Where is the future for industrial automation professionals?
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I have been working for 8 years; since the day I graduated, I have strived to master my skills, become an excellent engineer, and eventually start my own company. Eight years have passed and this goal has still not been achieved; calling oneself a control engineer is somewhat a disservice to the title of \"engineer\". I graduated and started working in 2005, having studied mechatronics. However, I worked at a construction and installation company for a year, doing electrical installation work on site. In 2006, I returned to Zhengzhou; without much work experience, I tried to find a job related to electricity by using my electrician’s certificate. I worked as an electrician for a few months before starting to look for another job. By chance, I entered the industrial automation industry, where I have been working ever since for seven years. I’ve been working in the industrial control field for seven years; the past two years have been largely wasted. I worked on automatic control projects at a design institute, but unfortunately each project took two years to complete, and orders still haven’t been placed yet. There is a big difference between design institutes and automation companies; going to work and coming back from work every day makes me feel like I’m moving further and further away from industrial control. I haven’t done any work myself, and it feels bad to keep taking someone else’s salary. After much thought, I decided to look for another job. I submitted over 60 resumes on Zhaopin, but there was no response at all; it felt extremely disheartening. Seven years have passed since I entered this industry, but I am still far from becoming an excellent engineer; I realize that the PLC programming, software configuration, and electrical wiring I used to do were all quite superficial. Over the past two years, with nothing much to do, I often thought about my future career prospects in the field of industrial control. The conclusion I reached is that either you need to be highly familiar with a particular industry, or you need to possess extremely advanced skills that allow you to handle tasks that others cannot accomplish. Since the projects I work on in the industrial automation field are quite varied, I chose the latter as my area of focus. Industrial Control e-Pai Free Group ① 384421580 If there’s a time when I stop misusing the title of “engineer,” it will be when I become proficient in electrical design starting from transformer connections; I should be able to use Autocad skillfully, knowing more than 30 commands, and I should be skilled enough with EPLAN to perform automated operations using VBA ； I have a thorough understanding of the selection and installation of instruments, valves, and sensors ； Be able to become proficient in PLC programming to the point of writing programs similar to Siemens’ PID blocks, apply various computer programming algorithms to PLC programs, and independently create P&ID diagrams based on process requirements ； I am proficient in Wincc and iFix for configuration, skilled at using scripts to create complex programs, and able to fully master the software’s DEMO versions. Issues such as databases and reports, which cause trouble for those working in process control, are no longer a concern for me ； In terms of drive functionality, it is capable of independently calculating the torque and load of the equipment. It also enables control of servo motors with the highest possible precision for the same type of equipment, thus allowing for the selection of the most suitable drive units for that equipment ； In terms of computers, one must at least be proficient in VB and skilled with SQL databases ； It is possible to flexibly apply control theory to automatic control, as well as to computer programs and PLC programs ； If possible, I would like to take mechanical automation again. Perhaps many people think my goals are too ambitious, but I often look back at the path I’ve taken and regretted having such a narrow vision in the past. Life’s goals take a lifetime to achieve, so it’s never wrong to set them on a longer term horizon.
Many people have had similar experiences to the original poster’s: what they studied in college wasn’t what they ended up doing, and some even changed careers. There are many different professions, and excellence can be achieved in any of them. The key is to have a plan for your future career once you decide on a path, and to work hard toward that goal – this way, it’s possible to create something new for yourself.
No industry or profession can be fully explored. The pursuit of expertise knows no bounds.
I can relate to it, but one still has to stay optimistic. The path is forged through effort; there’s no other way. Keep striving and exploring. If success isn’t achieved, at least one can have a clear conscience
The longer I work, the more I realize what I lack. In mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science, the theoretical foundations directly determine the ceiling limit.
I work in a design firm, where my job is to create designs and draw plans. I only know what hardware and software consist of, how they generally work, how to choose them, and have some basic understanding of systems; I’ve never actually used them in practice. Now I want to change jobs, but it’s difficult to find a job in a design firm, so I’m looking at other related positions. I find that many of these positions require skills in PLC programming and circuit principles, and alas, I don’t even know where to start learning this stuff. :'(Especially since I’m a woman, many jobs are simply rejected for me.)
How great it is to work in a design institute – so many people want to get in but can’t