I’m confused; who can enlighten me?
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I am an instrumentation engineer; I spent 3 years working at a small design firm. When there was a lot of work to do, I didn’t have time to think. Now that I have some free time, I start to reflect, and that’s when I get confused... Over those 3 years in instrumentation design, I was mainly engaged in drawing diagrams, doing whatever tasks my supervisors assigned me – essentially helping to meet project deadlines. I never really paid close attention to the actual manufacturing processes, and I only used my own standards as a reference for checking things. After 3 years, it feels like I’ve learned so little; my pockets are empty too, and it seems like a lot of time has been wasted. During those 3 years, the only time I had free was for exams – in English, computer skills, basic electrical engineering knowledge (a real pain point for me), and construction management. With all these exams, there was no time to study professional standards or literature; to be honest, I hardly ever had time to read such materials even when I was actually free. These three years were spent in a cycle of drawing and retake exams. During previous online conversations, someone said that I was just imagining things and that staying in the company like that without earning any money was akin to the \"Forrest Gump\" attitude. I didn’t understand that at the time, but I took their words to heart, so I tried submitting resumes and attending interviews. After interviewing with several companies, I have some profound thoughts. First of all, when looking for job listings online, there are very few opportunities available for those with a degree in instrument design (perhaps because design firms hire recent graduates or because the industry is not doing well this year). The positions that do appear are related to instrument calibration, maintenance, PLC work, etc., and those who submit their resumes for such positions hardly ever receive a response. Occasionally, a few companies would send out interview invitations, but the interviews generally didn’t go well (initially I was too proud and thought my work experience qualified me for more specialized positions; however, after a few attempts I changed my mind). Later, I interviewed with a design firm whose field of work and tasks matched my qualifications quite well, and I was quite satisfied with that. But it was the salary issue that posed a problem; perhaps influenced by my previous employer, I made demands that surprised the interviewer (that mocking smile really left me confused, and then they started criticizing me on the basis of lack of experience and other things; I didn’t know how to react at that time). There’s no work to do at the company right now, and even if there were work, the kind of tasks available seem to be quite basic, such as helping others with their tasks (due to the nature of the company). How should I plan my career path now? Should I spend my free time looking at professional content, or should I continue working toward getting a certificate (of course, I should focus on one of them; there’s no way to do both. I understand the logic, but my intelligence and energy allow me to concentrate on just one thing at a time) With 3 years of work experience, I only have a basic understanding of instrument selection and system selection – I’ve had very little actual hands-on experience with these areas. What kind of compensation am I entitled to with such experience? (Interview companies always ask about my expected salary; the word “expected” maybe shows that I’m too naive.) Let’s talk about it, hurry up – time waits for no one... PS: If you come across any job opportunities, remember to get in touch with me
Could you please provide the work location? Industry salaries vary from place to place as well.
It’s really not easy. Do you have on-site experience within three years? Wish the original poster success in finding a job that meets their expectations.
So the question is, do you want to go on with this, or do you want to change jobs? Recommendation: The excavator training program at Shandong Lanxiang is very popular these days. . :lol
The last edit to this post was made by Sichuan Instrumentation Control Beginner on 2015-8-7 at 14:01. Personally, I think it’s better to focus on the standards. As a designer in a design institute, if you plan to switch to a better company, the interviewers there will likely want to see what you have learned over those years in the design institute; it’s advantageous to be familiar with the relevant standards. In addition, you should also understand the processes that your design institute specializes in – what their principles are； What are the important devices? ； What’s going on with the material flow? ； What’s the approximate investment amount? ； How long is the construction period approximately? (Factors such as the freezing season in the north and the flood season in the south can affect the timeline; could you roughly create a Gantt chart?) ； What is the construction sequence? ； What aspects should be focused on during design, construction, and commissioning? ； What are the key factors that affect the project timeline and future production maintenance? ； What problems have you encountered in practice with the projects you designed, what were the reasons, and how were they solved? ； You have personally worked on those projects – what is the production capacity of these projects, and what role did you play in them? (This will show in which areas your work experience lies.) ； What are the process routes of other similar design institutes, and what are the advantages and disadvantages when comparing them? You need to be familiar with your own field of specialization, and you should understand the manufacturing processes used in your department – at least be able to give a general idea of them. By doing these things, you will have the qualities of a \"versatile professional,\" which will make others view you more positively. I assume your goal isn’t to work as an on-site maintenance worker, but rather to hold a position such as technical manager, right? Furthermore, you have only worked for three years, so you are strong in theory, but you may lack practical experience. Focus on improving yourself first; stay in touch with your classmates and your clients, as those connections can come in handy later on.
It’s generally better to state a lower expected salary; as long as it’s higher than what you were earning in your previous job, that’s fine! But it’s better to find out first! You’re an instrumentation engineer, right? These days, anyone who is an engineer is considered a highly skilled professional. So I suggest continuing to study *this major! After all, there is a 3-year foundation. If you want to change, you need to think it through carefully. Of course, when making a change, one also needs to consider whether it’s changing industries or companies
Additionally, it is recommended that if the poster has the energy, they also learn about electrical work; private business owners looking for electrical supervisors generally prefer candidates who are proficient in all three areas related to electricity. A former colleague of mine, who had a background in instrumentation, switched to work as an electrical supervisor in private enterprises in Jiangsu and Zhejiang; he was in charge of all electrical-related matters, with an annual salary of over 300,000 yuan, and he had several electricians under him, under his overall technical supervision.
It’s normal; when you have time, reflect on yourself more often. Being proud requires having the ability and skills to back it up~~
Thank you. Now there’s a question: large design institutes generally have a very detailed division of labor, and to gain a comprehensive understanding one needs effort, opportunities, background, time, and so on. . . It’s still great to be able to get into a large design institute; the problem is that it’s not possible to get in ； I personally think a smaller design firm might be better; I’m not too familiar with the details. If you know anything about them, could you tell me more? I basically never had any contact with the actual items on site; what a tragedy. . .
Well, I want to find out in advance, but it’s easy to get some information while other things are more difficult to discover. I want to determine my own level; after all, my own assessment is often one-sided. That’s why I’d like to hear what the general level is – if I can’t reach it, then I’ll work hard to do so. I’m currently working in the chemical industry; I wanted to switch to civil engineering. Of course, the requirements at design firms are extremely high, so I gave up on that idea as well – they wouldn’t even respond without work experience...
Indeed, I think the same way; I will try my best. PS: Another question – if one is looking for a job in a design firm, what are the common ways people go about it? reliable