Hello all,

New to the forum, and I need some advice.

I've been working at a manufacturer coming up on 4 years now. I'm finishing college this year and was hired as a QA intern when I first started at university and have been working full-time now as a controls specialist in engineering for these last 2 years. I really enjoy the system integration side of it, but for the past couple months, it seems like I'm fixing the same machines over and over again. Sometimes it's different problems, but it's tiring having to constantly troubleshoot and fix the same robots or machines/setups that were built in-house 20+ years ago. I think a problem here, also, is that I don't have the experience to get problems I haven't encountered before done as fast as most people in controls. A lot of times, I learn by trial, which is the best way to learn, imo. What I miss at times is a person I can ask a question I may have or ask for an idea from; I understand that in this field you're the last line of defense, sometimes I just wish I was a better last line of defense I guess, lol.

I'm not sure if I'm not learning at a higher rate much anymore, or if the work is blinding me from seeing that I am still learning here. A question to everyone who may read: In your experience, if you're a beginner in controls, is it better to work for a smaller company who would give you more of a leash to learn yourself, with a better opportunity to advance your career? Or work for a larger company that would likely pay more, and would have more people you can learn from and ask questions?

Thanks to all who may have thoughts on the matter.

 

Do what you enjoy and don't forget safety first, when as job pays more, they demand more.

 

Do what you enjoy and don't forget safety first, when as job pays more, they demand more.

Thanks, Dave; I appreciate the feedback.

 

@tim_Finch,

Very good question.

I started my career not in controls but in the mechanical side of the power generation industry. After a couple of years I realized the controls side was much more interesting and changed groups. (I was hired by a formerly huge multinational conglomerate and in the field engineering business there were multiple groups and even subgroups at that time--marine, fossil and industrial. There was a very new and well-appointed training center all the new field engineers (actual, degreed field engineers) attended. I was hired by the marine business which unbeknownst to me was already in very severe decline but was reassigned to the industrial group and switched jobs to the fossil group, which also had a controls sub-group.) There I mostly by accident discovered people who could answer questions for me from time to time and who I networked with, but I basically was thrown into the very deep end of the pool and chose to swim and not sink.

I grew my network without whom I wouldn't have been as accomplished or experienced as I became. Several of these people, including some component suppliers, became friends I would call from time to time (before email...) to check in with them and ask about family and hobbies. And, the one thing that I think helped me grow and maintain my network more than anything else was providing feedback to people I asked for help with a problem to let them know how the problem was resolved (in addition to not always calling to talk about work). I would ALWAYS start such a call with, "Are you busy? Do you have a few minutes for a question or two?" And if they didn't know the answer, they would call around and find someone who did--staying on the phone to be sure my question was answered.

But, I have to also say that while there are some large companies that have some very knowledgeable people who can actually make their knowledge and experience understandable, there are fewer and fewer of them. In the controls industry many of these people have retired or are retiring, some of whom hope to occasionally work part-time and aren't really too interested in sharing what they know. There are people who are quite knowledgeable and experienced but just can't teach others what they know--they just know what they know and haven't given any time to thinking about how to impart that information to others.

On the other hand, there are a LOT of people who are willing to share their knowledge and experience but don't have a lot of either and this leads to half-truths and wives' tales that spread like wildfire through the company and through the company's technicians and even customers . And, most of those people can't really explain what they "know;" they just "know it." And I tended to listen to what they have to say, and either discard it or think about how it might be applicable or how someone could come to that "conclusion"--but I didn't say too much to them about their beliefs. It's a truism: You can't reason someone out of a position or belief they didn't reason themselves into. Think about that sentence--it's very important in all aspects of life, not just work. The answer I loathed and detested was, "Because that's the way we've always done it!" (usually spoken in a loud voice with emphasis, after I had asked for a more detailed explanation). And I tended to not ask many questions of those people, but I was always willing to share with them (some were grateful; others were not happy about not being asked for help or information any longer).

I went to work for smaller companies a few times (less than 50 people on a couple of occasions; less than 300 in another) and those companies generally had some very experienced and knowledgeable people but they couldn't always communicate what they knew so that others could also understand it so that they could explain it to others. And in a small company those with any actual field experience were expected to be the experts and not need much in the way of guidance or assistance--they were expected to provide it to others.

