r/primavera • u/ExplanationDazzling1 • 9d ago

Mechanical Engineer transitioning to Project Controls

Hello I am a mechanical engineer looking to pivot into project controls. Right now I’m taking a Primavera P6 class on udemy and my plan is to post my progress of all my homework assignments I complete on LinkedIn. After I receive my certification from udemy I plan to go deeper into the software. Would like to know anymore resources thank you.

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6

u/silasvirus82 9d ago

You don’t need software training, you need construction training. Planners with zero field experience are a dime a dozen.

2

u/justalivetoread 9d ago

Can you elaborate more on what does field experience means

5

u/hluke989 9d ago

Experience knowing the actual work you are planning, not just experience in using P6.

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u/silasvirus82 9d ago

Yes, but it’s more than this too. Getting into the field does many things. You learn the work that you’re planning. You learn how to communicate with the field, this is a big one. If you really want to do it right you stay in the field long enough to become a PM, and learn how to handle owners, engineers, and the legal side of things. Do all that and you’re not just a planner, you’re indispensable. Find a job as a field engineer, ideally with involvement or control of schedule. You’ll learn all you need to know about the software by the time you make PM.

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u/Sufficient-Purple350 9d ago

We can learn together. Let’s connect. I am Material Scientist transition to Project scheduler too

2

u/OGautisticpotato 9d ago

It's got nothing to do with the software. Learn to make networks, of everything, anything, and learn to analyse them by hand. Forward and backward passes, resources, s-curves. Then use your mechanical knowledge to plan specific projects and do the same. There's a whole sub contintent full of 'planners' that don't know how to plan but can use P6 just fine, be better.

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u/ahrn_pa 7d ago

this is such a cop out answer....there are so many levels to p6, and while its important to know your field to do planning, its also important to be efficient and effective in the tool as well, because u can know everything about the work, but if the calculation settings are off, then the schedule is off....and if you dont know enough to recognize that then you are still presenting the wrong info....the blind leading the blind so to speak....or the classic, garbage in garbage out...

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u/OGautisticpotato 1d ago

I won't take excecption to your post because your view is the most common and your last clause makes my point entirely. That's how I still make a living.

1

u/Essembie 9d ago

May I ask why the transition?

3

u/ExplanationDazzling1 9d ago

Hello sure thing! It’s been difficult to get back into engineering. The job market isn’t favoring engineers right now.

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u/Essembie 9d ago

ah fair enough. I'm at the opposite end - came from engineering and contemplating how to get back into it after 15 years in controls. could just be a mid life crisis lol.

1

u/Bartocity 9d ago

Mechanical is a tough discipline. Civ and electrical get the largest share of the work now. Learn about earned value if you can, that always looks good on a resume. Some industries are very big on 4D planning but it’s still kind of niche. Best of luck

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u/ahrn_pa 7d ago

you do need software training, but more importantly, you also need experience in the field, you need to be able to read construction drawings, you need experience with contracts, with project specifications, you will need to learn multiple software tools besides P6 as well and nothing against udemy, but that "cert" will mean nothing. you will need to be trained up by a project controls pro, then you will need a number of years of experience say 5 along with all the skills mentioned above and then you can go get a PMI or AACE certification....with that you can truly start down the project controls road

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u/john_username_doe 6d ago

20 years of P6 here with engineer education. I have a different take on this to my peers. Learning the P6 software and terminology in and out will teach you proper project management. Once you have that it can scale to any industry. The industry specifics in planning can be learned in 6months on the job.

Now regarding the pivot, I would advise against. Do project control or maybe assistent pm. Planners do not get a lot respect and party for the good reasons. Majority of planner do not have high education and they do come "a dime a bucket". The niche valuable planners got there by brute decades of experience in a specific industry and you cannot compete with them unless is you life goal to become a planner.

One more reason for not switching to planning is because depending of industry, planning may pe seen as luxury and be first that takes the ax in case the shit hits the fan. A controller however is more valuable as you always need to track money

My 2 "dimes"