Work experience in automation at Schneider, ABB, Siemens, and General Electric

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Changhui Instruments has gathered some articles about work experiences at foreign automation companies such as Schneider, ABB, Siemens, and General Electric. It seems that people prefer to describe these foreign automation companies as \"state-owned enterprises among foreign firms\" or \"private enterprises among foreign firms\". The opinions expressed are just casual talk; let’s not fight. Schneider – Author: Zhihu/Anonymous user. I have only worked at Schneider for half a year, and that too at one of the four factories in Suzhou; it’s not at the headquarters in Shanghai, Beijing, or Wuhan, nor at any of the larger facilities there. So my experience is quite limited and one-sided. I remember during one of those get-togethers, a colleague said that Schneider is like a private enterprise within a foreign company. Perhaps because the CEO is familiar with China, Schneider has the philosophy that Chinese people should manage the Chinese market. All the management in the factory where I work are Chinese; unlike some foreign companies that have many managers sent from abroad. If I remember correctly, there were only two French people in the factory in total; one was an engineer, and I don’t know what the other one did. Once, 16 VPs came to the factory for a meeting, and I noticed that two-thirds of them were Chinese. My classmates who work at Bosch and Toyota say that foreigners account for a significant proportion of the management staff. From this perspective, the issue of career ceilings might be much less significant. A colleague who works at Toyota’s R&D center told me that in their company, Chinese people can reach the middle management level at most; to move up further, one either needs a Japanese background or exceptional abilities. In terms of work, perhaps due to French companies, there are very few rules and regulations, offering a high degree of freedom (this applies only to the office). There are many rules to keep in mind on the production line; after all, safety is always the top priority in a factory, and electrical products pose considerable risks). Encourage self-expression and free creation. As for the benefits, since it was my first job, I didn’t have anything to compare it with, so I wasn’t entirely sure. At that time, my main focus was getting a job at one of the Fortune 500 companies, so I didn’t give much thought to these aspects. All the standard benefits were available, including 12 days of annual leave, which seems to increase to up to 15 days as seniority grows. But according to my colleagues, the salary level is indeed low. In the half year since I came here, 3 or 4 people have left the department; my colleagues mentioned this to me when talking privately. ABB Author: Zhihu/Anonymous User. The concept of “working at ABB” is far too vague; there are an extremely large number of units within ABB. The broad industry of mechanical and electrical control is further divided into dozens of subsidiaries across different sectors (just in China alone), with each cost center being relatively independent from the others. The sales and project teams also do not interact with one another. Outside, everyone refers to it as ABB, but there is no actual overlap between different entities within it. In terms of the major industrial chains, traditional electrical equipment, measurement devices, and CNC instruments still remain the leaders in their respective fields. However, in an environment characterized by high levels of integration, industry saturation and the trend toward integrated systems are irreversible forces at play. Components, frequency converters, and system integrations represent areas that seem stable on the surface but are actually highly competitive. Robots are currently ABB’s key product line; although their total value contribution to the entire company is not yet significant enough to be considered a core business, it is clear that ABB continues to invest in this area. Additionally, on the back of the company’s phone cases, there is a picture of the famous robot YuMi... Many people say that ABB is like a state-owned enterprise among foreign companies, and upon reflection, that’s indeed true. ABB has separate dedicated R&D units, similar to the research institutes found in state-owned enterprises, as well as venture capital departments that are not driven by performance metrics but rather focused on developing new businesses (currently working on electric vehicles). There are many opportunities for internal training (but these have become increasingly unreliable in recent years, as performance has been declining steadily); the company has its own set of project frameworks and relevant certifications (it’s good that top companies establish such standards, but the ABB certification isn’t really a solid stepping stone, either internally or externally). There are numerous competency assessments at management levels, from top to bottom (but these don’t provide any real benefit to current employees and are nothing but a form of pointless formalism). As for the work intensity, to be honest it’s not high. Technical positions often require overtime, but it’s still much easier compared to those programmers who work round the clock. ABB is a company that emphasizes a \"result-oriented\" approach; positions in management, technology, and sales mostly involve flexible working hours – once the tasks for the day are completed, employees can leave at any time, and there is no need to clock in or use fingerprints for attendance. On the other hand, if the work isn’t finished, please continue to stay at your post; this working arrangement does not provide overtime pay on weekdays. To finish the work and do it well, one relies on self-discipline and on focusing on the key aspects. The interpersonal relationships within ABB are much simpler than those in state-owned enterprises, but they are relatively complex in foreign companies. There is a tendency for departments to shift responsibility to each other, subsidiaries complain about changes in the organizational structure, competing companies fight among themselves, and the practice of shirking responsibilities through CCRP is widespread. Once a conflict of interest arises, it’s quite normal for the usually cheerful BP to be the first one to confront you. The vast majority of colleagues are friendly to newcomers and are happy to answer any questions. For newcomers, it’s always a good idea to be proactive and clear in communicating. I strongly advise recent graduates to spend three years working in a state-owned enterprise first; that way they will be well aware of all the tricks and tactics involved. For fresh graduates, ABB’s standards for campus recruitment are neither too high nor too low; given the difficulties in finding employees, they are much more practical than in previous years. For the majors that correspond to 211/985 programs, those with good grades have a