PLC/Automation Programmer Interview: Ladder Programming, Wiring Diagrams & Job Expectations

Hello.

In general, you can expect everything that can be written in a short time, but which can also assess your knowledge, e.g. I had to write a program in LD which controlled 2 actuators with limit switches + include STOP / START buttons.

Usually it is not complicated and drawing such a program should not take more than a few (naście) minutes (because would you like to wait an hour until you write 80 lines ?? ). Of course, a lot depends on how you do PLC programming.

For this they can check your knowledge of industrial networks, controller construction or HMI etc.

Recently I have conducted such interviews with candidates myself. None wrote the program ...
I used to have several conversations and none of them wrote the program ...
You usually talk about general concepts. Can anyone kuma scan the program.
What does he know about industrial networks or about distributed systems.
Maybe some inverters. I was asked about my thesis.
I introduced the same thing to myself. He talks a lot about knowledge and involvement in a given project.

Rkarcz wrote:

Recently I have conducted such interviews with candidates myself. None wrote the program ...
I used to have several conversations and none of them wrote the program ...
You usually talk about general concepts. Can anyone kuma scan the program.
What does he know about industrial networks or about distributed systems.
Maybe some inverters. I was asked about my thesis.
I introduced the same thing to myself. He talks a lot about knowledge and involvement in a given project.

This is not bad, because I had to "boast" skills at every conversation ... But maybe it depends on the company?

author - how was the conversation?

Radzio M. wrote:

My longest conversation lasted about 2 hours.

Dude, you must have been recruited for war, not automation.

And the crux of the problem - experience. How to get them when nobody wants to hire you ...? In my case, "picking and picking" helped during the nights during technical school, but in general I know that many people have problems with the first employment ... Unless you are after IT.

In my humble opinion, the question from the digital, analogue c, c # and other miracles in the context of automation work is meaningless (I am speaking in the context of an integration company). And even more so folding the gears.

If anyone has experience, let them tell what they did to what extent. If someone does not have experience, it is enough to talk about studies about their diploma thesis, usually if someone did well in college, shows a lot of optimism and is confident, he will certainly cope (he will gain knowledge).

At least I watch it with my younger colleagues, if someone is thin, in the topics I wrote always something turns on.

@ adamac2 that's exactly what I meant. That's what the trial period is for - 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months.

I just have an employee for a 3 month trial period and it's a shook when he catches. And he had problems configuring Windows 7. Because he never did it - just another generation - he does it himself. But after a week, our installation instructions for the SCADA operator station are at your fingertips, put it in order not to waste time and not enter the same settings 3 times, pride over some scripts to automate it. And that's what this is about. I don't need a C electrician and programmer. I need automation with knowledge of PC, Windows, Ethernet networks. Programming basically only LAD. I can teach him everything by myself. The less mastered the better. No routine ..

For me, reading electrical documentation is essential.
Delikwent must be able to draw a simple control system, i.e. relay, limit switch, fuse, cable marking.
Another knowledge of the colors of the wires.
If he can understand what is drawn in the documentation and there are enough kumatas to modify the system, the rest is familiarity with programs ...
For a friend I recommended a young man after graduation who was not able to display elements in the switchboard, but left for 3 minutes with a problem asked clever and discreet Google uncle.
After 3 minutes he was almost ready for the subject . Usually during interviews I try to drive a candidate in a topic that he doesn't understand and then leave him with a gate to get the missing information ...
I check how it will handle the situation, the most valuable are not necessarily all-knowing with the flaps on their eyes, but those who check / ask will not hurt others, themselves and at the end of the equipment ... These are often dangerous toys And how else can someone discreetly handle the situation?
The kid has been working for 1.5 years, both sides very happy. "Young" is already piloting quite a lot of projects.
There is no rule.
At the last conversation I was on, I had to figure out how you can use a set of devices that I saw in passing passing through the workshop (to combine the equipment that I saw with the company profile and build from it a production line according to my own concept so that it could be offered to a client),
then I fell on a simple task like in step 7 implement the function on / off with the same input ... I dealt with the topic because irritated with my twist brazenly took out of the laptop bag I started step 7 pat a small program and started plcsim (unique recruitment face) but out of place we went to other topics, e.g. how to measure the time between presses, etc. I proposed two alternative solutions while calculating how much memory in cpu will take ...
They were to call in 1.5 weeks after the recruitment was completed, they called after 2 days ...
I would not call them in their place

I ask a delinquent what is he good at?
I give a diagram, let him say what he sees.
Make the scale I / O on the card show me where is the measurement center for the -1 to 6 bar transducer and 4-20mA output, and how I will realize the alarm for this transducer if I loosen the cable.
Next, a cloth with I / O panels, BMS, inverters, basic configuration and it flows by itself.
Rkarcz buddy, do you have time to teach? this work is not much.
We are looking (my boss) for a human being overwhelmed with thermo-dynamics, control for chillers, ventilation, and refrigeration.
CV for 1 month received, no such people for service, the rate is probably quite good, as you say laptop fura and komura