Controls work is about 70% people skills and 30% technical skills. Those are rough estimates, but not too far off. Controls engineers/technicians often have experience with control systems/panels that have LOTS of wire and lots of LEDs--some that flash red or yellow or green or white with no apparent meaning. But all those wires and all those LEDs really frighten some people (operators; operations supervisors; mechanics; plant managers) and because the control systems are "complicated" they blame all problems on the control system (which is usually preventing them from starting or doing what they perceive the control should be doing--but isn't, or isn't doing something they perceive the control should be doing--but isn't). So they have a fear and contempt for the control system (remember all those wires (with electricity in them--which baffles most people) and all those LEDs some of which flash for no apparent reason) and often have some preconceived notions of how it should or shouldn't work--but can't dig in to the control system to discern that for themselves. Some even believe the control system is the root of all evil (sad, but true).

So controls engineers/technicians are often called on to explain how the control system actually works (which can be in very large contrast to the way some people perceive it should or shouldn't work) and that requires a fair amount of skill (that's a large part of the the people skills I mentioned above). And, one can spend a lot of time trying to gain the respect and confidence of people who have harbored some incorrect perceptions for a long or very long time. (Most of these perceptions weren't arrived at after any analysis or study or discussion, it's really more of just a spur-of-the-moment feeling and can be very hard to dispel.) Sometimes this takes MORE time than actually working or resolving a real (not perceived) problem....

So, having been a very little fish in a very big pond and having had the extreme fortune of developing a very good network of really knowledgeable and helpful people who helped my immensely come to know and understand the equipment I was entrusted to work on I can say it was beneficial. And, having been the "one" expected to know the answers and be able to explain it to others was also beneficial because it forced me to be able to develop ways to explain things so others could understand it--and hopefully explain it to still other people so they could understand it. BUT that took many years and LOTS of manhours for me to reach that level of knowledge and experience. And reading your post has made me realize how important working for a very large company was to my early career. I hadn't really thought about that aspect of my career.

Having said all of that, I think the working world has changed greatly from when I started 42 years ago. Nowadays, the expectations are much higher for technical skillsets, and those people who can communicate are really in demand (there's that people skills side of the business again). If I had it to do all over again--knowing what I know now--I wouldn't change a thing. But, again, it's a very different business world with different expectations of employees.

I think there's HUGE value in working for a company that, as you say, can "... give you more of a leash to learn yourself, with a better opportunity to advance your career..." than working in a large company where you may or may not have access to develop a network to expand your knowledge and experience and grow. Very often your manager doesn't have time to mentor you the way he/she should or might--they have very different metrics (budgets and income to name two very important metrics). Pay is important--but it's not everything. I made a LOT of money, but I did it working seven days a week, weeks in a row, sometimes 14-20 hours in a day (successive days, even) and I was away from home, family and friends doing it. In addition to the money I gained a lot of very valuable experience. In my work with the very large company I was expected to be billable as many hours as possible--and believe it or not (but it's true!)--the "assigned time rate" (the number of hours one was actually billable out of the total number of hours in a year) didn't exclude holidays or vacation days, so one could never actually be 100% assigned because of vacation, holidays or even sick days, but managers would criticize you for not having an unachievable assigned time rate. (When I started pointing this out a couple of my managers they didn't even know how the assigned time rate was calculated!) The number of hours which could be worked in the year was 2080 (40 hours/per week multiplied times 52 weeks) and even overtime couldn't increase the assigned time rate (and I worked a LOT of overtime). It was insane. And while the company has since changed the metric, it's still difficult to reach a very high assigned time rate--which your manager and their manager want you to! And, since we don't assign ourselves we really had no control over the assigned time rate. Truly mindbending at times, working for a large corporation.

But that's an example of how the work world has changed and changes and especially for large companies that are under pressure to deliver profits for managers' bonuses, oh, and shareholders. (In my case, a LOT of those profits were used to buy back shares to try to increase the company's share price--but it failed miserably.)

