Foot in the door?

[PLCgirl]

Hi, I'm a senior in college. I consider myself very fluent in PLC programming as well as CNC and microcontrollers. I'm having trouble getting my foot in the door in the profession. How did all you professionals get your job? I find myself in a catch22 with needing experience yet unable to get it. Is there a secret in succeeding?
Thanks,
Jac

 

[SLaubach]

I would look for an entry level electronics tech position, learn the in and outs and continue to work towards your goal. Get the real world experience of troubleshooting and you will help yourself climb the laddder.

 

[rsdoran]

Is there a secret in succeeding?

Yes, its so secret though that noone can tell it.

Success can be measured in different ways, just by graduating college you will have already have one form of success in your life.

I can not tell you the path to take, each person has to find that on their own. Start now though and network yourself, most colleges have guidance/employment counselors, make use of them. Use America's Job Bank, http://www.ajb.dni.us/ , to search for companies in your area that you could send a resume too.

THE RESUME If you worked while in college use it regardless of what it was, this shows willingness to work and study. State education but dont dwell on it, they know you have the degree, you need to show what else you have done. ABOVE all keep the resume short, concise and informative.

I know many will probably disagree with this statement and I do not mean anything deragatory, its just a personal observation. Since your name here is PLCgirl, I will assume you are female. This will mean you will have to assert yourself more. You have gone into a field that by its nature is not a fulltime desk job, can be very dirty, require lots of travel and is not overly populated with women. I have met a couple of women with Electrical Engineering degrees but they both went into Sales. Please do not take this wrong, I am not saying anything deragatory just stating that you may have to assert yourself a little more to get someone to pay attention.

Dont forget that you dont necessarily have to go into manufacturing, their is Research & Development, Sales, Education (Training) etc,.. Talk to or submit resume's to suppliers like local Electrical supply companies, ...look at ANY company that may need an entry level engineer and dont expect to like your first job, its rare that happens. The first job is to get experience.

I wish you luck and to make all I just said short...To get that job will require you to work for it. As I said you have already had success, you will have more.

 

[David_Emmerich]

I would have to agree with Ron, you may have a tough row to hoe. But I do have some ideas that you might also try. Go visit some of your local industries, see if you can get to speak with the PE, or maybe even the PM, and see if they have any 'dormant' projects that they just haven't had the time/staff to complete. If they do, offer to work on them. I know its sort of the 'back door' approach, but I have done it to get my foot in a new door, and it does work. It may not get you a job in that plant, but you will be doing two things: getting "real world" experance, and second, when you have done a good job on the project, the PE/PM will remember you the next time one of his contacts in another plant remarks that they need a good person.

I wish you success in your hunt, and second Ron's congrad's on getting your "paper"....I just wish I had, too!!

Happy New Year, and please keep us posted with your progress.

David

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

I joined the Navy

After I got out I had people seeking me. Now as an employer I am interested in senior projects and 'the knack'. There are some people you know will do well and there are those that won't no matter what their papers say. Both questions and answers are important.
I don't expect rookies to have all the right answers, but I know they are lost if they can't ask the right questions.

Don't settle for a technician job. Find a company where you can be a junior engineer where more will be expected from you. This give you a chance to show you have 'the knack'. Also make sure this company has a good senior engineer that can be a engineering mentor. This is very important.

 

[Mickey]

Try this link
http://www.isa.org/template.cfm?section=Professionals_and_Practitioners

 

[ArikBY]

Jac

I agree with Peter.
Don't settle for a technician job,or somthing that you dont feel that
what you really want.I know its hard the real world is very scary but now you chose your path.The easy way is not in necessary the right way.
To start as techinician for the begining mean to start in left foot.
To start as engineer and to do techinician job in the begining its OK.
Its mean to start from the lowest level like most of us.
If you will have to compromise.Compromise on salary not on the field you want to practice.
To start as sale or service engineer and after sometime to move to PLC programming would be very hard.

I wish you all the best and good luck
Happy holiydays.
Keep us posted
Arik

 

[Mike Williams]

I hope you find what you want.

I think you should worry the hell out of future employers! The one's that call and come back the most are the one's that will show up every day and learn and work there *** off.

Good luck

P.S. Congrats on your education.

 

[Pierre]

Hi, I'm a senior in college . I consider myself very fluent in PLC programming as well as CNC and microcontrollers. I'm having trouble getting my foot in the door in the profession.

Have you considered humility?

