I need advice for starting a career as a PLC Programmer

First, thank you to anyone who reads and attempts to advise and/or help me.

Let me start off by giving some background. I have been a Computer Tech for small businesses for most of 19 years. I have wanted to move on from that for most of that time.

Back in the day, several hundred years ago I took a vocational class for residential wiring. I later thought of changing my career from Computers to being an electrician so, I enrolled in to a local community college and took classes. I have 2 diplomas and I think 9 certificates relating to electrical and electronic courses.

During that time, I took a PLC class and loved it. Our school had the Allen Bradley 500 and 5000 set up on a contraption they built to simulate machinery. A metal box with buttons and switches and lights that we would make a program to based on the theme he gave us and test it accordingly. More details on this if requested, I don't want to bore anyone. Anyway, turns out I was VERY good at making the programs. Not trying to toot my own horn, but from what he tells me, I was the most advanced student he had up to that time and am still in the upper bracket now.

I decided I really wanted to write PLC programs as a career. I live in the middle of nowhere, but there is an industrial park here. Sadly though, the only jobs PLC related are for mechanics to make sure the program is running correctly while they fix the line. I want to create the programs from scratch for a company that puts lines in to factories and such.

Just as I was graduating in 2008, I had put my resume out and was contacted by a headhunter agency for a job close by. As they were about to hire me, the economy collapsed, and they put a hiring freeze out. I could not find a job in the country for PLC Programming and so went back to being a computer tech.

Recently, I have started looking back in to the idea and talked with my community college professor. He informed me that the same PLCs I learned on are still primarily in use with the same basic ladder logic. He doesn't think that I need any additional training considering how I picked it up in the past. However, he doesn't have any connections or contacts to assist me.

I have done numerous searches online and once again put my resume up. The issue is, I am having difficulty finding someone who is hiring for programming alone. And all the jobs I see want a lot more schooling along with years of experience. Does anyone have any suggestions of where I can look as far as companies or contacts to be a programmer? Relocation is not only not an issue, but desired. I am not happy where I live and would like the opportunity to move my family to greener pastures.

I apologize for the novel, but I believe in giving full information. Once again, any advice and/or help is appreciated. I very much want to make a career out of this.

Try contacting a company called Aerotek. They will help you draft up a resume specifically for a controls position, and they have a large database of industrial companies looking for programmers. Make sure to tell them that you're interested in working for an OEM, as those are the companies that do the programming from scratch for machines going to other factories. But be aware that OEMs usually are higher stress positions compared to doing the more maintenance style programming that's more often required at an end user. OEMs have tighter deadlines and much less margin for error, which usually means they are less willing to train or hold the hand of a programmer that is just getting his feet wet in the field. That's not a universal rule, just a general idea of what you can expect.

It might be a better idea for you to try to get into a medium sized automotive end user, as they have enough work for full-time programmers that don't require a ton of mechanical experience. It's a good position to start in, your electrical background will come in handy with panel designs, and you will still have opportunities to learn a lot of different facets of programming like motion control, vision inspection, quality control, etc.

Whatever you decide, definitely contact Aerotek. They are paid by the company that ends up hiring you, so they work for you for free and they have a lot of incentive to place people in high paying positions like controls engineering. It only took them 2 weeks to find me a position.

Good luck! I hope you find what you're looking for

In my experience there aren't many jobs where all you do is program PLCs. Generally any job in which you write the PLC program also requires you to integrate all of the components of the control system. That might include discrete and analog sensors, motors, drives, pneumatic and hydraulic components, motion control, light curtains, etc, etc, etc.
A PLC is just one of many tools used in a control system. You wouldn't expect an electrical contractor to hire you if the only tool you were familiar with was a conduit bender. Neither should you expect to get a job in machinery controls if you limit yourself to PLC programming. The person who writes the PLC program needs to be capable of understanding the operation of the machine or process controlled by that PLC and how the PLC and the rest of the controls components interact.

+1 to Steve
Mr. Browning, Mr Bailey is correct. I manage the electrical Department for a small OEM. Writing program is a small percentage of what I do.

Consider also

Some of our local vendors like Mission Controls and Mid-Coast electric, operate panel shops that work directly or indirectly for local manufacturers that want to upgrade or expand their facilities. These type of shops are more likely to bring in a lower level programmer type so as to train them up. The pay might not be orbital but it might be enough to satisfy wanderlust.

It's a smaller target, but you should consider it as an option in your search.

From what I can see, you should have no problem landing a entry-level job at a integrator shop. The problem is you may have to move since most of them will toss your resume seeing you live somewhere else.

Many years ago when I tried to move across country, I used my parent's address on my resume and also suggested a one-week window for in person interview when I know I'll be in the area and that got me a couple of interviews. I was going to pay for my own relocate anyway but I ended up staying with the company but work remotely.

In your case, this is what I would do. Start a scrapbook and pick 2 or 3 area you would like to relocate to. Do internet search of area companies that need control folks and try to see if you find the contacts and do a snail-mail of your resume and a cover letter. Also see if it's possible to use a relative or friend's home address.

harryting said:

From what I can see, you should have no problem landing a entry-level job at a integrator shop. The problem is you may have to move since most of them will toss your resume seeing you live somewhere else.

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Also, the first couple of years the pay might suck ... but it is the learning period.