Thanks for reading this far. This is my experience, and, as they say, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). It may or may not be applicable. In the controls business being a good operator--knowing what's supposed to happen or not happen when it's supposed to happen or not happen--is extremely important. Sometimes that can be gleaned from the program in a PLC or PAC or purpose-built control system using some good critical thinking skills--an EXTREMELY important skill, I might add--and not just at work, in everyday life. Sometimes one can ask a question of a more knowledgeable and experienced person to get the information. If I had to start over again in today's business world knowing what I know now, I'd think long and hard about working for a large corporation--or I would be doing some "interviewing" of my own talking to potential colleagues about their experiences (always taken with a grain of salt, by the way), not just the hiring "committee." But, like I said, many of the people I networked with have retired and there just aren't people like that around anymore, or if they are they are the exception to the rule rather than the norm.

I wish you success; I probably didn't give you the definitive answer you were hoping for but I hope something "sticks" and helps you now and/or in the future.

 

@tim_Finch,

Very good question.

I started my career not in controls but in the mechanical side of the power generation industry. After a couple of years I realized the controls side was much more interesting and changed groups. (I was hired by a formerly huge multinational conglomerate and in the field engineering business there were multiple groups and even subgroups at that time--marine, fossil and industrial. There was a very new and well-appointed training center all the new field engineers (actual, degreed field engineers) attended. I was hired by the marine business which unbeknownst to me was already in very severe decline but was reassigned to the industrial group and switched jobs to the fossil group, which also had a controls sub-group.) There I mostly by accident discovered people who could answer questions for me from time to time and who I networked with, but I basically was thrown into the very deep end of the pool and chose to swim and not sink.

I grew my network without whom I wouldn't have been as accomplished or experienced as I became. Several of these people, including some component suppliers, became friends I would call from time to time (before email...) to check in with them and ask about family and hobbies. And, the one thing that I think helped me grow and maintain my network more than anything else was providing feedback to people I asked for help with a problem to let them know how the problem was resolved (in addition to not always calling to talk about work). I would ALWAYS start such a call with, "Are you busy? Do you have a few minutes for a question or two?" And if they didn't know the answer, they would call around and find someone who did--staying on the phone to be sure my question was answered.

But, I have to also say that while there are some large companies that have some very knowledgeable people who can actually make their knowledge and experience understandable, there are fewer and fewer of them. In the controls industry many of these people have retired or are retiring, some of whom hope to occasionally work part-time and aren't really too interested in sharing what they know. There are people who are quite knowledgeable and experienced but just can't teach others what they know--they just know what they know and haven't given any time to thinking about how to impart that information to others.

On the other hand, there are a LOT of people who are willing to share their knowledge and experience but don't have a lot of either and this leads to half-truths and wives' tales that spread like wildfire through the company and through the company's technicians and even customers . And, most of those people can't really explain what they "know;" they just "know it." And I tended to listen to what they have to say, and either discard it or think about how it might be applicable or how someone could come to that "conclusion"--but I didn't say too much to them about their beliefs. It's a truism: You can't reason someone out of a position or belief they didn't reason themselves into. Think about that sentence--it's very important in all aspects of life, not just work. The answer I loathed and detested was, "Because that's the way we've always done it!" (usually spoken in a loud voice with emphasis, after I had asked for a more detailed explanation). And I tended to not ask many questions of those people, but I was always willing to share with them (some were grateful; others were not happy about not being asked for help or information any longer).

I went to work for smaller companies a few times (less than 50 people on a couple of occasions; less than 300 in another) and those companies generally had some very experienced and knowledgeable people but they couldn't always communicate what they knew so that others could also understand it so that they could explain it to others. And in a small company those with any actual field experience were expected to be the experts and not need much in the way of guidance or assistance--they were expected to provide it to others.

Controls work is about 70% people skills and 30% technical skills. Those are rough estimates, but not too far off. Controls engineers/technicians often have experience with control systems/panels that have LOTS of wire and lots of LEDs--some that flash red or yellow or green or white with no apparent meaning. But all those wires and all those LEDs really frighten some people (operators; operations supervisors; mechanics; plant managers) and because the control systems are "complicated" they blame all problems on the control system (which is usually preventing them from starting or doing what they perceive the control should be doing--but isn't, or isn't doing something they perceive the control should be doing--but isn't). So they have a fear and contempt for the control system (remember all those wires (with electricity in them--which baffles most people) and all those LEDs some of which flash for no apparent reason) and often have some preconceived notions of how it should or shouldn't work--but can't dig in to the control system to discern that for themselves. Some even believe the control system is the root of all evil (sad, but true).

