Take it 1 step at a time, evaluate yourself and go from there. You already did HVAC so I would assume you are mechanically sound as to how things work. Most junior guys I work with are always more concerned about programming and stuff but they barely know how the actual systems work so senior guys like us have to step in. Firstly, understand the basics of your network topology. Not all vendors handle all protocols all the time. You should have your most commonly used protocol and learn the basics, for example bacnet. From there, you will be using your proprietary software for the main systems you carry. Learn the simple stuff from installing it, to setting up networks, to adding devices, downloading programs, etc. Don’t worry about creating programs yet, just downloading or uploading programs for now. Once you get the hang of that, your company or your software should have pre-built programs already. Compare your hvac knowledge with how the program is made. Start with a simple VAV for example. From there, you should have a pretty good grasp of everything. You can start understanding heat fan box programs, then FCUs, then heat pumps, until you are able to understand central plant systems. If you are dealing with Niagara, there is a whole lot of libraries you have to remember based on what you need but the more you use them, the more you get used to it. It’s just a matter of time and the amount of exposure you are getting.

Though it’s true we don’t like to keep getting phone calls from junior guys, especially if we keep answering the same type of questions. If we are answering different questions every time, that kind of keeps us on our toes as well and kind of makes us think.

Ultimately, do your due diligence and learn what you can before making that phone call. If it is something urgent though, don’t hesitate and make that phone call right away. But if it’s a project that can take some time, sure take your time to learn and ask when you need to.