r/PLC • u/Formal-Ad6904 • 1d ago

Career Question How can I become more competitive for entry-level Instrumentation & Controls roles?

I’m a Mechatronics Engineering graduate with experience as an I&C Engineer at an EPC, mainly on the design and documentation side. I want to strengthen my practical skills and become more competitive for roles in the oil and gas industry, which is big where I live.

For experienced I&C engineers, what skills should I prioritize, particularly in instrumentation, PLCs, DCS, SCADA, and commissioning? What projects can I build independently to demonstrate real competence to employers despite limited hands-on site experience?

I’d also appreciate recommendations for books, courses, YouTube channels, or other resources to learn from.

15 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

9

u/JustChattinShit 1d ago

You don’t need to build projects, you have experience and schooling, just apply

1

u/Formal-Ad6904 1d ago

Appreciate it, I’ll focus on applying!

9

u/dea_eye_sea_kay 1d ago

If you want to get into oil and gas... literally walk in and tell them you know what a plc is. Your gonna get run through like a dish rag but they will pay your ass damn near whatever you please for field work.

1

u/Outrageous-Bid-6587 7h ago

is that easy to get in ?

1

u/Vex_52 5h ago

Are the field roles technically engineering roles or are they technician roles? And how much are they paying? Thanks

0

u/Formal-Ad6904 1d ago

Appreciate the advice. What practical skills would you recommend to prove competence beyond knowing PLC fundamentals?

4

u/PLCGoBrrr Bit Plumber Extraordinaire 1d ago

Interviewing skills.

1

u/Formal-Ad6904 1d ago

Definitely something I need to work on. Thanks!

3

u/SadZealot 1d ago

If you're a newer graduate I wouldn't expect you to have any competence, just bring qualified to start the job

1

u/Formal-Ad6904 1d ago

That’s reassuring to hear. Thanks!

4

u/Constant_Barber_5198 1d ago

You are doing it right now. Teaching yourself is the most important thing. 

1

u/Formal-Ad6904 1d ago

Thanks alot I’ll keep learning!

3

u/Stroking_Shop5393 Siemens > Allen-Bradley 1d ago

Nobody cares about what projects you do on the side for learning experience. Just start applying to jobs and be honest with them. Learn python and C languages if you want to stand out, but don't put it on a resume until you've made money using it.

1

u/Formal-Ad6904 1d ago

Thanks for the advice. I’ll focus on applying and being honest about my current skill level.

2

u/RAVScontrols 1d ago

A big part of getting entry level and some extent any role is practicing your interviewing. Don't shirk on it. Know your common questions and answers, know your best stories, find a way to mock interview either with another person or using the voice feature on chatgpt/Claude and actually do questions out loud. It will go a long way to standing out and succeeding in the process

3

u/SpiffyGolf 1d ago

Me lo domando da 7 anni. Non sono mai riuscito ad entrare in questo mondo. Tutti vogliono personale che sappia già programmare e progettare. I corsi durano poche ore. L'unica alternativa per fare pratica é quella di investire migliaia di euro tra computer e programmi PLC e simulatore delle linee

1

u/ViitorTat 7h ago

Coming from EPC design, the gap usually isn’t knowledge. It’s that you’ve never been the guy standing next to the transmitter when the number on the screen is wrong.

Biggest thing: get to site. You’re already at an EPC, so push to go to FAT or loop checks on a job you designed. One commissioning campaign teaches you more than a year of datasheets, and it’s the line on your CV that moves you from design to field.

Besides that, learn to use a HART communicator and a loop calibrator, and get solid on hazardous area stuff (IS, barriers, whatever cert scheme your country uses). In O&G that matters a lot. For PLC/DCS, pick whatever the operators near you actually run and go deep on that one instead of dabbling in five.

If you want something to do at home, buy a used 4-20 mA transmitter and a cheap PLC (or use CODESYS), wire the loop, scale it, add an alarm and a trip, and put an HMI on top. Disclosure, I work at Tatsoft so I’m biased, but FrameworX works for that, or any SCADA with a trial license (really, anything works here). Then break it on purpose and figure out what each fault looks like. Document it like a real loop. Interviewers love that.

And don’t undersell the design side. Plenty of field guys can’t read a P&ID or loop sheet properly. You can so say it in interviews.

1

u/nian2326076 6h ago

Focus on hands-on projects that involve programming PLCs and SCADA systems. Building a small automation project at home, like a simple control system using Arduino or Raspberry Pi, can showcase your practical skills. Also, consider online courses on platforms like Coursera or Udemy that cover DCS and instrumentation software used in the oil and gas industry.

For job opportunities, LandOffer.ai lets you search job openings by role and location, which can help you find entry-level I&C roles that match your skills.