education

I like to work with plcs'.
I consider myself a "Glorified Electrician"
I have spent approximately 10 years doing the electrical
maintanece in a couple of steel manufacturing environments.
I have plenty of experience dealing with the fun stuff that
comes along with heights, heat, and dirt.
I have taken some general plc courses but have never enrolled
in the advcanced courses. (they cost bucks...no college credit)
I have consistently become more and more involved in the
plc trade.
I am presently enrolled to complete an associates degree
in Industrial Electricity. I am aboout 6 classes away.
When I went to school 10 years ago, I never bothered to take the General Requrements, such as humanities.
I never saw the relevence, although...
I am finding these classes quite interesting, now that I
am a bit older...
So my questions revolve around becoming a well Qualified
PLC tech without the Bachelors Degree.

More and more, I find that it would be useful to obtain computer related
certification.
I am presently taking a network plus certification course
(which has no effect on my Industrial Electrical Degree??)
It also seems that getting A+ certification may be quite desireable.
Or should I lean toward v.b.
Or should I just focus on the advanced Plc progamming courses that
do not apply towards college credit.
Or should I just focus on Math,Math,Math
I realize that "All of the above" would answer my question
but I just want some feedback for now.

I just wonder what certifications you all have, who are not
electronic engineers.

Thanx for listening.

bulletin blues said:

More and more, I find that it would be useful to obtain computer related certification.

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No kidding. After weeks of screwing around, I finally called a local network consultant company who sent me some 20 year old kid in a T shirt and tennis shoes, and charged be $120.00 per hour. It turnd out to be the best $1,000.00 I'd ever spent....The kid told me that he had a two week backlog.

Hi mike,

I had the same problem 2 years ago, I called a guy and he charged alot, then I knew I must take that MCSE course....7 or 8 month it was fun...I also had a certification


ps: I also had the A+ course but I didn't apply for the exams , it was also fun

I can only answer from my own 20+ years of experience as both a job seeker and then as one who has had to find and hire folks for technical positions.

A great deal of the answer to your question comes from your end desires – what do you want to be when you grow up?

Talking about becoming a PLC technician....

If you are thinking in terms of working in a production facility or with an OEM in primarily a design faculty, you will probably find getting it pretty difficult to get such a position without a BS degree. This becomes even more relevant if you are going to change companies. Hiring someone off the street for a job with this level of responsibility is difficult to justify based “experience” alone. Not a battle most middle managers want to fight.

If you want to work in some kind of consulting level, I doubt you will ever get there without the BS degree.

Now on the other hand, if you plan to stay wherever you’re at now (company-wise), then you need to look to the culture you are in for your answer. Some companies truly embrace your kind of self improvement and will work with you, while others just pay lip service to the idea. Remember that managers can change quickly, but underlying cultural changes tend to happen a little more slowly.

IMHO.

Steve

Very well put Steve. Thanx for your humble opinion.
Thats the type of feedback I was looking for.

I have a 2 year degree in Electronics. I have taken classes and been certified to weld...getting old and eyes cant take it no more. I did restaurant...refrigeration...work while going to school, I have EPA certification. I was an MCSE but havent updated it for XP. I have the A+ certification. I took training for hydraulics etc way back there. I have OSHA training. I have a Classs A CDL with all endorsements but HAZMAT (have to retest when renewing and it wasnt worth the expesnse). I am experienced with designing webs, little slow on the php stuff though.

Name it and one time or another if possible I got certification for it. I may not be good at writing/speech but I can answer questions on a test even if its a subject I am weak in.

My point is...ALL THAT **** IS WORTHLESS....get a Bachelor's degree in .....WHATEVER, thats where the money is in the long run. Even then you may still have to do "grunt" work but not everyday maybe.

Ron,

You forgot to mention that you worked at the carnival also...

RSDoran and myself have a lot in common in this regard. I have an Associates Degree, certifications in just about anything you could possibly want, been programming since I was in high school many moons ago, have a Class A CDL, I can drive anything that moves on the ground, weld, etc, etc, etc... But, I don't have a Bachelors Degree.

That one piece of paper has held me back more than any other thing in my career. One of these days I will finish putting my wife through school (she is a teacher and working on her Masters right at the moment) and I will finish my Bachelors degree.

The company I work for now seems to value my experience and I really enjoy working for them. (I think most can figure out who this is...) Such is not the norm for most it seems, at least as far as the companies that I have worked for in the past.

I'm gonna say this from an employers perspective...

While a Bach deg may not necessarly mean your actually qualified, the fact is that it jumps off the resume and grabs attention. When we post for an opening we typically get 100s of resumes. The only thing is to start sorting because you cant interview them all. Unfourtuntaly I wouldnt make my own criteria for the 1st cut. (poor spelling and grammer).

The thing is with the four year degree is that it shows the perspective employer that you have the fortatude to start someting and complete it. Like your willing to pay your "dues". That's the only real impression I get from it. But it means quite a bit. So yes the Bach degree will get you in the door a lot sooner, but dont count on it to keep you there.

Well said, elevmike.

You are exactly right about the using it to sort through resumes and to identify people who stuck it out for the degree. I thought it appropriate to add that the degree also says that an "accredited" university has monitored your work and has given you the old thumbs up. This differs from the "15 years of experience" because no one else can really say what you gained from those 15 years. How many old guys have you met with 30 or so years of experience who weren't worth their weight?

Steve

Not as many as I have seen with that 15 inch piece of expensive paper that weren't worth their weight.

Don't get me wrong, I have met many highly competent college graduates. But then I have also met a bunch that weren't worth diddly...

No argument there.

But this, I think, goes back to elevmike's comment that while it may "get you in the door a lot sooner, but dont count on it to keep you there."

Steve

Old dog

My son has a BS degree allowing him to teach at UT Arlington.

I have NO degree - took a few night couses at the Junior college.
I've been VERY fortunate to be trained by some of the best in machine tool repair - Pneumatics/hydraulics, CNC repair, circuit board diagnostics to the chip level, mechanioal repair/design, ETC.

I'm self taught in electronics and software - haven't written any assembly language in 20 years though.

Getting old in the tooth - but still command $75 - $100/hr on repair calls.

When I need assistance on a job, I call someone I know that can get greasy with me. Most of the ones I work with don't have a college degree - just a TON of 'been there - saw that' One guy I work with can run circles around me on a Fanuc control - and he DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE UP AN EXTENSION CORD!! Red/black/green!!

I would want 'real world' experience first!! What I see companies hiring are young single people fresh out of technical schools - use them and discard them.

I've learned more about PLCs listening in here than I could hope to find in an 'accredited school' - you guys are GREAT!

I'll shut up now

You can never have too much education or training.

But you can be overqualified for a job that you have never done.

Recruiteds and HR people are on my list WELL BELOW the used car salesmen, lawyers, palm readers, and realtors.

regards.....casey

kc9ih said:

Recruiteds and HR people are on my list WELL BELOW the used car salesmen, lawyers, palm readers, and realtors.

regards.....casey

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Forgot about your PE's and Plumbers, from the other thread.