By The Waldo Mustangs staff
When people hear Nikon they generally think of cameras, but Ms. Daniels explained to Waldo students on Friday that the company actually creates much more. Telescopes, satellites, and other technological devices are among their wares.
“They work on other secret projects, too,” Daniels said, adding that she is compelled by law not to reveal Nikon’s mysteries.
She was just 14 when she began working for Nikon in Belmont, California, and her interview process was fairly informal. Nikon needed someone with computer skills, and fortunately Daniels was able to make the cut based on her experience.
“If you want this job,” they told her, “sit down and type as fast as you can.”
She typed very fast.
Daniels worked at Nikon every summer for ten summers, and she enjoyed the cultural bridges built between the United States and Japan. Meeting new people is always fun, she added.
“The best part was knowing a lot of people from a lot of different places who spoke a lot of different languages,” she said.
While it was largely enjoyable, working at Nikon was not always a walk in the park. Filing and organizing was a big part of the job, and sometimes she would get paper cuts. Still, she persisted.
Starting at $9 an hour as a teenager, Daniels eventually advanced to a substantial $21 when she was promoted to become a patent secretary. She reviewed paperwork submitted by inventors and helped make complicated forms more easily understandable. The big money makers, however, were those who were particularly successful with inventions.
“Nikon would pay as much as $10,000 to anyone who was granted a patent,” she said.
While Nikon ranks high among the jobs that Daniels has been involved with, she pointed out that it was not number one.
“I moved to Oregon and attended Corban so that I could become a teacher,” Daniels said. “Teaching at Waldo has been my favorite job.”
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