Job Qualifications

I used to teach at a local Community College.

They would get hired by local factories and the Dean would get complaints that they didn't know all that stuff and get on my case.
Good kids, good grades, but in 2 years they had to have humanities, english, and an elective.

Do the math.

Sometime, you get a sense of the employer just from a job ad.

Yes, sometime I browse ads just for fun. Some of the best I seen are ones from that online book seller.. what's it called? Some river in South America... It's no accident they dominates.

I worked there (not the river...) for a year as maintenance. If you aren't pushing a cart or packing boxes, or in charge of those who are, you get treated well. Easy work, lots of support (information, resources, tools, strong safety emphasis, etc). The downside is mediocre pay and rotating night shifts. Lots of expectations to produce results. I remember many workers just packing trailers with boxes, and they had Masters degrees in Sciences, Business Administration, etc. One of my co-maintenance guys was an actual rocket scientist from Russia with military background.

They forgot the other kicker, they want all that experience in someone late 20's early 30's

PLCnovice61,

i agree 1000%.
i have not worked since March and have sent out approx. 150 resumes.
i can do over 95% of their qualifications. but because i'm 61 - strike 1,
have the experience and therefore desire more money - strike 2,
the personnel manager thinks i will retire at 62, so strike 3, you're out.

i'm going to hate retirement, so i'm going to work as long as i can.
james

I just saw the same posting again, same requirements. 50-90K per year. job relocation assistance is available.
james

Perhaps that long list of expectations is intended to attract someone who can do most of it and learn the rest, while at the same time they intimidate those who are not strong enough candidates to be worthy of the interview.

If you are really good at over half that stuff, give them a shot, show your skill, explain your limitations, and set your starting salary where you think it needs to be. Worst case is that they blow you off and you get interview practice. You can never have too much interview practice.

James Mcquade said:

PLCnovice61,
i'm going to hate retirement, so i'm going to work as long as i can.
james

Click to expand...

Hi James, l sort of retired at 51, had 9 months off, got offered a job, that mine closed 18 months later, no work for another 6 years and back saving money for the last 18 months to buy a better yacht, may work for another 18 months, maybe.
I wasn't really planning on going back to work, but money was relatively tight ( not going off on world holidays) and sailing budget very tight so had the opportunity of saving some money so l took it.

I'm getting to it! not going to work if you can afford it, is the best feeling in the world and would suggest to people to retire as early as possible ( for the first 3 months after finnishing work, when walked my dog, l would burst out laughing and say out loud," l don't have to go to work" what a great feeling).

You never know when your health is going to fail. You may spend life/work saving to have a good retirement at 65-67 (in Aust) and never get there. That's why at 51 l took the opportunity, my main fear was setting myself up with assets for a comfortable retirement and never getting there. l was happy to go back for some more work because l had done most of my main goals while l still had good health in the 6 years out of the last 9 that l hadn't worked. Retirement was fantastic and if a job hadn't been offered and a wish for a better boat, l certainly would not have gone back to work.

Ultimately you need to have things in your life which are way way better than going to work. l enjoy work, but not going to work is a 1000% better.
Get some interesting hobbies, charity work or what ever makes you happy (but if working makes you happy, you are in for a lot of pain), as long as it's not going to work.

If you requiring work so you can pay the bills, then of course what l said earlier is no help at all and l wish you luck in your endeavors.
l always liked the saying, " no one on their death bed ever said, man l wish l had spent more time going at work".

Interviews, more than likely they are going to be younger than you, so l would impress on them, you can't get an old head on young shoulders.

I see it now with younger people and thought so myself when l was in my early 30's, l reckoned l new it all, now 60 and know l don't no much at all, apart from not going to work is way better than going to work.

OkiePC,

i got the interview and told them every plc i programmed and other things, and that i was willing to learn. i could do 75% of what they wanted and was later told they went with someone else. i'm fine with that. what makes me mad is i now see the same posting on job websites a month later. i guess that guy didn't meet their expectations.

PLCnovice61,
i hear you, but i have had to dip into my savings to pay off my debts and my retirement dollars aren't much until i hit 65. the family comes first.
james

I love that they want you to know PLC5, but no need to know RSLogix 5.

Quote by James "i'm going to hate retirement, so i'm going to work as long as i can."
I too thought I was never going to retire until i could no longer work, however, At the age of 67, I looked at where I was, not happy with the position so decided to finally retire, and if I did not like it I would do some contracting. Never looked back since, yes I miss the other lads I worked with & miss the buzz of seeing the systems come to life but being able to help people on this site gives me a bit of that so I don't regret it. I'm enjoying retirement now and even though I have been offered a number of positions or contracts I just say "NO".

I have those credentials and a underwater basket weaving certificate.

I do more than that. No one even asks me if I know. It goes like this: "Please do it."
It is getting much easier now to jump from one platform to another.

I can do all the AB stuff and more. Don't know anything about Siemens.

Have done all of the Festo valve/IO products as well as SMC.

Done a lot with the vision sensors, when customer is willing to pay for one.

Last robot I worked on was Adept serial #1 and it used RAIL. I think RAIL went the way of the dodo...I hope anyway it was awful!
Stupid robot almost broke my ribs..never wanted to work on one again.

In my experience these job ads are simply a shopping list of skills and experience, plus qualifications

Some ads are unrealistic and show a disconnect between the employers expectation and reality

If i was you i would apply for any job that you meet 70% of the spec (or even less) because the ideal 100% guy doesnt exist

Good luck with your search