My first post

How are my PLC gurus doing here...

I live in Miami, and i am looking for parttime PLC programming jobs in and around miami. I do not know where to start the search, so i am posting here in the most visited website.

Experience in : AllenBradley SLC series, Micrologix, Automation Direct, Omron. I greatly appreciate if anybody has requirements or know someone who is looking for challenging programmers, let me know.

Regards.

Click on the PLC JOBS link at the top of the page.



-Eric

PLC programming isn't a job, it's an adventure.

Welcome to the forum.

You have mentioned the controllers you have experience with...what about the industries you are familiar with?

You might want to check with some of the local area distributors and system integrators to see if they offer contract work.

Are you familiar with being an independent contractor? It is a whole lifestyle different than being employed.

You will need to create a resume with references if you go this route.

Even though you may consider it part time work, there will be deadlines involved.

Hope this helps.

God Bless,

Jimmie_Ohio said:

PLC programming isn't a job, it's an adventure.

Click to expand...

Oh geez...
Settle down, Jimmie!

akreel said:

Oh geez...
Settle down, Jimmie!

Click to expand...

You got that right, Aaron. In the end it is 'just a job'. I do enjoy it, but wouldn't be doing it if there's no paycheck involved...



-Eric

I agree with Jimmie. If it wasn't an adventure, fun to do, and exciting, I wouldn't still be doing it.

(I have a slight advantage over many--I have been drawing a retiremnet check for awhile now, even though I still work. It helps if you don't have to worry about how to pay the bills.)

Advice to younger members:

Rules for Hapiness
(1)Pay off your debts, even if you have to work extra to do it. (2)Once out of debt, never buy anything that you can't pay cash for--ever! If you need a car, start saving 3 years ahead of the time you will need it. It is amazing how much more stuff you can buy this way. All that money that was going to pay interest can now go to buying more stuff. (3) More stuff never makes anybody more happier. Happiness has to do with the way you live life, not with how much stuff you own. As I get older, I have started to get rid of a lot of stuff. Simpler is better. Does anyone need a John Deere 755 Track Loader ($20000)?

I used to be able to pick up a lot of work by FAXING or mailing flyers to PLant Managers and Engineers.

I say used too. The market in rural Illnois changed several years back, massive layoffs statewide. But that is this area. Some companies are advertising for Engineers, paying $14.50 an hour and finding them. Many guys are moonlighting for beer or vacation money.

Your area is probably in bigger demand. Cold calls to PLant Engineering managers might work well. I get names and nmbers from a statewide manufacturers association directory.

Remember, it is dificult to raise your rates after you start. Don't be readily willing to accept a rate offered to you that is considerably less then what you want. I put in ten straight years doing this before the market dropped. Six years later, it is even worse.

Maybe next year.

Good Luck! and best regards.....casey

Look on the web, search for automation jobs. I look fairly often, and there are a lot of contract jobs out there, in almost every area. Once you have a few projects under you belt, networking starts to kick in, next time a project comes up, the people you have worked with in the past, will contact you about furtue work.
This is assuming you made a good impression.

Thanks to all for suggestions...

I am a recent graduate, now working as a fulltime employee for a pharma company here for past one year...biggest problem i have right now is , A question arises in my mind all the time, do i belong to this field or not. All my friends say PLC programming is a technicians work not an engineer. I have a Masters degree in Electrical engineering (Semiconductors), am i really wasting my time ? (some other field,where i can prosper).

Most of you all might in this field for last 10-20 years, do you notice yourself in a better place than what u were when started?

All your collegues or co-workers have big degrees? like bachelors, masters?

Please advice...how my future will be if i consider PLC programming.

Regards,
young Engineer.

Well, let me try to answer your concern.

If you say PLC programming as in writting ladder logic, yes, any monkey can do it. But engineering an automation project as in writing the process description, spec instrumentation, and oversee the startup, that a entirely different thing. The real work in programming is to understand the process. There also is this very closely related field called Process Control Engineering where most people are Master degree or higher and deal with diffrential equation on a daily basis.

You said, "this field", not sure what you mean by that. But I see that you are not too happy with your current position, that's fine. Ask any old timer like us and we all took a few jobs to find out where we want to belong, sometime we never do. Like Eric said, I still enjoy the work but not enough to do it for free.

Have you tried to take an career interest test? Might be worthwhile to see where your real interest lays, it may not even be engineering at all. Don't worry about pay so much right now, do what you like and money will follow.

Morning Harry,

Thanks for your time in answering my questions...

"this" in my previous post mean..PLC programming field. As you said, i might have to wait for couple more years and take career test, to know my field.

Regards

Depends where you are.

In new OEM equipment, and in much of corporate america, Engineers write the program.

In many places, elctricians and technicians don't have the trainging, possibly on purpose.

Some plants got rid of their engineers, and the techs have it all now.

There is no consistancy anymore.

regards.....casey