Many years ago when I tried to move across country, I used my parent's address on my resume and also suggested a one-week window for in person interview when I know I'll be in the area and that got me a couple of interviews. I was going to pay for my own relocate anyway but I ended up staying with the company but work remotely.

Click to expand...

Relocation is a tough one but if you have zero work experience don't expect to be paid to relocate, but do expect to get paid to fly to an interview etc..

It was my experience that many places were willing to hire me with only programming experience, with the understanding that I would learn electrical engineering on the job. But all those places were end users that already had electrical engineers on staff. I taught them some programming while they taught me the electrical engineering. I'm in the midwest, there's no shortage of industrial plants here!

Well, I had a whole message typed that got wiped out, so that was fun. Time to start over.

I apologize for taking a bit of time to respond, life has been a bit hectic and I work nights. Thank you all for your responses. If possible, I would like to pick your brains a bit more.

If possible, my wife and I would like to move out west, to the Reno, Nevada area. It is my hole that I can find a good PLC Programmer related job in that general area.

I looked in to the Aerotek website briefly, I have not signed up to it yet and need to look into it more, but from what I saw when I did a search, there were a very small number of PLC Programmer related jobs listed there.

What is an integrator shop, and can someone give me any examples or names of some to look in to? Is anyone near the Reno area that can give me any insight of the job situation there relating to PLCs? Can you guys tell me what else I should be looking in to familiarizing my self with considering I am looking in to this career from the outside with no experience beyond my schooling?

My apologies for being such a newbie, and my thanks for all the information so far and any more to come.

Tesla's GigaFactory is in Sparks NV, outside of Reno. They may be hiring or there may be support businesses coming into the local area. A couple of my customer's here were supplying equipment or services to that facility. Its a place to start.

+1 to the GigaFactory. A lot of controls applications there, I'm sure they have lots of spots to fill as they bring it all online.

I don't think it's likely to be hired for an entry level job as a direct hire into a large company.

A typical control system integrator designs, assemble, and program a control system per customer specification. Control Engineering Magazine got a page where you can search for integrator by geographic location. A big one is Maverick Technology, which is now part of RA. There are all different level of integrator, some are more "sweatshop" like where you get a chance to get experience.

True, the gigafactory is not an integrator position. They are end users, so you would be looking more at small program changes and maintenance level work. But that's also a good opportunity to learn!

You've got to start somewhere. Machine builders want experienced PLC programmers coding their machines. Making edits to existing logic in a maintenance position allows you to get an idea of how experienced programmers design their programs.

I would even suggest that it's smarter to start with an end user as you learn how the programs affect the machines in the real world. That's a great thing to know before you try to jump into writing entire programs from the ground up yourself.

Ok, the current problems I have are these, one, for now, though I do want to move across the country, I do not have the means, so that means trying to find something somewhat local. I see PLC related things around Chattanooga and the like on Indeed and Monster, but again, they all want 4 year degrees and experience and such.

I am more than willing to look in to entry level things, learn my way up, etc, the problem is that I am totally lost. You guys are talking about things I am unfamiliar with and I am having difficulty getting anywhere from here. For example, I still don't know what exactly an integrator is, much less who they are to start job searching. My experience in the field literally is a single PLC class aside from the electrical classes, and that was nine years ago. Though I do have considerable experience in computers them selves as a computer tech, I have zero experience in the industrial field.

I need some hand holding to figure out exactly where to start. As it is now, I will probably have to jump at the first thing I can get in driving distance and do a short range move if it seems promising before I can eventually move across country, and that is fine, but I am lost.

I have been exposed to one small aspect of this whole field, and am very interested and want to delve in to it, but I am having extreme difficulty getting the first step going. Take for example my professor here that did the PLC class, he has no idea what to suggest to me as far as starting a career related to it because where I live and the people he teaches are all mechanics that simply need to know just enough about PLCs to make sure the program isn't the problem when something breaks down. They are not actually programming anything. I have zero desire to be a mechanic, I thoroughly enjoyed writing the programs and from what little I have learned, think I would enjoy designing the rest of it too. But again, I have no clue where to go from here specifically. And it would have to be with a company/business that is willing to train me to fill in the gaps and patient enough with me for me to get on the level they need. I have no doubt I would pick it up rather quickly, but I need the opportunity and initial training.

Please don't think me ungrateful or stupid, I honestly do appreciate the information you guys are giving me and your attempts to help, but I feel like a kid looking through a tiny window at adults doing something fascinating that I am interested in, but have no idea where to find the door and get started to do it and nobody can show me. I really want to get involved in this and see how it goes, but the information I have been getting has been somewhat vague or overly technical for my extreme novice level of knowledge. For example, you guys keep talking about end users and integrator positions, but where do I find them, how do I search them out, what criteria do I use to get results for these companies, or if I give a general location can someone help me by giving me names of local companies/businesses that I can look at directly? If so, I am currently in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, middle of nowhere, about an hour from Nashville, TN and 3 hours from Chattanooga. If there is a place within a few hours drive from me that I could get started at, I would be willing to drive to the interview and if hired temporarily move in to a hotel until my family could be moved, etc.

Maybe this has all been explained in simple English and I am just over complicating things and looking too deep as well as adding the stresses of normal life with a baby on the way, which is very possible, but either way, I am still struggling. And I apologize, I know how frustrating it is to see something so clearly and have knowledge on something and as you are trying to explain it to another, they simply aren't getting it. Once again, I do very much appreciate the time and effort anyone and everyone is giving to me on this.