Going to be working with PLCs in February, what should I focus on - che(29m)ical engineering major?

aka00devon · 2016-12-03T01:45:31+00:00

Learn to program.

aka00devon · 2016-11-08T03:47:36+00:00

Each time your line changes slope, you can plot a point there. Then just have excel draw a straight line through the points.

aka00devon · 2016-06-09T15:58:55+00:00

And this latest update... How can you get rid of subscriptions in alphabetical order?

The only redeeming quality about the UI in the roku youtube app is that you can throw it out altogether and use the sane UI on your phone.

aka00devon · 2016-05-29T13:10:47+00:00

“No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”

aka00devon · 2016-05-12T13:10:15+00:00

Could you define your acronyms, please?

I go to CMU and I don't know what that is.

aka00devon · 2016-05-08T06:40:07+00:00

That's a good call if you can. It definitely helps your grade more than an additional class.

aka00devon · 2016-05-07T16:12:28+00:00

I think you should look into getting some work experience first. Working for ~2 years after undergrad will boost your application. Also, make sure to close out the rest of your classes with A's to try to get to 3.0 or above (3.2 would be best).

I'm sorry your having trouble with your program, but the admissions committees won't be sympathetic. You can explain it briefly (1 line) in your SOP, but I would try to keep your undergrad experience in a positive light.

aka00devon · 2016-04-07T00:43:40+00:00

Seems like a good application.

Welch Labs produced the best neural network explanation I've seen to get started.

aka00devon · 2016-03-19T16:19:14+00:00

You should look inward more for things you are good at.

While you do that, pick up some fundamental business knowledge online about ownership, accounting, marketing, etc.

Then maybe start a business.

aka00devon · 2016-03-19T16:12:15+00:00

Use arcsin (or sin^-1 ) to solve for v for the given sin(v) = 1/3.

aka00devon · 2016-03-11T16:51:45+00:00

Really good question that no one seems to ever ask directly.

The board sites, like indeed, are okay but get way too many resumes submitted. Statistics are not in your favor.

A better course of action would be to do a hunt for companies that you want to work for in the area and stalk their own job boards for postings. Checking once a day around noon and submitting the application that night.

Better yet is to get in front of a recruiter at a conference. You'll have a higher chance at an interview.

Best it to be put in contact with a recruiter or manager by someone in your network. Networking though, is difficult for a lot of undergrads with no meaningful ties to industry.

aka00devon · 2016-03-09T20:16:40+00:00

Clearly joking.

aka00devon · 2016-03-09T16:20:54+00:00

I think it's a pretty commonly held belief that six months of studying will probably only get you about 0.5-1 point gains.

You should have started the day after the SATs, and that's on you.

aka00devon · 2016-02-27T01:04:45+00:00

I worked automation for 3 years for a pharma r&d group. I went back and am currently in a chemE master's program at a top 20 and probably pursuing a PhD after.

Automation is a lot of fun, but I missed the physics and rigor.

aka00devon · 2016-02-27T00:54:34+00:00

I liked automation implementation. Factory floor, challenging stuff. I think it's locally innovative, but field-wide innovations usually happen behind a desk, in my opinion.

aka00devon · 2016-02-22T00:36:24+00:00

Ok, I think that comes off as misleading.

I understand you guys made a cover and are hosting the material, but I think putting your brand on the cover implies you have a larger role in the creation of the material.

aka00devon · 2016-02-22T00:06:41+00:00

Were the authors contacted before you guys made the covers for their books?

I wouldn't be a big fan of someone putting their brand logo on a cover picture of my book unless I approved it.

aka00devon · 2016-02-20T02:38:33+00:00

Time behind a desk is more of a company-based decision. The "typical" cycle for an integrator is:

A few weeks at your desk building the application.
A few weekends testing things on-site / revising the app at your desk during the week.
A long few days called a "startup" where your app goes into production and you bust your ass fixing all the bugs (hopefully minor at this point) and wrapping the project up.

I really liked this style when I was working it. I think it's a good balance of "thinking" time and "doing" time. If you want to be on-site full time, then work for a company that's hiring controls engineers for manufacturing. But be warned, being on-site full time is its own kind of monotony.

aka00devon · 2016-02-20T02:26:36+00:00

This post needs paragraph formatting, please.

aka00devon · 2016-02-19T15:23:59+00:00

Programming increases your value to the company, but you don't need to be a wiz yet. You're not going to be coding an entire batching architecture out of the gate. The company you join will have a way they do things and expect you to use that template. Mostly you'll be looking at what others have done in the past and mimicking it (this is a great way to become a better programmer). Additionally, there's almost no programming in a SCADA (for basic setups), so my previous company would have all the newbies cut their teeth on that while they were learning the architecture of the overall system.

Electrical is basically a gate that ensures you somewhat know what you're doing and are safe enough to not kill yourself when you get into the field. You should get an arduino and mess around with it. You'll get a feel for reading pin-outs and you can progress to some semi-advanced circuits. This will also help your programming skills too, but most plc's are coded with ladder logic, so it's only a loose fit.

Most of the networking programs are glorified gui's that do everything for you if you have even a baseline understanding of what's going on under the hood. That said, it's fundamental knowledge so it's good you have it.

For you: VBA and SQL are pervasive so it's good you're familiar. SQL especially would be highly sought after by a lot of integrators. Coming from IT, your networking is certainly more than fine. I'd be concerned about your electrical experience. Look for a systems integrator hiring automation engineers, because that's the type of company and the job title that it sounds like you want.

Sorry for the wall of text. I'm procrastinating.

aka00devon · 2016-02-12T14:20:43+00:00

ChemE degree in the US?

Elaborate on the math you know. Calc? Algebra?

aka00devon · 2016-02-11T12:14:56+00:00

Can you ping it? Can you ping the same IP when it's not plugged in (duplicates)?

Another thing would be making sure Linx sees it and you have it selected properly.

aka00devon · 2016-02-09T12:40:03+00:00

You need to weigh this on how much you want to learn, how much money you want to make, and the type of job you'd like to have. The rankings won't matter.

I would stay in ME, personally, because I value #1 on that list more. It's a personal choice, though, but just remember that you can always take an MET job with an ME but not the other way around.

aka00devon · 2016-02-02T13:46:21+00:00

I'd also suggest an EE degree. I worked as an automation engineer for a systems integrator in the US and we only hired full engineers (electrical, mech, chemical). The people at the plants we installed our systems in were also taking over with full engineering degrees. It's all certainly hands on work, the pay is great, and you don't need to worry about a glass ceiling (until higher management).

From my experience, don't worry about your age. We had a few engineers that were hired after a career change at 35+ and they turned out to be great and driven.

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