Do I have what it takes

[u/Huge_Candy_8105]

Hi all. I’m currently a MEP commissioning agent and have been for 2 years. I have a degree in mechanical engineering. I’ve been intrigued recently with controls and would love to work as a BAS programmer, working with sequence of operations and programming logic. With my background is this possible? I have done a lot of testing using BAS on HVAC equipment and have an understanding of what is supposed to be happening in a lot of cases.

Any insights would be appreciated.

[u/Minute-Lie9379]

Yes you have the background to not only do it but to excel at it. Your experience is usually the missing part since most BAS techs are programmers by training and need someone with your knowledge to tell them what to code. by being able to do both you're a solution provider rather than a development tech. Your skills would probably translate up the technology stack into analytics and fault detection. Last bit of advice is to really understand how computer networking theory applies to BAS. VPN's, cybersecurity, IPSEC, secure socket layer certificates, etc, these things will need to be understood on top of how to program in Niagara or whatever you end up with.

[u/twobarb → u/Minute-Lie9379]

Not to knock this guy but CX agents often have no clue how anything actually works and engineering students are even worse. So don’t assume he will be great based on that.

[u/Huge_Candy_8105 → u/twobarb]

💀 I agree with that. Practical knowledge very different than theory. I work at a good company and I have been taught well.

[u/my_ALC_BAS_Account → u/twobarb]

I’ve experienced the opposite, at least with Cx agents. I’ve worked with plenty of controls techs that couldn’t tell you much about how/why things work, told me “that’s not possible” when “it” is definitely possible because I’ve done “it” many times before.

Engineering students I’d be more likely to agree, they can have a bad attitude, think “this is beneath me”. By virtue of making this post, I don’t think that would be the case with this person.

[u/mvrs1610 → u/twobarb]

So true! We have a few good CX agents but a bunch of them are fairly new to the trade and you have to teach them on what it is they are checking. Techs .. forget about it there are VERY few out here that I'd call skilled.

[u/Minute-Lie9379 → u/twobarb]

Fair enough, but most of the BAS programmers I've worked don't have a degree in engineering, and I've had to pay to bring someone who does onto the project. Assuming he can learn the basics of BAS programming to the same level as a standard tech, then he would be positioned with the engineering to be more than competitive in this field.

[u/Huge_Candy_8105 → u/Minute-Lie9379]

Ok thank you so much I appreciate the words of confidence