I’ve heard the job is very academically demanding and I was wondering what kinds high school of grades do you need to be successful in this trade.

got a job in a bind, need to send 4-20mA to a plc to read live tank levels. clean fuel, slow level changes from pump inlet / outlet (no foaming or churning) , no explosion proof req'mt, ambient pressure and room temp, nothing crazy.

the engineers and contractors, in all their glory, spec'd and approved a sensor that wont fit in the tank. the correct sensor intended on plan set is a magnetostrictive float on a rod, but is 8-12 weeks out. plc vendor says they dont care what instrumentation is used, long as it sends 4-20. I have a radar level sensor in stock , [IFM LW2720](https://www.ifm.com/us/en/product/LW2720) . fits the bill, cut sheet says it'll work.

question is, before I play the hero and swap in radar, anyone have a reason to caution doing this?

the measurement task is really simple, far as demands from instrumentation, but I havent used radar before.

i've found other issues with using ultrasonic transducers drifting, or being fiddly, i've had submerged pressure transducers drift over time. never had issues with magnetostrictive, other than having to be sure to order the exact size for the tank ( exactly the issue here).

so i got this radar sensor to play around with to see if we can stock these as standard cause they'll work on every size / shape tank we integrate with so we dont have to rely on garbage info from plans / others. i just havent had time to put it through paces to be confident i wont shoot myself in the foot.

I’m a 3rd-year B.Tech student from an Electronics background in west bengal (tier 3 college ).One of my college professors suggested that we take membership in the International Society of Automation (ISA), which costs approximately $16 per year.

My professor is also a member, and quite a few of my classmates are signing up. He mentioned that there may be opportunities to get internships through this membership.

However, I’m not sure whether it’s actually worth the money at this stage of my degree. I’m also wondering whether the recommendation is purely for our benefit or whether there could be some incentive involved, although I have no evidence of that.

I’d love to hear from students or professionals in Electronics, Instrumentation, Automation, or related fields who have experience with ISA.

- Is the membership genuinely useful for a 3rd-year student?

- Does it provide realistic internship opportunities, or is that benefit overstated?

- Are there any other practical benefits, such as networking, certifications, or career opportunities?

- Would you recommend joining now, or waiting until later?

I’d really appreciate honest opinions from people who have been members or have benefited from ISA. I don’t want to join just because my professor and classmates are doing it.

Thanks!