The field service example is only one of many jobs for engineers in our company. In between my field jobs I spent many hours collecting information from process engineers to size control valves, select flow meters and specify pressure and level transmitters. Many of these functions are automated today but the computer has not completely taken over the job. After 5 years of traveling the globe I now spend my days working in the Process Control Skill Center of our company in suburban Chicago. Our group consults with many groups internally and externally on instrumentation and process control issues.
Most inquiries come by e-mail.
For the others I may need to write a detailed procedure to be followed or call a face to face meeting. I never spend the whole day in my office. All of these groups hold conferences, issue standards and share ideas. Communication and networking are really important ways to understand how you fit within the industry you work. Upon graduation went to work for FMC Chemical in Green River, Wyoming where we mined trona ore and refined the ore into soda ash.