So controls engineers/technicians are often called on to explain how the control system actually works (which can be in very large contrast to the way some people perceive it should or shouldn't work) and that requires a fair amount of skill (that's a large part of the the people skills I mentioned above). And, one can spend a lot of time trying to gain the respect and confidence of people who have harbored some incorrect perceptions for a long or very long time. (Most of these perceptions weren't arrived at after any analysis or study or discussion, it's really more of just a spur-of-the-moment feeling and can be very hard to dispel.) Sometimes this takes MORE time than actually working or resolving a real (not perceived) problem....

So, having been a very little fish in a very big pond and having had the extreme fortune of developing a very good network of really knowledgeable and helpful people who helped my immensely come to know and understand the equipment I was entrusted to work on I can say it was beneficial. And, having been the "one" expected to know the answers and be able to explain it to others was also beneficial because it forced me to be able to develop ways to explain things so others could understand it--and hopefully explain it to still other people so they could understand it. BUT that took many years and LOTS of manhours for me to reach that level of knowledge and experience. And reading your post has made me realize how important working for a very large company was to my early career. I hadn't really thought about that aspect of my career.

Having said all of that, I think the working world has changed greatly from when I started 42 years ago. Nowadays, the expectations are much higher for technical skillsets, and those people who can communicate are really in demand (there's that people skills side of the business again). If I had it to do all over again--knowing what I know now--I wouldn't change a thing. But, again, it's a very different business world with different expectations of employees.

I think there's HUGE value in working for a company that, as you say, can "... give you more of a leash to learn yourself, with a better opportunity to advance your career..." than working in a large company where you may or may not have access to develop a network to expand your knowledge and experience and grow. Very often your manager doesn't have time to mentor you the way he/she should or might--they have very different metrics (budgets and income to name two very important metrics). Pay is important--but it's not everything. I made a LOT of money, but I did it working seven days a week, weeks in a row, sometimes 14-20 hours in a day (successive days, even) and I was away from home, family and friends doing it. In addition to the money I gained a lot of very valuable experience. In my work with the very large company I was expected to be billable as many hours as possible--and believe it or not (but it's true!)--the "assigned time rate" (the number of hours one was actually billable out of the total number of hours in a year) didn't exclude holidays or vacation days, so one could never actually be 100% assigned because of vacation, holidays or even sick days, but managers would criticize you for not having an unachievable assigned time rate. (When I started pointing this out a couple of my managers they didn't even know how the assigned time rate was calculated!) The number of hours which could be worked in the year was 2080 (40 hours/per week multiplied times 52 weeks) and even overtime couldn't increase the assigned time rate (and I worked a LOT of overtime). It was insane. And while the company has since changed the metric, it's still difficult to reach a very high assigned time rate--which your manager and their manager want you to! And, since we don't assign ourselves we really had no control over the assigned time rate. Truly mindbending at times, working for a large corporation.

But that's an example of how the work world has changed and changes and especially for large companies that are under pressure to deliver profits for managers' bonuses, oh, and shareholders. (In my case, a LOT of those profits were used to buy back shares to try to increase the company's share price--but it failed miserably.)

Thanks for reading this far. This is my experience, and, as they say, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). It may or may not be applicable. In the controls business being a good operator--knowing what's supposed to happen or not happen when it's supposed to happen or not happen--is extremely important. Sometimes that can be gleaned from the program in a PLC or PAC or purpose-built control system using some good critical thinking skills--an EXTREMELY important skill, I might add--and not just at work, in everyday life. Sometimes one can ask a question of a more knowledgeable and experienced person to get the information. If I had to start over again in today's business world knowing what I know now, I'd think long and hard about working for a large corporation--or I would be doing some "interviewing" of my own talking to potential colleagues about their experiences (always taken with a grain of salt, by the way), not just the hiring "committee." But, like I said, many of the people I networked with have retired and there just aren't people like that around anymore, or if they are they are the exception to the rule rather than the norm.

I wish you success; I probably didn't give you the definitive answer you were hoping for but I hope something "sticks" and helps you now and/or in the future.

This actually gave a lot of insight of what I may look to do. The company I work for now is not "small" necessarily; we have 10 manufacturing plants in the U.S. and around 20 locations total. The main reason I came out with this, is just to get some outside perspectives of other peoples' experiences, and you shared just that.

