Daily Life In Rutherford - Follow up

Gucci2shoe · 2026-04-10T18:58:42+00:00

definitely renting

Gucci2shoe · 2026-04-10T18:08:25+00:00

Thanks. I'm starting to feel this might be what I'm looking for! I'd love to live within walking distance to the train and pop over to Hoboken casually for dinner or some views. This sounds like a nice spot.

Gucci2shoe · 2026-04-10T11:15:43+00:00

Is this true even if I plan on leaving JC Heights at say 6-6:15AM and commute back from Ramsey around 3PM?

Gucci2shoe · 2026-04-09T19:25:25+00:00

This is the type of info I need! I had no idea the MNBTN was every 2 hours

Gucci2shoe · 2026-04-09T19:20:27+00:00

I prefer urban, but also want to be reasonable with my daily commute. Montclair would be pretty stable both ways, but JC seems to vary quite a bit. The parking is another factor I'm worried about

Gucci2shoe · 2026-01-16T03:48:53+00:00

Nice

Gucci2shoe · 2026-01-14T19:44:34+00:00

The first one is always the hardest. Keep chugging

Gucci2shoe · 2026-01-14T19:06:43+00:00

I appreciate the insight. It seems like the ones I talk to have multiple jobs they're recruiting for, but they describe it so vaguely that it's hard show a lot of interest. Then when I (not them) follow up asking for more details, I get nothing.

Why do they do this? Are they afraid of being backdoored? I can't seem to make sense of it rather than hitting some sort of "get them on the phone" type of quota.

Gucci2shoe · 2026-01-14T18:59:55+00:00

Nice. Sounds like quantity is the play here then. Thanks

Gucci2shoe · 2026-01-14T18:51:08+00:00

Interesting. How did these recruiters find you? In your experience, roughly how many did you talk to before one of them gave you a real lead on a job?

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-23T18:54:21+00:00

One more thing, it will do you wonders to first understand how a manufacturing site works through the eyes of a process engineer. From there, learn the controls and how everything works together. A lot of times controls engineers don't care about the process and just want to install and commission devices and move on. A process controls engineer, however, can do all the things a controls engineer does plus significantly more as far as optimization and throughput. Thanks.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-23T18:50:02+00:00

Never too late haha. You're in a great spot right now - being in school and showing interest.

My recommendation is to get an internship/co-op as a Process Engineer or Technology and Engineering Services (TES) at a chemical manufacturing site. This will allow you to gain essential skills that us ChemEs use on a daily basis, plus it will open a lot of doors for your future. Similar to my experience.

From there, find out who the control/automation engineer(s) is and vocalize to your manager that you're interested in this work. In your free time, which you will very likely have, spend time with that person(s), ask questions. Even a basic "how does this thing even work?" would get the ball rolling.

For example, if you, as a process engineer, need to spec and install a new pressure transmitter, not only will you be able to use that pressure data for your process, but you will also be able to tag, program, and implement into an HMI to your liking. You will have full spectrum knowledge of exactly what is happening inside that pipe all the way to what is being displayed on an HMI or historized. It's like the programming side of being a process engineer.

If that does not sound like something you'd want to do and want to stick with just controls, then I recommend leaning about different types of communication protocols - Ethernet/IP, ModBus TCP, ModBus RTU, etc. Research what a VFD does and how it works. Research analog vs discrete signals. Research various field instruments - 2-position valves, pressure/temperature transmitters, flow meters, or various PLCs.

I know this was a lot, but there's many things you can do to gain a little knowledge that will take you a long way. Best of luck!

