What is your job title?

I know it's been asked before but as I get older it is becoming harder to give an accurate title to people that aren't in the 'trade'

It was highlighted today when I was invited by email to a SCADA seminar.

There was a drop-down box in which you had to select your job title.

In my case, first I was an installation electrician that passed all his exams - but electrician doesn't cut it as people think you put lights and sockets in.

Then I was a maintenance electrician - but that is sort of passive as people think you only mend things that are broken.

Then I programmed PLC's - but again they think you are like a car mechanic that just plugs in a diagnostic device and the thing tells you the problem with no effort on your part.

Then of course - we are now onto designing, building, programming and 'cadd'ing complicated systems from scratch.
There isn't an accurate description for that. (or one that anyone understands)

There is automation systems engineer: What does that mean?

System(s) integrator ???

Mechatronic seems to crop up reguarly (what??)

I see Disney World advertises for 'Imagineers' (give me strength)


Not only that, I have paid for advertising of my services on the internet but the categories are too vague or misleading. If I go under electrical services I am asked to wire sockets. If I try for PLC programmer (which is rare that, that category exists) I am confused with IT programmers.

What are we called? the dogsbodies that start from a blank page and do everything until we have a perfectly operating 'system' ?

Applications Engineer

Bit_Bucket_07 said:

Applications Engineer

Click to expand...

See, vague!

Do you write applications (apps) for Iphones? Or maybe in charge of the glueing section.

I'm not criticizing you bucket, but it sort of exacerbates my point.

Retired Electrical Engineer.

I'm a 'Control Systems Engineer', both because I think that is concise and because that's what it says on my professional license.

I'd stick 'Process' or 'Electrical' or 'Machine' on the front if you're advertising or looking for a job.

Years ago I discovered that nobody checked or proofread our business cards; we'd just order them from the printing service and they came with the official company logos and fonts. So I gave myself the title 'Automation Therapist'.

Whenever somebody actually read the card and asked about it, I would reply: "How does that make you feel ?"

Controls Engineer.

Goody,

Don't feel lonely.
i have an electrical technology degree and started out in inductrial maintenance.
then i worked for an oem doing wiring, then panel design, purchasing, system designs, pneumatic / hydraulic designs, quotations, manuals, programming, purchasing, mechanical designs, welding, installations, and project management. My title there was electrical engineer.

i then went for a company here in the USA as a systems engineer doing the same thing - they were based in the UK and they went bankrupt.

i then went to another company as a systems engineer doing
the same thing.

the easiest way to describe my title is controls or systems engineer. when they ask what that is i reply that i design
machinery or electrical systems from initial concept to finished product.

regards,
james

My title is 'Automation Engineer'

@ Ken Roach you mentioned you it says controls system engineer on your license, how do you get that license, do you mean your Professional engineering license that you get after taking your FE(fundamental of engineering)exam and also the PE exam??

to answer your question Goody Controls Systems engineer sounds about right.

Control Systems Engineer is probably the nearest title - but try find that on a job applications website or a services advertising website.

It's comical to me that people don't know what to put in a search engine if they want your services and we don't know (or can't) put our services in an appropriate category.

Wikipedia's opening paragraph about our job
Control engineering or control systems engineering is the engineering discipline that applies control theory to design systems with desired behaviors. The practice uses sensors to measure the output performance of the device being controlled and those measurements can be used to give feedback to the input actuators that can make corrections toward desired performance. When a device is designed to perform without the need of human inputs for correction it is called automatic control (such as cruise control for regulating a car's speed). Multi-disciplinary in nature, control systems engineering activities focus on implementation of control systems mainly derived by mathematical modeling of systems of a diverse range.

Unlike say, Stone Mason, this job didn't really exist until a few decades ago. When I first began working in automation, there was really no concept of "software engineering".

The official one is President but I prefer engineer/owner.
I don't specify the type of engineer because I get involved with so many types of engineering.

I agree with Goody's post. Automation engineers do the control sequencing and interlocks. Control engineers do the PID control type of stuff that I like. Some of you do both. Some do neither. I wouldn't put the title of engineer behind any one that just tweaks PLC code or PID gains. There is a big difference between modifying code and actually organizing and writing it from scratch AND doing it well.

BTW, I haven't done any PLC programming now for a few years.

Make it Work Engineer

I use "Manufacturing Automation Specialist", although like Peter, I also carry a card that reads "President" just in case I get into a meeting where they demand the presence of someone who can make a commitment on behalf of my company.