A few weeks back, I had that one person who worked as the lead controls engineer in corporate whom I could ask any question, and 99% of the time, he had the answer. I was close with him, but he recently took a management position at another plant and no longer travels to other locations to help take on projects. I wouldn't apply for the position he was in with the level of knowledge I have about all this stuff. Before he took that position, I was set to travel to plants with him and assist in larger system integration projects in a few months. Now I feel like that has gone and may be forgotten about. Back in December, I applied for a job at Rockwell; I didn't feel I'd enjoy the work I'd be doing (testing in R&D, just not a huge fan, personally), but they offered the spot. After talking with some others who have worked there before, I almost feel embarrassed to tell them I turned it down.

I just feel like I'm lagging behind in progress, as I went about this line of work backwards. I gladly took on the role of programming machines pretty early (robots, CMMs, etc.). Then came PLC editing and programming. By no means am I a pro, but I feel programming came relatively easy to me (perhaps studying in CS helped a bit with that). What did me in is when I started having to integrate electrical components, build cabinets, and draft schematics. As someone who never took courses in electrical engineering, it became clear that the path I took was a little twisted. I feel having a good base understanding of electrical components, how mechanisms inside a cabinet work, power distribution, etc. is a good first step before learning the programming side. I since have gotten a bit better at cabinet design and knowing how all these parts function together, but sometimes I feel I'm just a bit behind schedule compared to other people.

Thank you for sharing your story; the response means a lot. I know this is the line of work I want to be in, I just want to be the best I can be at it.

 

Just be patient,

 

I started in the offshore oil industry on an old vessel (early 80s) with almost zero automation. When that company sold its assets to a competitor, I shifted into automotive manufacturing as a mulit-craft industrial maintenance technician. I learned about how to work on the machines and used the PLC for troubleshooting a little (a VERY little). My next role was a shift more into the automation side as an automation technician. I was more focused on the PLC/controls side but was still getting my hands dirty. Started using AutoCAD LT to modify and then create schematics for simple machines. Basically just copying what others had done as much as possible. I went back to school for a degree that more people would understand (when seeing "Marine Engineering", they'd inevitably ask, "you were a Marine?") and ended up in a role as the plant electrical engineer. I still hadn't designed a full system from the ground up yet, but I was "thrown to the wolves", taking over for my retiring predecessor who'd been there over 20 years with about 5-6 months of overlap. That was a very steep learning curve, but I was able to grow into it.

The whole time, I was relying on the people skills that @WTF? mentioned to build and maintain relationship with the operators and other maintenance techs. Never underestimate the value in coming back to a machine the next day to confirm it's still running or that a modification you made for them still meets their needs. Operators really appreciate that. They also appreciate it when you ask them detailed questions about what it's doing that it shouldn't or what it should be doing that it isn't. And how they know what it's supposed to be doing. They may be wrong, but they value their input being sought and used in the troubleshooting process.

I've now been in the machine automation/controls world for over 20 years now and I still learn every day. Sometimes by making mistakes, other times by asking questions. Since I took over for that guy who retired, I've had to be the subject matter expert and one of the most valuable things I've ever allowed myself to do is to say, "I don't know". That actually helped me land my first maintenance tech job, being honest in the interview. Even when you're supposed to be "the expert", never be afraid to admit you don't know something. If that leads to issues with management, then you need new management.

If you feel like you're in over your head...you probably are. And I still feel that way a lot of the time, especially when I'm bouncing between firefighting and several major automation projects at the same time. A good manager will understand that you're never going to know everything you need to know, but it's important to be able to find out stuff. My automation career has always been with larger companies, but my work has always been very local in a single facility with little or no help from outside the facility. From that perspective, it's like I've been working for smaller companies. So...I've found out who the local distributors and manufacturer's reps are for major brands and components and developed relationships with them that have spanned jobs and companies. Build your support network over time, and you'll have a much better chance of success.

 

I started in the offshore oil industry on an old vessel (early 80s) with almost zero automation. When that company sold its assets to a competitor, I shifted into automotive manufacturing as a mulit-craft industrial maintenance technician. I learned about how to work on the machines and used the PLC for troubleshooting a little (a VERY little). My next role was a shift more into the automation side as an automation technician. I was more focused on the PLC/controls side but was still getting my hands dirty. Started using AutoCAD LT to modify and then create schematics for simple machines. Basically just copying what others had done as much as possible. I went back to school for a degree that more people would understand (when seeing "Marine Engineering", they'd inevitably ask, "you were a Marine?") and ended up in a role as the plant electrical engineer. I still hadn't designed a full system from the ground up yet, but I was "thrown to the wolves", taking over for my retiring predecessor who'd been there over 20 years with about 5-6 months of overlap. That was a very steep learning curve, but I was able to grow into it.