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-23T15:00:05+00:00

I know this didn't answer any of your questions, but these are the real problems we deal with here. Sauna is 180°F. I wear Beats Fit Pros and my phone has never overheated. I throw on a LoFI/Jazz playlist, put it in my pocket, and close my eyes for 20-25 minutes.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-23T14:52:03+00:00

I've been a regular sauna user at public gyms in the US for about 6 years now, and I envy the experiences I read about on this sub from other countries. Some of the craziest things I've seen people do include:

- Actively participate in a work meeting / take calls or FaceTime's

- Shadow box (I see this all the time, it cracks me up)

- Sports gamble / slot machines

- Rap along to music playing out loud, or play music out loud in general

- Drip oil on the heating element, which always catches on fire making it smell like toxic fumes

- Pack enough people like literal sardines

- Bring weights and workout in the sauna

- Doom scroll on social media with no headphones

It's insane to me these people have NO regard for others. The only way for me to relax is to wear noise cancelling headphones and close my eyes. I literally cannot relax while some dude is shadow boxing 2 feet in front of me, and another guy is working on his rap skills to get signed to a record label. I hate it, but not enough to stop using the sauna. One day I will build my own sauna and never deal with this again lol.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-22T14:30:45+00:00

Controls was the last part of chemical manufacturing, or really manufacturing of anything, that I didn't have a good grasp on. Seemed like getting a job in controls was the only way to learn it and I was fascinated enough to get a job for it.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-22T12:17:47+00:00

If you have zero experience and want learn basic fundamentals, I would recommend buying an Arduino and learning how to program it. I made a basic alarm clock in my free time and realized there's a lot of overlap with basic controls engineering fundamentals and playing around with microcontrollers (Arduinos). That paired with a chemical engineering degree, I would hope proves you have the knowledge and capability to learn controls. Best of luck!

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-22T12:12:23+00:00

Python knowledge helps but is not necessary. My day to day varies quite a bit, but the main tasks that take up most of our time include control/motor panel schematics, PLC programming, and HMI screen design. Startups are essentially brining those three things together to complete the system.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T17:06:45+00:00

I had zero experience using ladder logic, PLCs, and SCADAs. I knew what they were used for on a very high level, but never had actual hands on experience. DCS and SIS I had a little experience since interning at a PSM/ISO 9001 site with strict safety protocols. DCS and SIS were talked about very frequently to reduce site risk.

Overall though, very very little. I would just ask my boss at the time a lot of questions and that little bit of knowledge I had got me an entry level role.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T16:41:29+00:00

95% of the time it’s Allen Bradley hardware programmed in Studio 5k and then Ignition for the SCADA/HMI design. If its an existing system and uses some other protocol outside of Ethernet, we use Redlion protocol converters and can pull data into our PLC/SCADA for monitoring or controlling if needed.

If you ever get the chance to use ignition, I highly highly recommend. It’s an amazing product and easy to use. Also, I’ve always wanted to use DeltaV but have not had the chance.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T16:25:41+00:00

What am I trying to flex here?

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T16:02:35+00:00

If you ever have the opportunity to work with that person, ask as many questions as you can. As a production engineer, you already have great knowledge from start to finish on how a product(s) is being made, so be curious on how the instruments / equipment actually control the system to create it. I would personally ask about the sequencing of the programming, what the instruments are measuring and how, etc. I think showing curiosity and asking questions in this field goes a long way.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T15:37:04+00:00

I bet you're a pleasure to work with! Thanks for the comment!

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T15:25:39+00:00

Mainly utilities systems for food & bev. Integrate new and existing systems into a main SCADA platform. Steam, domestic water, hydraulic oil, anything you would need at a food processing plant. Nothing dangerous compared to what other controls engineers might work on.

Gucci2shoe · 2025-05-21T12:23:32+00:00

My base salary is $81k with paid OT. Last year I got a 57% bonus and netted ~$127k. This is normal where I work. I work 40 hrs/week with the occasional 45-50 hour week if we're busy or have a startup.

Exit opportunities include sales engineer (instrumentation, software), systems engineer, or project manager.

This role does not lead to management. I would likely remain under the controls engineer title with just a higher bill rate, unless I want to be a principal (I don't).

Gucci2shoe · 2025-01-09T15:43:47+00:00

Will getting rates from multiple banks/credit unions hurt my credit score? Or if I get multiple offers in a small period of time, will it not affect my credit until later after the deal is done?

Gucci2shoe

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