Implementation of the project to transfer Party A’s instruments to Party B’s DCS system
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Folks, it’s been 13 years since I graduated; during this time, I’ve been working as an instrumentation engineer for a client company. Currently, I serve as the area instrumentation engineer in the plant workshop. I have a supervisor above me, but no subordinate instrumentation technicians under my charge. My responsibilities include maintenance, technical improvements, inspections, and general management tasks. The compensation is decent, the job is stable, and we work on a rotating weekly schedule. Technically speaking, especially in the realm of systems, I have a good understanding of most of the frameworks involved. However, since I’ve never done any programming work, I consider this to be my weak point. Now, I intend to join an external vendor to work on DCS system implementation projects, so that I can learn system design, programming, and debugging, thereby enhancing my competitiveness. In the future, when the right opportunity arises, I plan to return to working for a client organization; ultimately, I hope to move into a management role. From a career development perspective, is this choice reasonable?
To learn programming, it’s not necessary to work for a client-side firm. Engineers at such firms often travel frequently to work on projects; nevertheless, they do get to learn a great deal. Basically, it depends on whether you’ll need this experience for your future work. At Party A, doing management work doesn’t necessarily mean that having plenty of experience is enough to succeed; you get what I mean. These are two paths of development. I think it’s better to stay in one place, learn more*, gain more experience and build networks, as that could lead to more opportunities in the future. Personal experience
I have been working as an instrumentation engineer for 13 years, and it’s a bit difficult to get a job at a system company these days (most of the people working there are young; maybe you have some connections). An instrumentation engineer can apply to their company to undergo training at DCS manufacturers, and then they can practice using those systems at work. There are many such manufacturers, so self-study is necessary later on; practical experience is very important.
13 years of extensive on-site experience is certainly a great advantage when learning the DCS system, as it enables one to become a versatile professional with strong comprehensive skills. In the future, project management will definitely be a breeze.
Going to Party B is to learn the *system; although the DCS brands are different, the configuration strategies are generally similar, so it will be quick to learn other brands once that is understood. If I want to return to working for the client side for operations and maintenance or to participate in new projects there in the future, will my competitiveness be high?
To keep doing repetitive, basic work in one place requires great perseverance to take the initiative to learn*, but there may not be many opportunities to do so; it’s better to actively seek opportunities to improve oneself
Let’s talk about some practical things. If the original poster has only been working for three to five years, it is feasible for them to get in touch with control systems by taking advantage of the company’s technological upgrades or new projects, or by changing careers to work at system manufacturers where they can learn and gain practical experience. But the problem is that you’ve already been working for 13 years, and it doesn’t seem like you’re very skilled at configuration; therefore, it’s not advisable to change careers now. The biggest issue before you is age. To put it bluntly, at this age, it’s highly unlikely that any company in the equipment manufacturing sector will take you on as an apprentice. On-the-job experience can help you switch careers, but not by much. Even if you manage to change careers and work in that field for three to five years, the chances of you going to a large chemical plant to work on instrument management projects are still low. If you keep an eye on job opportunities in the instrumentation industry for chemical plants, you’ll find that 35 and 40 are two key age thresholds; at these ages, those who want to switch to management roles usually have to rely on their networks, as their work experience and technical skills serve only as references for human resources departments. You’ll also find that for many positions, the management teams have already filled all the vacancies by the time you hear about them. What was said upstairs is correct; if you want to enhance your competitiveness, the most important thing is to maintain and expand your network of contacts. Whenever possible, it’s sufficient to gain familiarity with control system knowledge by acting as the client side. I don’t deny your courage, but it’s important to be aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses; whatever choice you make, best of luck
Thank you for your thoughtful advice! Many of the points made are very practical, as resources are limited in all areas at present. There is now a systems manufacturer ready to get started; after working on a few projects over the course of a year, that should be more than enough for the client. As for future opportunities or resources, we can only wait and see.
Now, DCS alone can no longer fully meet the production requirements; in terms of the system, only simple logic modifications and adjustments to the configuration are needed
Indeed, the industrial Internet, AI, digital twins, and big data are all making their way in. However, DCS remains the foundation; there will still be demand for it in the future. On this basis, development will move toward automation, intelligence, and digitalization. So, for the skills in system design, programming, configuration, and debugging, is it still necessary to work on some complete projects?