The whole time, I was relying on the people skills that @WTF? mentioned to build and maintain relationship with the operators and other maintenance techs. Never underestimate the value in coming back to a machine the next day to confirm it's still running or that a modification you made for them still meets their needs. Operators really appreciate that. They also appreciate it when you ask them detailed questions about what it's doing that it shouldn't or what it should be doing that it isn't. And how they know what it's supposed to be doing. They may be wrong, but they value their input being sought and used in the troubleshooting process.

I've now been in the machine automation/controls world for over 20 years now and I still learn every day. Sometimes by making mistakes, other times by asking questions. Since I took over for that guy who retired, I've had to be the subject matter expert and one of the most valuable things I've ever allowed myself to do is to say, "I don't know". That actually helped me land my first maintenance tech job, being honest in the interview. Even when you're supposed to be "the expert", never be afraid to admit you don't know something. If that leads to issues with management, then you need new management.

If you feel like you're in over your head...you probably are. And I still feel that way a lot of the time, especially when I'm bouncing between firefighting and several major automation projects at the same time. A good manager will understand that you're never going to know everything you need to know, but it's important to be able to find out stuff. My automation career has always been with larger companies, but my work has always been very local in a single facility with little or no help from outside the facility. From that perspective, it's like I've been working for smaller companies. So...I've found out who the local distributors and manufacturer's reps are for major brands and components and developed relationships with them that have spanned jobs and companies. Build your support network over time, and you'll have a much better chance of success.

Thanks for the advice, Joseph. The "in over your head-" comment is something that really hit home. But it's the feeling you get and the knowledge you soak in after everything finally starts making sense from a given project or task that keeps me in this field. The use of critical thinking works your mind unlike any job I've come across.

Unfortunately, I do believe my time at this place is slowly coming to an end. Since my original post, the company has drastically cut its automation budget and have cancelled any upcoming travelling projects for controls this year, companywide. It appears to be another year that we cannot look to implement any system integration for process improvement. I applied for a maintenance controls tech position at a slightly larger place; I'm not looking to run out of here, but if I see a position open up somewhere that I feel would be more beneficial to future success, I will not be afraid to put myself out there.

Thanks, Joseph; I appreciate you sharing your story.

 

New to the forum, and I need some advice.

I've been working at a manufacturer coming up on 4 years now. I'm finishing college this year and was hired as a QA intern when I first started at university and have been working full-time now as a controls specialist in engineering for these last 2 years. I really enjoy the system integration side of it, but for the past couple months, it seems like I'm fixing the same machines over and over again. Sometimes it's different problems, but it's tiring having to constantly troubleshoot and fix the same robots or machines/setups that were built in-house 20+ years ago. I think a problem here, also, is that I don't have the experience to get problems I haven't encountered before done as fast as most people in controls. A lot of times, I learn by trial, which is the best way to learn, imo. What I miss at times is a person I can ask a question I may have or ask for an idea from; I understand that in this field you're the last line of defense, sometimes I just wish I was a better last line of defense I guess, lol.

I'm not sure if I'm not learning at a higher rate much anymore, or if the work is blinding me from seeing that I am still learning here. A question to everyone who may read: In your experience, if you're a beginner in controls, is it better to work for a smaller company who would give you more of a leash to learn yourself, with a better opportunity to advance your career? Or work for a larger company that would likely pay more, and would have more people you can learn from and ask questions?

Thanks to all who may have thoughts on the matter.

It sounds like you're at a crossroads in your career, and both paths have their pros and cons. A smaller company gives you hands-on experience and autonomy, while a larger company provides mentorship and structured learning. If you feel stuck, a larger company might expose you to new challenges and experienced colleagues to learn from. But if you value hands-on problem-solving, staying could still be beneficial. Consider what excites you more—independence or structured growth.

 

some of the automation societies, like ISA or IEEE, and even ASME, occasionally have onsite tours of operating plants, that will show you what's involved and where you fit in

 

Hello all,

New to the forum, and I need some advice.

