Advice for Career Change

What is the market asking for locally?

IT field, Real estate, instrumentation (i think), other office staff. Currently working here in the IT field but planning to change my career. But regardless of what is in the market here (dubai), I can go to other countries where instrumentation engineers is in demand.

Case -1 : If decided to come in Instrumentation Industry , in that case try to go in software testing dept or Logic designer/developer or a programmer in Automation Sector Industry Like Siemens, Emerson, Honeywell ,Rockwell. These are world class company in Power+ Instrumentation+Automation Industry .

Case -2 : If you want to go In Electronics Industry,go for some embedded design course which can help you to be an Application Developer or VHDL, Verilog or VLSI course .

In both the above cases both of your expertise will get use Electronics and Computer .

Otherwise i never suggest you to ruin your seven year experience .

Thanks. I think that make sense and more practical. Are you talking about PLC/SCADA/DCS? Can you guide me or at least give some ideas where/how/what to start?

Its good to hear that I'm not alone regarding this situation. And its good to hear that people become successful after changing their career to instrumentation. I'll download it now and start reading. Thanks guys and wish me luck. P.S. Help me later to find a job for an entry level instrumentation engineer.

It will all depend on where, what and how good you think you are in any chosen field(s)? The next question after that will be, are you going to be happy on whatever your choice will be? Like you I was an ECE myself with a very good hands-on capabilities, but I did not limit my exposures. I exposed myself to various fields in engineering and from there I decided, as well as where I'm going to be happy was considered! When the hands-on part of my expertise started to wear out, (part of the aging process), I ventured into management and lastly to private consulting. So, it will all depend on who you think you are and what capabilities (best), assets you can sell to your prospective employer? The most important thing, I think, is your ability to effectively demonstrate your technical knowhow! Your earning potentials somehow follows!

"The most important thing, I think, is your ability to effectively demonstrate your technical knowhow! Your earning potentials somehow follows!"

See, I've been in field of IT for more than 7 years as a software developer. Salary is fine. Freelance jobs are there sometimes. But as I've said, I feel something is missing.I feel bored and the enthusiasm is not there anymore. Developing software is not an ECE thing which means I venture into a non-ECE field. I still feel its not too late yet to be an instrumentation engineer. Just turned 30 years old recently.

"I exposed myself to various fields in engineering and from there I decided, as well as where I'm going to be happy was considered!"

That is exactly my point as well. I should expose myself first to instrumentation engineering and then decide.

Having 7 years in IT maybe considered an experience, but it is dependent on what your actual involvement is in that field. If you're interest is in instrumentations, there are a number of fields you can got to for exposure and to gain experience. Oil industry, refineries, manufacturing, communication industry, nuclear and healthcare are a few examples where you can get into to gain experience or exposed to different instrumentation applications and technologies.

Salary may be considered as fine for the meantime, but then again that is also another perception. Similar to your 7 years IT experience which in my definition just falls into the neophyte category - it was my requirement for an entry position in my department during my working days!

But when you say, you feel like something is still missing - to me it sounds like you are not happy or satisfied with the present and still in search for the better? Programming is not really the main ECE job, yet it can put food on the table! Either that or it appears that the grass looks greener on the other side of your fence??

"Similar to your 7 years IT experience which in my definition just falls into the neophyte category - it was my requirement for an entry position in my department during my working days!"

7 years experience for an entry level position only in your department? hmm..

True, at first I was happy that being a software developer I able to earn money to support my family and my own family.

"...appears that the grass looks greener on the other side of your fence??"

Do you think that grass looks greener in the field of instrumentation compared to IT?

My answer to your question will be a big Maybe! It will all depend on you as an individual, your actual interpersonal and technical capabilities, knowledge, capacity to turn that knowledge into something tangibles, your drive, etc., in pursuing whatever you put your mind on and desired! Here in NYC, which is a very competitive place to be, I found it very important for an individual to be able to do the "walk as he talks"! Although now retired, the feeling of self satisfaction and accomplishment is what always drove me to strive and look forward to!

7 years experience for an entry level position only in your department? hmm..

It was actually a min. of 2 yrs, associate deg. with 5 yrs hands on experience for an entry level electronics tech. coupled with 6 mos. probationary pd. depending how one progress during training. Which during those days is considered very good since the pay scale starts at around $35 - $40k + 5 wks vacation + holidays. And annually thereafter the ability to effectively demonstrate / apply that knowledge!

"the feeling of self satisfaction and accomplishment is what always drove me to strive and look forward to!"

Salute to that!

..I think I'm still on the process of reaching that feeling...

Anyway, I already made up my mind to pursue instrumentation engineering. Wish me luck...

I agree that's a very good decision..... just be sure to pick a progressive field where instrumentation development and innovations are on-going!! Wish you luck!!

"I agree that's a very good decision"

Thanks...

"just be sure to pick a progressive field where instrumentation development and innovations are on-going"

Any recommendations? I am eager to follow that...

Thanks again...

It will be dependent upon where you are now situated? Here in the U.S., clinical engineering /biomedical engineering / medical instrumentations, are areas where a constant development and changes are taking place. Considered as a new growing area on which electronics instrumentation technologies are applied and used in medicine. It is continuously evolving to keep track with any changes in medicine, and as research and development in medicine and the human body continues.

Currently, I am here in Dubai. Do you have any better idea than oil and gas, or manufacturing industry?

As I said earlier, It will be dependent upon where you are presently situated..

In Dubai, I would say you may have a very limited, available industries beside or other than oil and gas related industries? Although there should always have at least one major hospital or medical center, which by the way is considered one of the necessity for any locality! You can start / inquire as what they commonly call as the biomedical electronics engineer or technician. That is becoming a regular hospital staff any major healthcare institution has. Their main responsibilities normally is to take care of all medical instrumentations of the hospital. Another are equipment manufacturers, suppliers or distributors, they normally maintain and train their own local technical staff in most countries they're doing business with?

Another area in Dubai, are the newly constructed modern hotels and other tourist related edifice! I would say they have the latest in 'Building automations and controls". They should be all equipped with the latest instrumentation and controls available in the market and somebody has to be in-charge maintaining / calibrating those!

Thanks for that really. I appreciate it and I am started reading already. Hope I can easily find an entry-level position as an instrumentation engineer.

You're welcomed and good luck with your job transition hunting

I changed career from truck driver to Mechatronics engineer by going to University in my late 30s. I got my current position because of my grass-roots knowledge of machinery, the degree was only secondary. The most important thing is to be able to apply the knowledge you have to the area you work in - an 'outsider' can often see an alternative way to proceed where those who have worked for many years in an industry may be unable or unwilling to see it.

So inspiring...

"an 'outsider' can often see an alternative way to proceed where those who have worked for many years in an industry may be unable or unwilling to see it."

I agree to this. It is true that the more experiences you have, the more you are capable of doing that particular job because of the problems you had encountered and solved. But in some cases, people who are still new on that field are able to find solution because of the theoretical knowledge that is so good.

Good Theory + Good Experience = Excellent Performance

Hi,

Thanks very much for this comment. It help me to think about my ideals.

Tks again and pls keep posting.

This link below can show more info, you can find them at: Career change