels really good.”
Shannon especially values the open atmosphere at Printforce. “What I find special here is that everyone is approachable. Whether you are in the office or in production, you can knock on any door. And if you want to grow in any area, they look at it with you. That space to develop yourself really exists here.”
What gives her the most satisfaction? “That you work together on something tangible. On books that people will soon read or study. Sometimes you see a book pass by with personal photos or a family magazine and then I think: we helped make that. That is great, isn’t it?”
And her ambition? That is clear. “I want to continue developing here, maybe learn to operate other machines or take on more responsibility. There is room to grow here and the atmosphere is good. Then you are in the right place, aren’t you?”