I've been working at a manufacturer coming up on 4 years now. I'm finishing college this year and was hired as a QA intern when I first started at university and have been working full-time now as a controls specialist in engineering for these last 2 years. I really enjoy the system integration side of it, but for the past couple months, it seems like I'm fixing the same machines over and over again. Sometimes it's different problems, but it's tiring having to constantly troubleshoot and fix the same robots or machines/setups that were built in-house 20+ years ago. I think a problem here, also, is that I don't have the experience to get problems I haven't encountered before done as fast as most people in controls. A lot of times, I learn by trial, which is the best way to learn, imo. What I miss at times is a person I can ask a question I may have or ask for an idea from; I understand that in this field you're the last line of defense, sometimes I just wish I was a better last line of defense I guess, lol.

I'm not sure if I'm not learning at a higher rate much anymore, or if the work is blinding me from seeing that I am still learning here. A question to everyone who may read: In your experience, if you're a beginner in controls, is it better to work for a smaller company who would give you more of a leash to learn yourself, with a better opportunity to advance your career? Or work for a larger company that would likely pay more, and would have more people you can learn from and ask questions?

Thanks to all who may have thoughts on the matter.

Hi,
I just registered and decided to take a look at the Forums Page, and found your post, and decided to respond to it... I'll do my best to answer your great question

When you're new at something and never did it before, you're going to get stuff ( challenges ) thrown at you all the time... There's NOTHING better than learning ... But it's how you handle the experience/ pressure and of course, that is all based upon your tolerance for the issues that comes your way and how often they come up and as well, how your superiors treat you during and after these experiences..
I'd say that ideally, when one is "green" it's BEST to have a partner / associate to guide / mentor to give you guidances / tips along with some humor to be able to make the experience both pleasurable as well as learning experience.
The "ideal" tech in the workplace which has like people working at the same place doing the same job is to have a person that can either lead / follow/ or do a little of both...

For certain the workplace for a new / green person should be a growing experience ( growing in knowledge / confidence ) because there are going to BE those times when you are on your own, completely... And to repeat, it's BEST to have others in your field with you who are good people who are willing to help you and have some laughs that make the experience more fulfilling as well.

Hello all,

New to the forum, and I need some advice.

I've been working at a manufacturer coming up on 4 years now. I'm finishing college this year and was hired as a QA intern when I first started at university and have been working full-time now as a controls specialist in engineering for these last 2 years. I really enjoy the system integration side of it, but for the past couple months, it seems like I'm fixing the same machines over and over again. Sometimes it's different problems, but it's tiring having to constantly troubleshoot and fix the same robots or machines/setups that were built in-house 20+ years ago. I think a problem here, also, is that I don't have the experience to get problems I haven't encountered before done as fast as most people in controls. A lot of times, I learn by trial, which is the best way to learn, imo. What I miss at times is a person I can ask a question I may have or ask for an idea from; I understand that in this field you're the last line of defense, sometimes I just wish I was a better last line of defense I guess, lol.

I'm not sure if I'm not learning at a higher rate much anymore, or if the work is blinding me from seeing that I am still learning here. A question to everyone who may read: In your experience, if you're a beginner in controls, is it better to work for a smaller company who would give you more of a leash to learn yourself, with a better opportunity to advance your career? Or work for a larger company that would likely pay more, and would have more people you can learn from and ask questions?

Thanks to all who may have thoughts on the matter.

It's always a challenge being "the new / green" person at anything.... Your personal tolerance for challenges, and how frequent those challenges come your way ( being new and all ) will be the "gauge" for most of that.

Other factors :
If there are OTHER techs you work with, will some / all of the be actual teamates ? By that I mean are they concerned as a whole for the employer, helping them by mentoring / assisting you with the particulars of their experience / knowledge to solve problems?
...They're teammates then... I don't mean to sound corny about that either... Because the other side of working with other techs / people are things like "do any of them have any sense of humor"? Having a good sense of humor makes the journey much more pleasant... Besides being intelligent and knowledgeable about the job.

People will judge you most when you're troubleshooting solo, when others are busy and you're on your own... Because experience makes troubleshooting easier..

And a tip : Be humble and honest...most people I've worked for / with like that best, but also I cannot emphasize enough to have a sense of humor about things the best you can...