Portrait of the month: Nicole, expert in electrical assembly at ALUMINOR

Nicole, an experienced woman with proven expertise in electrical assembly

 My name is Nicole, I was born in Corsica and I grew up there. I come from a small village near Bastia. My parents worked hard and work was central to our upbringing .

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a hairdresser. Then in college, I discovered computers. I would have liked to go to a computer school but there was none in Corsica at the time and anyway, you had to go to work...

When I was 14, I started working at Bastia hospital. Wake up every morning at 3 a.m. to start work at 5 a.m. Only one Sunday off per month and up to 300 hours of monthly work on my payslips!

At 17, I left Corsica with the man who will become my husband. We arrive in Nice and I quickly find a job as a chambermaid at the Novotel. Then I am employed in a factory which manufactured swimsuits.

Your career at ALUMINOR:

In 1992, I was hired by ALUMINOR.

Immediately, "the old ones" taught me the job of electrical assembly. But I also work on presses, painting and packaging.

There was a majority of women in the workshops. The “chiefs” were all men. We worked a lot, it was hard but there was great solidarity between us. We always helped each other. Moreover, my best friends, I met them at ALUMINOR!

And still today, Jean-Philippe and Alexandre for example, with whom I have worked for a long time, I consider them a bit like my brothers !

What do you like about your job:

I like to work with my hands. It is my greatest satisfaction. I like to perform tasks that require meticulousness, agility. The electrical assembly corresponds well to this. I like neat things. Each working day is different from the previous one, the missions are diversified and I really appreciate that. I like to teach others, pass on my know-how, share my experience . It's a way of giving back what I was given when I arrived at ALUMINOR.

What you are proud of:

I am proud to make lights, whether they are made in France. It is important to keep all this know-how with us.

The 3 things that characterize you:

I am demanding towards myself and towards others…I am honest and loyal . I am also a big animal lover . I grew up surrounded by animals and as soon as I can, I'll get a dog, that's for sure.

What you like to do when you get home:

I do a lot of creative hobbies: beads, knitting, DIY to help others… Always this pleasure, this need to do things, to make myself useful with my hands!