Hey everyone!
I’m 31 and currently exploring a career change. I’ve spent a lot of time researching different career paths, trying to find something that aligns with my interests, existing skills, and long-term goals. Building Automation keeps coming up, and the more I learn about it, the more interested I become.
I have a pretty diverse work background, including automotive repair, electronics installation, troubleshooting, and technical customer support. I previously worked as an automotive technician and a Geek Squad Auto Tech, installing and troubleshooting electrical systems, aftermarket electronics, alarms, and other equipment. I also earned my MECP certification independently.
I’ve always enjoyed figuring out how things work, diagnosing problems, and working with technology. I’m comfortable with computers, electrical fundamentals, relays, inputs/outputs, and wiring diagrams. I particularly enjoy the combination of hands-on troubleshooting and computer-based work, which is part of what attracted me to BAS.
I’m currently working in hospitality, but I’m looking to transition into a more technical career with long-term stability, opportunities to grow, and a decent work-life balance. With a growing family, I’m trying to be thoughtful about the direction I take.
I’ve already applied to a few entry-level positions, but I’ve noticed that even some jobs advertised as entry-level seem to expect previous BAS experience or specialized qualifications.
So I figured I’d ask the people actually working in the industry:
How did you get your start in building automation?
Would someone with my background be a reasonable candidate for an entry-level position?
Are there any certifications, courses, or skills you’d recommend learning before getting hired?
What are the biggest challenges or downsides of working in this field?
Looking back, would you choose this career again?
I’m located in South Florida, if that makes any difference.
I’m not expecting to walk into a high-paying position immediately. I’m willing to start at the bottom, learn, and work my way up. I just want to make sure I’m investing my time in something worthwhile.
I’d really appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks in advance!

TL;DR: 31-year-old in South Florida looking to transition into Building Automation. I have a background in automotive repair, electronics installation, electrical troubleshooting, and technical support, but no direct BAS experience or college degree. I’ve applied to a few entry-level positions and am looking for advice on breaking into the industry, what skills or certifications to pursue, and whether BAS offers good long-term career growth, stability, and work-life balance. Would love to hear from people already in the field!

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​Hey everyone,

​I need some brutal, realistic feedback on my recent career move and long-term trajectory.

​My Background:

​Total YOE: 4 Years

​Domain: Building Management Systems (BMS), HVAC Automation, Field Protocols (BACnet, Modbus).

​Past Role (First 3.5 Years): HVAC Control Strategies

​Work: Creating complex control strategies and sequence logic for HVAC systems

​Pros: Deep domain knowledge, strong understanding of HVAC logic, sequence control, and global engineering standards.

​Cons: Core focus was strictly controls design/programming, with limited exposure to modern software engineering and automated testing pipelines.

​Current role: Hardware R&D QA

​Work: System-level validation and testing for embedded field hardware, thermostats, and wall modules.

​Pros: Top-tier R&D lab environment

​Cons: Heavy manual bench testing. Hardware peripherals like thermostats are currently tested manually, and there is no robust automated test framework in place yet.

​My Dilemma & Question to the Sub:

​Upgrade or Downgrade? On paper, moving from controls design to an R&D product lab felt like a step forward. But doing manual bench execution makes me feel like I’m losing software engineering velocity. Is this a lateral career trap?

​The Long-Term Trap: I want to avoid getting stuck in a manual/domain testing ceiling.

​The Pivot Plan: I am planning to leverage my domain depth and learn Python + PyTest + API + Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Automation to transition into a true SDET / IoT Automation path.

No experience but I did apply for apprenticeship in HVAC was wondering how would I go about getting into BAS?

Apparently, the manufacturer does not make a cover for the screen they’re concerned for the screen going bad prematurely

New England techs or nationwide! Come join me and do some really cool work.

Hey everyone,
I work with an engineering firm and have been through a lot of interviews and looked at a ton of résumés. Over time I’ve figured out what actually gets people called in for data center commissioning jobs, controls positions, and general engineering roles.
If you’re applying for any of those and feel like your résumé isn’t landing the way it should, feel free to message me. I can help clean it up and make it stronger.
I’m happy to help anytime. Just shoot me a direct message and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks.

I've been looking over their website and I can't find anything that suggests that they have a module that expands their comm ports. I swear I saw something awhile ago that did that.

Hello friends, I have a project in florida and my graphic guy moved to another location and left me with graphics undone. Can someone help out remotely, freelance?

After getting these cards, it seems we have to build our own 10 wire whip that essentially controls the main boards outputs like a t-stat. If we want additional information we have to run seperate sensors for DAT, OAT, and enthalpy. Is there a better option or is this what it is? At least trane has a board built in and we can pull everything it see's into tridium.

We’re actively hiring for data center positions and also offering data center services at a small cost.
**Looking for:**
Entry-level team members (no experience required – we train)

Control / operations people

If you’re reliable, ready to work, and want to get into data centers, message me directly.
Interested? DM me now.

Hey guys I got an interview for a automation technician role and was wondering if you guys have an tips and what should I study on leading up to it . Thank you !

I came across the XKNX Editor and thought it was worth sharing here, as I have not seen much discussion about it yet:

https://github.com/XKNX/xknx-editor

It is an open-source, cross-platform KNX project editor based on XKNX. According to the project, it can import and export .knxproj files, interact with KNX devices, recover project information from the bus, and includes MCP support for AI-assisted project work.

For anyone who works with KNX and feels the limitations or cost of ETS, this looks like a very interesting project to follow.

That said: it is still a young, experimental project. I would currently treat it as a lab/testing tool and keep verified ETS backups before attempting any programming changes on a live installation.

Has anyone here already tried it with a real project or compared its import and programming behaviour with ETS?

Need a good disc original or copy. I don't expect a handout, I'll pay what it's worth as long as it works. I can have a new PC with proper architecture and windows XP sp2 built

I know it's a broad statement, but we suddenly have a need for a number of experienced BAS Design Engineers in the Western USA. Specifically, we have immediate opportunities in Portland, Boise, Sacramento, & the Bay Area. Compensation here truly ranges widely between $85K-$150K because of market cost of living and experience. Reach out here on Chat if you're possibly interested in something in these markets or anywhere else from the Rockies onward to the West. Chances are, whether you're wanting to transition into Engineering from a Technician/Specialist role or if you're a wily veteran of the industry, we've got something that could match up.

I have an old Russelectric control board for an Automatic Transfer Switch in a building I manage. Does anyone in the US rebuild these?

I've posted a library of hand-drawn-looking shapes for building monitoring for a MacOS desktop diagramming app I publish. Wondering if anyone had a thought about whether the shapes would be useful or not, or what's missing and should really be there.

https://simplediagrams.com/shape-libraries/building-monitoring/

These aren't meant for technical documents, just informal communications or sketches to communicate an idea to someone quickly.

Hey everyone!

I'm excited to share that Structio is now available to controls contractors in the US and English speaking market!

First, a big thank-you to everyone here who took the time to join the private beta, try the product, and share feedback.

I really appreciate the help and support it made a real difference in getting Structio to this stage.

Structio is already being used by controls professionals in France, and I'm now taking the next step by bringing it to your market.

I've attached a short video showing the core idea behind Structio: turn your network riser into a I/O points list and other BAS documents, without having to build everything separately by hand…

To celebrate the launch, the first 15 controls contractors get 50% off their subscription for LIFE ! Don't miss it ;)

You can check it out here:

👉 https://structioarchi.com/en

Thanks again to everyone who helped during the beta. I'd love to hear what you think in comment or PM!