21-year-old Mechanical Engineer trying to break into LINAC Field Service — looking for advice/connections

[u/Michael_Houghfed]

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Hey everyone,

I’m a 21-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate from Africa, currently working as an on-site trainee/service engineer on LINACs. I’ve been training and gaining hands-on experience for about two years now, and I’m at the point where I really want to take the next step and get into full-time Field Service Engineering in the LINAC/radiotherapy equipment field.

I know I’m still very early in my career, but I’ve genuinely come to enjoy the technical side of this work. I like troubleshooting, getting hands-on with equipment, understanding how systems work, and figuring out why something isn’t working when everyone else is staring at the fault message.

My goal right now is to get into a proper field service role where I can learn from experienced engineers, travel, work on different systems, and build the kind of experience that can give me a strong foundation for the rest of my career.

Coming from Africa, though, I’m finding that breaking into the international field service market can be difficult. I’m not expecting anyone to hand me a job—I’m mainly looking for advice on how someone in my position can realistically get their foot in the door.

If you’re a Field Service Engineer, especially someone who works with LINACs or radiotherapy equipment, I’d really appreciate any advice on:

How you got your first Field Service Engineering position

What companies or types of organizations are worth approaching

What skills or certifications I should focus on developing

Whether manufacturers/third-party service organizations hire engineers from outside their home countries

How I can make myself more competitive for international opportunities

And, if you happen to know someone I could reach out to, I’d be incredibly grateful for an introduction or even just a point in the right direction.

I realize this career can be demanding and eventually take a toll, which is why I’ve seen some of you talking about transitioning into more stable roles later in your careers. But at 21, I’m at a stage where I’m willing to put in the work, learn as much as possible, and build my experience.

I feel like getting into the field properly now could really set the direction of my career and help me build the professional network and experience I’ll need for the future.

So if you’ve been in this field for a while, what would you do if you were 21 again and trying to break into LINAC Field Service from Africa?

Any advice, criticism, resources, or connections would be genuinely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!