What's your job?

[Fireball]

Electrical Engineer for an industrial  contractor.  I specialize mostly in building and troubleshooting machine controls (automation).  I get to do go into field quite a bit (get dirty), do programming of PLCs and operator interfaces, CAD work, and work with a lot of good people to build new things.  There are a lot of small industrial companies that rely on us, for all their electrical troubleshooting, and I get to see a lot of good and bad designs, which makes me better.  I also get called in and see a lot of the unusual problems (even for places that have good people).  I think this gives me a different approach, then those who only see these things once every year or two.

I love it, but it is also stressful, and often involves long hours.  Sometimes I think of looking for something simpler, but it is also rewarding, when the machine is done and working well.   Or when I am able to fix something the OEM could not.

Nothing better than digging into a high-risk technical problem and coming up with an answer that saves people in some way or another. If you fail, the result can be catastrophic. That adds zest to a job, I can tell you!