One thing about being sick: Writing can take a back seat. As such, this post is going to be short, but it’s also an important one to lay a foundation for other topics I’d like to write about. Enjoy!
Depending on where you’re coming from, “engineer” either sounds quite impressive or like a title with “Nerd Alert” flashing above it (or, if you’re a spouse, possibly a test of your patience). I’m actually OK with the nerd title in addition to the impressive title–after all, nerds are often smart people and, from what I’ve seen, a lot of the gears that keep the world turning are driven by engineers. Plus, when you’ve got The Knack, you use it.
So how did I drive down the path of being an engineer? More specifically, how did I choose to be an automation engineer? The truth is, I didn’t choose it; I kind of fell into it. I had planned on being a software engineer (which is what my schooling was for), but my co-op (read: intern) experiences were for Human Machine Interface (HMI) development and code development for industrial systems. Once you start dealing with HMIs for glass manufacturers and Programmable Logic Controller code for pharmaceutical companies, the label of “automation engineer” just gets slapped on you.
I have to admit that, while this is not the career path I had initially expected, it’s a lot of fun. I get to not just do graphics and software development, I also get to see the tanks and motors and valves and belts that I’ve developed code for jump into action and make amazing things like cancer drugs or glass. It’s very rewarding and, most of all, feeds the inner part of me that likes to imagine how things could work, build plans for it that can be both complex and elegant, and then watch those dreams turn into a smooth, well-orchestrated reality that benefits others.
This is why I’m an engineer–because I get to be very detail-oriented in planning to make things happen, and then use those plans to play with really big (and often expensive) toys. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and this nerd totally loves it.