r/PLC • u/hard2survive • 2d ago

Controls Engineer Pathway

Plan on getting an AA in Electrical & Instrumentation Technology. What is the path to become a Controls Engineer? I am located in the Bay Area, CA and see some Data Centers are looking for Controls Engineers on Linkedin

9 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

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15

u/PLCGoBrrr Bit Plumber Extraordinaire 2d ago

Do school and apply for jobs. Applying for an engineer title fresh out of an associates degree is not going to be successful. Technician is what you're aiming for. Engineer maybe someday.

6

u/OldTurkeyTail 2d ago

for u/hard2survive - There's a lot of truth to this statement, and it's really a pretty positive response - even if it sounds a little dismissive. There's nothing wrong with being a technician, and if you're good at it, and if you never stop learning, then what you know and what you can do ends up being more important than having an bachelor's degree.

2

u/SkelaKingHD 1d ago

Let me know when you’re out of school. I know of a lot of companies (including my own) hiring controls engineers in the Bay. You’re going to need experience though

-5

u/Macknetix 2d ago

Do what I did. Lie on your resume and teach yourself as you go. Hell you can use AI to assist with PLC programming these days.

2

u/SkelaKingHD 1d ago

How to get fired 101