Where to start my career?

I am new to this. Just out of a community college where I completed my AAS in engineering technologies with a certificate in electrical specialties, and I am curious where I should get my start. I am really green and the classes did not go over anything but RS logix 500 software using SLC100 controllers. Some of the threads I have read are really over my head and I am not familiar at all. I am a bit worried now. What do companies expect from new graduates?

Typically for someone just starting out, I don't expect them to be able to program PLC's. I assume I will have to train someone out of college to be an electrician. When I went to school, we got mostly theory with minimal hands on. Probably still the same.

When I do hire someone out of college I will start them out at the bottom. This includes running conduit, pulling wire, sizing wire and running plant breakdowns. There is usually 1 out of 5 that make it to programming PLC's and doing other heavy controls work. These are usually the ones who are hungry. By hungry I mean married, possibly divorced, with kids, mortgage, and child support. When your stomach starts rumbling, you tend to do what it takes to advance.

To advance you must learn, and not just be happy where you are at. Accept responsiblity, don't leave the job till it is done, be prepared to spend the night, and show that you can be trained.

Thank you for your reply. How does one keep learning if they are pulling wire and bending conduit? Should I look into some simulation software to keep learning at home and where I may land professionally? If so, what do you recommend?

I would recomend looking for a job in manufacturing as a "support" technician, depending on how much class room experience you have you might have luck getting into an entry level "controls support tech" position, or a "maintenance tech" that will do the obvious hardware maintenance but may use a computer and the PLC programming software for troubleshooting. Show your desire to learn more and more about PLCs and your ability to learn and you'll be able to move in to the controls tech spot.

I am not familiar with your professional training courses offered in the USA. From an South African and possibly some international perspective, I would rather prefer a graduate from an electrical heavy current background, and as bguinn has said, train the person to understand what is actualy happening in the field.

Once the person has mastered this, with a final international accepted examination, open the door slightly on PLC, HMI and networking design & manufacturing.

Unfortunately, to be fair at what you doing as a living, you need to "experience" the theory that you have studied at college.

Only then, in my case, do I sometimes understand the complexity of engineering, designs, manufacturing and commissioning fairly, including PLC's, HMI's, networking & field installations.

mpr4069 said:

Thank you for your reply. How does one keep learning if they are pulling wire and bending conduit? Should I look into some simulation software to keep learning at home and where I may land professionally? If so, what do you recommend?

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As the recovery programs say
One step at a time

If you want to be an overall PLC equipment control guy you have to understand the whole system. Most problems with PLCs is not the PLC but the sensors.

The pipe bending and wire pulling is exactly where I would start you out. After you show me you can do this stuff then I would have you start terminating in the panels and at the sensors. Sensor calibration and checking would be next.
After that you would get to start programming.

OR
do you want me to hand you a bunch of pipe wire cabinets and stuff in cardboard boxes and say hook it up and make it run ??
AND I want it done in one week.
That is a lot harder and dang near impossible for someone just out of school.

As far as learning at home with a simulator there is an online unit (I forget name right now). Get Phils books mentioned at top of page - that is how I started.

Dan Bentler

I worked in a factory during the summers between college courses. Then in my 3rd year of college I asked the company if I could intern with their head electrician. Between my Third and Fourth college years, I got the intern job.

My boss made me build all the control panels. And the couple weeks of my internship he let me design and program a small machine, with his supervision of course (it just moved a part back and forth through a blade, a simple sequence).

That's pretty much how I started:

Machine operator
V
Building predesigned panels
V
Designing small panel layouts
V
Programming small machines

Now I can build and program larger things. Still only 3 years in the business for me, so I'm not too experienced, but I'm better off than I was. I leave the conduit work for our electricians though, I know how to do it, but they do it so much faster and better.

