Hi there,

I was after a bit of advice on taking a possible career step into the world of the BMS Controls Industry !

I have been doing some electrical work for a small but up and coming independant BMS firm who have hinted that I may be able to get a full time job with them as a BMS Engineer, get training (on Satchwell BAS 2800), company car etc. As my electrical work is a little tight at the moment it is very tempting.

Please could anyone who works in the industry give me any idea as to its prospects, potential, chance of finding work, what software packages I should be learning etc Years ago I used to work in the SCADA industry on the computers side but found that without Siemens PLC knowledge finding work on the open job market with a proprietry PLC package was almost impossible so am wary of learning skills that I can't use anywhere else !

I can't help feeling that it would be a good move from being an electrician but am also way of being stuck with the wrong technologies/skills.

Many thanks

Dominic

Hi, unfortunatley I can't help you, but I am also interested in getting into this industry. Any info/advice would be great.

Regards
Lee

I would suggest a change of career at the moment is not a great idea as an electrician the area of work available is huge, where as BMS is limiting prospects to a smaller field given that the electrical industry is huge and at the moment work is "tight" I would suggest BMS would be silent?

-------------------------
Regards

Martyn.

Only a mediocre person is always at their best



www.electrical contractors uk.com

In my experience, the pay rates for BMS Commisioning Engineers are about £100 a day more than Electricians rates.
Instalation Engineers get about the same as Instalation Electricians.
Be prepared to work all over the country.
I would expect your employer to provide you with the relevent software for each system, they're prety much similar. A bit like the diferences between Internet Explorer and Safari.
Once you get some experience on diferent systems, Trend Siemens Honeywell etc. You may well be able to sign up for Agency work, allthough at the moment Agency work is a bit sparse.

You mean some work and some don't

-------------------------
Regards

Martyn.

Only a mediocre person is always at their best



www.electrical contractors uk.com

No.
I mean if you can use one, then it doesn't take a lot of brains to work out how to use the other. Of course it helps if you can read.

And it helps a lot more if you understand the basic mathamatics of contol theory.

I would try and get training on Siemens BMS if you could

They are heavily hitting the likes of Trend and more and more being spec'd as the BMS solution

They have the money and resources to win in this industry

Training is done at Camberley in Surrey, the training is Free but you have to be (or be sent by) a Siemens Buildings Partner

All programming is done on the BMS plcs in Step7 CFC and the head end unit is one of the best on the market (Desigo Insight)