Job Shadow

Valerie Nagle

Job Shadow

Class 2100

12/2/11

Name: Curtis A. Robbins

Title: System Control Engineer

Company Name and Location:

HK Systems (Recently purchased by Dematic)

265 South 5200 West

Salt Lake City Utah 84104 phone: 801-715-2365

Questions:

1. What percentage of your time is spent doing what? I spend 10% writing and answering emails, 10% researching components used to do my job, 20% drawings, 20% writing manuals and reports, 20% checking out equipment, 20% programming.
- How does the time use vary? Are there busy and slow times or is the work activity fairly constant?

2. How did this type of work interest you and how did you get started? Popular mechanics magazine, use to read it all the time and liked seeing how things work and how they are put together.
3. How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?

Texas Instruments

Allied Chemical

Rocky Mountain Power

Eaton-Kenway

HK Systems

Experience in these fields led to current position as System Control Engineer: Automation Engineering, and process control engineering

4. How does your company differ from its competitors? The only American automation company-all the rest are from germany and japan (all foreign)

5. Why do customers choose this company? Experience mostly. The people are experienced and the business is established.
6. Are you optimistic about the company's future and your future with the company? Yes. Very optimistic about the automation industry. It saves money and makes work more productive.
7. What does the company do to contribute to its employees'professional development? Will pay for schooling, require the employees to take 20hrs of training each year, required to stay on top of technical advances of the industry.
8. How does a person progress in your field? What is a typical career path in this field or organization?

- What is the best way to enter this occupation? With a bachelor’s degree in engineering
- What are the advancement opportunities? Management if I so choose or become a project manager or principle engineer.
- What are the major qualifications for success in this occupation?

9. What were the keys to your career advancement? Education, Experience, Integrity, Work Ethic, Willingness to learn new things, and Adaptation to changing technology

Reaction:

My overall impression was that the job itself did not involve a lot of working directly with customers and a lot more to do with working with machines and programming etc. I chose to shadow this career because a lot of the tests that I took listed it as my top career choice. I think I would find many aspects of this career fun, but the fact that it involves little interaction draws me away from this option. Nice cubicle environment though and a nice lunch room too.