MPR4069,

When I graduated from College in 1978 and hit the pavement looking for work I was able to get very good advice from an older (seasoned) gentleman as I was leaving the office with yet another "no work here" response from the management. This gentlemen, who became a good friend once I entered the profession, told me to talk to the parts and equipment suppliers. And ask them who may be very busy and would be likely to hire someone as I with education but very little experience. I did this and I began to learn of the players in the field. With persistance bordering on being a nuiscance I was able to get my first job.

Finally, I had as supervisor who pointed to a PLC and asked if I knew what it was, I didn't and told him so. He asked if I wanted to learn and I was able take it home along with the manual and develop a "real" program he was working on. I did this on my own time (paying my dues). I finally developed a working program after many long nights.

Persistance and being willing to do something for a supervisor that saves him time is a plus. Once you are in a job volunteer to type in the tag data base or something simple that will get you familiar the PLC software and save your supervisor time by doing a rather boring task.

Also, joining professional organizations is a good idea such as well, IEEE, ISA, etc.

Good luck with the search.

MacRight

MacRight, very good advice.

My advice is to start with someone small. Don't oversell yourself to a company just to get hired and then fired because you couldn't fill the shoes you sold.

Also, think about what field you want to get into(i.e. industrial maint., medical, oem, etc.). Then, zero in on some companies that support your interests.

Realize that PLC's are only a part of the process. You need to learn so much more. Familiarize and learn HMI's, Freq. Drives, heat controller and etc., whatever is involved and you can get good knowledge about.

I am partial to AB products even though I have used several major manufacturers. My local AB distributor have seminars or classes on their products. Sometimes they are free and sometimes you pay, but the more hands on experience the better.

Good luck and remember there is no substitute for experience.

mpr4069 said:

Thank you for your reply. How does one keep learning if they are pulling wire and bending conduit? Should I look into some simulation software to keep learning at home and where I may land professionally? If so, what do you recommend?

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While I normally just lurk here I thought I would sign up and respond to this.

I think you are being bamboozled a little bit as bending conduit and pulling wire in most every state
requires being in some type of apprenticeship or another. I would check state and local laws about the legality
of any type of these offers/suggestions you get that don't involve being in a formal apprenticeship.

Derek
Controls and Instrument Tech
California, Oregon and Washington Licensed JW

run away... we are all going to end up like okie.

The willingness and 'hunger' to learn is the biggest key I think. It will take many, many years to gain the knowledge and experience required. Until then knowing how and where to get help is a big key also. Build a network of equipment reps and engineers to help you along the way.... and of course there are many great people here that will help you out along the way.

As far as apprenticeships.... not needed in Indiana.... I started as a humble Maintenace Tech. Learned from seasoned folks along the way while I was pulling wire, moving machines, and the general breakdown troubleshooting. If I needed help with a PLC problem, I made sure I stayed around and learned what the problem was.... most people love to teach what they know and don't mind someone looking over their shoulder and asking some questions. (Beware... some don't!!!)
Took initiative to learn things on my own outside of work also. Never stopped learning.... every day.

Nothing is going to be handed to you on a platter... you must work for it from the bottom up. Keep the 'hunger' and you will do fine.

Conrats on your scholarly success!

Send out resume's, see if your school can help with job placement, but most importantly, talk about your education with friends and family. Word of mouth will likely get you a job before all the resume's.

The classes you took went over the fundamentals that you need to know to be able to take on bigger issues. You Passed!

How does one keep learning if they are pulling wire and bending conduit?
Well, if you've already figured out the pulling wire and bending conduit part, you could be making 40 bucks an hour working with the IBEW.

Don't be bamboozled... borrow a conduit bender from your friends dad and buy 10 sticks of thinwall. Bend some pipe. It's not a crime.

Computer networking is becoming very valuable in the automation field, take a class or buy a book.

If you spend some time installing the equipment, you have a better perception on what is involved in implementing effective solutions.

You don't need to be married to be hungry, nor do you need children.

Show up for work on time, do what your told, and enjoy what you do, everything else will fall into place.

If your not enjoying what you're doing, move on.

Good Luck!