 

[Tarrell Martin]

Have you considered the Companies that are needing minorities in these fields, Like Shaw Industries. Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tom Jenkins]

The classic Catch 22: You can't get a job without experience and you can't get experience without a job. I remember being in that situation myself, and decades later it still ****es me off!

I personally disagree with those who say don't "settle" for a first job that is less than your qualifications. Go for the gold, but if all you can get is brass, take it. It is always easier to move on and up once you are already working.

You should establish a long term goal regardless of your first job. Don't just spend forty years working for a paycheck - there are a lot of other things more important. Decide your prioritites, what you want, and then lay out a plan to get there. Understand that the plan is constantly under revision, but as the old saying goes, "If you don't know where you are going any path will take you there"

When you get an interview, stress what you want to accomplish, and that you understand that although you have a lot to learn you also have a lot to contribute. Humility is OK, but there is nothing wrong with confidence. (Daddy always said, "It ain't braggin' if ya kin do it.") Seriously, you don't get paid for what you know, you get paid for what you get done. Stress your work ethic, your ambition, your eagerness to contribute, your confidence that with guidance and training you can help the employer accomplish THEIR goals.

 

[jdbrandt]

The elephant at the dance...

Why is everyone ignoring the oh-so obvious.

1. Manufacturing jobs are leaving the USA at an alarming rate.

2. Thanks to certain policies, high tech jobs are leaving the USA at an alarming rate.

3. Capital spending by USA companies is not exactly hitting high levels these lat 36 months.

(As for Pennsylvania, where PLCGirl currently IS, this state (mine) is really business-ugly, with over 1200 manufacturing COMPANIES leaving the state in the last three years.)

Could it be that PLCGirl will have a very difficult time obtaining ANY position in ANY capacity in the current situation? Yes, the education will be a good thing at a 'gatekeeper' kind of company, but, since hiring is right-now a buyers market, the soft conditions will make it difficult for anyone, but, especially new-hires.

Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[rsdoran]

I went to my nephews graduation, was there for his first job interview. His starting salary matched mine with overtime. He has a 4 year Engineering degree from the University of Alabama.

All that being said and done, my nephew was not smart nor experienced but did the paper work well. His brother is by far more capapable but doesnt have the patience to do the 4 year thing.

As far as technology goes neither can compete with me.

If my nephew with the 4 year degree had been my niece, she would not have gotten the job that my nephew did get. I met the people and did some consulting work for them and I am sure of that fact.

I dont think market shares, job openings etc al will be PLCgirl's foremost problem...gender will be.

The jobs are out there, I agree DO NOT take anything but an engineering position..ie no entry level electronics etc, thats for dummies like me that went for a 2 yr course.

The issue will be twofold, how to get experience to get a job but get a job to get experience AND prove that as a female you are as capable as a male.

GIRL, you have even more work ahead of you but you spent 4 years of your life to get where you got, do not stop working now or in the future. The world is open, I gave you some of those openings, use them and any others you can find...dont be humble (sorry Pierre dont agree there), show confidence and go for what you want.

ALSO note that to get where you want to be may require moving or traveling.

Also note that I have a very astute daughter, age 9, that I expect to be an Engineer or similar one day...I am hoping you may ease the way for her but I am hoping I can prepare her for the issues.

Again I wish you luck.

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

You are right but....

Why is everyone ignoring the oh-so obvious.

1. Manufacturing jobs are leaving the USA at an alarming rate.

2. Thanks to certain policies, high tech jobs are leaving the USA at an alarming rate.

3. Capital spending by USA companies is not exactly hitting high levels these lat 36 months.

1. I don't think automation jobs are. The PLC programmers ( automation types) are often replacing manufacturing jobs.

2. I don't know what policies you are referreing too. Everyone competes with the other 5+ billion that occupy this planet. My football coach had it right. "Get tough or die".

3. Our business is hitting record levels in a "dying" industry. Go figure.

 

[Goody]

I consider myself very fluent in PLC programming

So do I and I do it for a living but it is only a fraction of what I have to know to do my job.

If a job existed where a customer said - we have wired everything in the field back to this plc, we have put sensors everywhere that we need them, all we want is you to program this blank plc and make it do THIS.

Such a job does not exist. In the real world the customer will say - I want the machine to do THIS - here is a spec of how I think it should work.
The customer might not be aware that when faults arise the PLC needs to know it is not working correctly. It needs to know that although a motor is apparently running, the conveyor belt is not moving. That a valve was actuated but nothing or the incorrect action has taken place and so on and so on.

Sequence programming is the easy part, out of sequence and the million 'what ifs' is the clever part.