chance. In theory, the internships at ABB do not lead to job opportunities; of course, everything is possible if you manage to impress your line manager. Most office positions have strict requirements for English proficiency, after all, there are many foreign colleagues in the company, and foreign clients are also everywhere; you can’t just stand there doing nothing when you need to communicate messages. Normally, emails, reports, POs, FAs, and punch lists are all in pure English, even among Chinese people, to facilitate information tracking. I’ve also had several colleagues whose English was very poor; they were either in administrative positions with little room for career advancement, or they couldn’t handle the work and just left after improving their resumes. During interviews, 90% of the time there is a segment conducted entirely in English, making it difficult to get away with anything. PS: It would be a great advantage to know a second foreign language (Spanish, Korean, Arabic). Original address: yunrun.com.cn/community/2508.html From my work experience, although the company’s benefits are declining just like its performance, they are still better than those of most companies in the same industry. The salary is about 20% higher than in similar companies, and new employees are entitled to 15 days of annual leave plus 15 days of paid sick leave. However, for some positions, the contracts are signed with external service providers; I’m not sure about the specific differences. The staff turnover rate is normal, employee loyalty is acceptable, and the level of trust among them is so-so. The company does put a lot of effort into shaping its corporate culture, constantly emphasizing the message: “Don’t look the other way; ensure quality.” Siemens Author: Zhihu/hongyi iam 1. Siemens is a state-owned enterprise among foreign companies; some people are extremely busy while others are idle, and there are factions as well as conflicts. 2. You can choose to work in technology or in sales, but at Siemens there are no pure sales positions; those in sales also need to understand products and technology. (Exceptions exist for those with strong backgrounds, but as we all know given the current situation,) newly graduated sales trainees have to undergo one year of intensive training in Beijing. 3. Working in technology at Siemens allows one to reach the same level and receive the same benefits as managers. However, Siemens’ technology is vast and profound, with engineers in their 30s already having gray hair everywhere. 4. Upon joining Siemens, each employee is provided with a laptop and an employee card equipped with an IC chip; this allows them to log in to the OA system and Siemens’ global LAN, access global technical resource databases and technical forums. Of course, it also enables monitoring of every move the employee makes, which is why it is also called a CAT card. 5. There is a lot of training. There are technical training programs, as well as those offered by Siemens School of Management, in addition to anti-corruption and compliance training. There is a requirement for class hours per person per year. 6. There are numerous opportunities to learn English, with an all-English operating system and OA systems; the documents encountered on a regular basis are also mostly in English. It’s okay if your English isn’t good; in that environment, you’ll learn it in less than half a year. Talking to Chinese people in English and talking to foreigners in Chinese – it’s strange, right? We call that acting tough. 7. There are many opportunities to interact with foreigners – some come for meetings, some for training, some are sent to work in China, and there are also those who work on joint engineering projects; the majority of them are men. European guys are indeed handsome, with blue eyes, high noses, excellent physiques, and graceful demeanor. There was a female colleague who applied to change departments for this reason, but it seems it didn’t work out in the end. 8. There are many opportunities for business trips, both domestic and international, with domestic trips being the majority, to various places across the country. It could be an engineering project, or training or conferences; business trips related to sales management usually last no more than a week, while those for technical staff can last from a week to half a year. I have been an Air China Platinum member for almost five years. 9. Siemens has many beautiful girls – young and stylish, as well as professional office workers. But generally speaking, you’re not his type. 10. Some have worked at Siemens for over a decade, while others come and go in just a day or two; headhunters call every week to poach employees. At Siemens, AB, GE, and ABB, there is no adaptation period; you will have former colleagues at each of these companies. 11. The salary packages are similar among the companies mentioned above. Management is similar as well – weekly reports, monthly reports, year-end summaries, and technical summaries are all required. 12. Siemens’ clients are mostly large state-owned enterprises, and the company is involved in many **very large-scale projects. Siemens boasts excellent product quality and a strong brand image; at first, there is a sense of pride when working there, but over time this feeling fades away, because in China, the client is always in charge! General Electric Author: Zhihu/Anonymous User 1. The overall environment is good, and the talent training system is first-class; especially for management trainees, who can gain a great deal of experience and knowledge at various levels, from technical aspects to interpersonal skills, through two years of rotational assignments ； 2. The DM (Direct Manager) is very important. My situation was somewhat special – my boss left just three months after I started working, having held that position for almost seven years; he was highly competent. The new boss who took over was also excellent, with extensive experience, and he taught me a lot ； At GE, you’ll find that no matter what position it is, everyone there is extremely skilled and capable; in any case, you can learn a lot there ； 3. There are a lot of girls – so many of them. In CTP’s Global Operations department, aside from the digital team, most members in the other departments are women ； 4. The schedule at GE is packed full; there are endless proposals and T-con tasks to handle every day, and the day passes in the blink of an eye ； 5. The cafeteria serves delicious food; there’s a free gym, and all the facilities are great. If you’re busy, you can even sleep at the company (I haven’t tried it, but it’s an option). 6. Staying there for too long gives a sense of being trapped – in other words, it’s too comfortable, like the scenario of a frog being cooked in warm water. Although it is a foreign company, the overall atmosphere gives the impression of a large American corporation; therefore, if you have a career plan that involves taking on challenges, this environment may not be suitable for you.