Tech. Sgt. Matthew Zellefrow
United States Air Force
Abilene, TX USA
"Don’t let anybody else drive your life. Whatever you are going to do, do it on your own terms. You are #1 in your own life."
Career Roadmap
Tech. Sgt. Matthew's work combines: Armed Services, Technology, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
As a teenager, I was just a young punk without direction who was into music and fast cars.
2.
I took my time after high school to explore my options—decided to join the Air Force when I was 22 years old.
3.
Initially I wanted to become an avionics mechanic, but my recruiter encouraged me to pursue air traffic control instead.
4.
Have been working in air traffic control for the last 13 years.
5.
I now work as the Air Traffic Control Watch Supervisor at Dyess Air Force.
6.
I oversee all air traffic controllers in the tower to ensure they are doing their jobs correctly and I’m there to rectify any issues that may come up.
7.
The constant rotating schedules that air traffic controllers work make balancing work and family life difficult, but I’ve gotten used to it over the years.
8.
The thing that has made the biggest impact on my life is not rushing into decisions—you don’t have to jump into everything head first.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't want to work in air traffic control.
How I responded:
When I joined the military, I had my heart set on becoming an avionics mechanic. There was a long wait list for that job that would have delayed my enlistment, so my recruiter suggested air traffic control. I was really hesitant at first because it didn't seem like something I would like. I've now been here for over 13 years because I realized its a job that involves a lot of things that I am good at.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
In air traffic control, we work rotating schedules, which means that our hours are always changing. It makes balancing work and family life difficult.