Career Guidance

Hi
Bit of a loaded question.....?
What do you mean by pdms consultant?
Firstly pdms is a 3d design package that is used by experienced designers namely Piping, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, HVAC and so on.
Best way forward is to invest in a pdms course of your discipline and then market yourself as a pdms designer in you discipline, alternatively good designers are put forward by their respective companies to train on pdms.
Secondly, by pdms consultant do you mean Administrator of pdms, whereby this is more computer orientated and not so much 'designer'.
You dont say if you are training/working in an oil & gas or 'Piping' industry?
If you are new to this type of industry I strongly suggest you learn the discipline first before venturing to PDMS, PDS, Inventor or other packages. Just because these designers are earning 'Big Bucks' dont think you can just jump on the bandwagon and learn pdms? Learn the industry first.

I am new to PDMS. Would like to see myself as a PDMS consultant one day. What is the best way forward?

I have a post graduate degree in Computer Aided Engineering and a first degree in ME. I have done some training on PDMS designer (equipment, pipeline, structures).

I just started work at NETCO Nigeria,we provide conceptual, basic and detailed engineering design services to multinational oil and gas companies.
This is my first job, my long term vision is to become a software consultant to the oil and gas industry. I am fond of programming so would like to focus on CATS/SPECS and PML. Not in a hurry to earn "big bucks" but would like advice on how to manage my career.

[QUOTE=uisa;25112]I have a post graduate degree in Computer Aided Engineering and a first degree in ME. I have done some training on PDMS designer (equipment, pipeline, structures).

I just started work at NETCO Nigeria,we provide conceptual, basic and detailed engineering design services to multinational oil and gas companies.
This is my first job, my long term vision is to become a software consultant to the oil and gas industry. I am fond of programming so would like to focus on CATS/SPECS and PML. Not in a hurry to earn "big bucks" but would like advice on how to manage my career.

It appears you have the basic knowledge of pdms already, for the administration I strongly advise an admin training course from Aveva, if not it will be a case of self learning. As you have access to pdms you should have access to the manuals. Read the admin and pml manuals while using pdms, say lunchtimes or after work and its a matter of trial & error, also see if you can spend a bit of time with a freindly cats & specs administrator, he may be, if you are nice to him, able to show you one on one.
A word of advice, it will take a long time (2/3 years) to be able to set up and run, confidently, a live project.
Good luck

Thanks ianmp, as the saying goes "the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step".

If you want to be a PDMS expert there is nothing like spending a few years at AVEVA!

does Aveva have a Nigeria office now :-)

Thank Steve, but how does one get a job with AVEVA?

No de_ding AVEVA does not have a Nigeria office, they do have a regional reseller (Lonadek).

[QUOTE=uisa;25112]I have a post graduate degree in Computer Aided Engineering and a first degree in ME. I have done some training on PDMS designer (equipment, pipeline, structures).

I just started work at NETCO Nigeria,we provide conceptual, basic and detailed engineering design services to multinational oil and gas companies.
This is my first job, my long term vision is to become a software consultant to the oil and gas industry. I am fond of programming so would like to focus on CATS/SPECS and PML. Not in a hurry to earn "big bucks" but would like advice on how to manage my career.

I would suggest you work for different companies every 3-4 years, or if you can transfer between different departments/offices in the same company, do so.  Also try to get on real projects and see how things are done instead of get yourself stuck in one office programming (well someone likes it but not me).

The piping designers I know from various projects have no formal degreed training, yet the degreed engineers cannot deliver a project without them and most time "pipers" are paid more than the engineer.  Many good piping designers are generalists - they know a little about everything and have many years of real project experience.  They also know what they don't know (ie they will not venture into something they are not expert in).

I do not know about others, but can share with you my career path.  I have an engineering degree from Canada.  Got some basic training in PASCE(an obsolete 3D package similar to PDMS) one week, in 1995.  And then by chance (well not really, I was the youngest guy in that PASCE training class and on day 5 when the trainer was on break and some old guy got stuck on a command, I volunteered to help) I got myself onto a real project.  At that time, I can tell the difference between entropy and enthalpy, and can solve the Schrödinger equation on a good day, but I had no idea what eccentric reducer is.

I was lucky that I got on a messy 3D project because during that 2 years I learnt from experience what NOT to do on 3D projects.  I have also learnt that you can read a thousand books and solve a thousand problems on paper but it means nothing in real life.  

I consider myself above average intelligence, my degree was in Engineering Physics (Mechanical engineering option).  I am very eager to learn and had some good mentors during my beginner years.  I learnt catalog/spec from my boss, then administration.  I also wanted to be the expert in PML programming but that never interested me.  

I have worked on three projects that were the world's largest when they were built, both onshore and offshore, as PDMS administrator.  

Well I am not that old yet, so the life is still going on and changing.  I enjoy what I do now, and getting paid OK.

When I started learning 3D software I met a couple good mentors, they taught me many technical tips and tricks, but one of the most important thing I learnt from them is sharing.  They shared with me what they know and guided me where to find answers.  They did not hoard information so to have their job security.  

I have been trying to do the same on this site for almost three years now and hope one of these days when you learn enough and become an expert in your area, you will share with others.  One wise guy told me once, by sharing you will recive one thousand times more - I am greedy so I keep on coming back.

PS. I usually charge for career advices, you caught me on a good day :-)