Becoming a Field Service Engineer

Field service engineers provide an after-sales service designed to maintain engineered products that have been supplied to customers by their employer. These engineers also sometimes support the sales team more directly by providing pre-sales information and advice, and they maybe involved in installing new products.

The Job:

Costly engineered products are never purchased without some form of guarantee from either the producer or retailer about the availability of maintenance and parts to replace those that may develop a fault of some description. A firm commitment to provide a rapid response service when things go wrong is often an essential part of the package.

Field service engineers provide this security for the customer. They are particularly prevalent in the electronics industry but they also cover the whole range of engineering practice. Field service engineers repair and maintain such items as lifts and escalators, traffic lights and telephone systems, as well as computers, control systems, and a variety of electronic and mechanical devices.

Some of these engineers provide help lines assisting those customers who have emergency problems with their equipment that can be dealt with over the telephone. The majority of engineers, however, are assigned a geographical area within which they operate. They usually report to an area manager.

The first line of approach is to try to help customers to get their equipment operating once more by offering help and advice over the telephone or through an internet-based communication tool. Field service engineers may have identical pieces of equipment available and so be able to replicate quickly customers' problems and find the appropriate solution.

The second approach is to visit a customer's premises as soon as possible and attempt to repair the equipment on site, or train the customer's staff to use it more effectively and so avoid problems occurring. Engineers need to be mobile and also be able to reassure customers by demonstrating their expertise. They carry with them the tools, meters, spares, and manuals that are necessary for them to provide a full repair and maintenance service. Sometimes, a particular part will be needed to effect a repair, and they may have to make a second visit to install it.

The third approach is to remove the equipment, or part of it, to a workshop where it can undergo detailed examination and testing. There, service engineers can diagnose precisely what is wrong, locate the faulty part (if there is one), and restore the equipment to full working order before re-installing it.

Part of the job may involve surveying a site prior to the installation of a product and giving the customer's engineers details additional to those provided by the sales person. The work may also include carrying out the installation. It may also involve training the customer's staff in the use of the product, focusing on what to avoid and how to obtain the best performance.

Training Involved:

The training of field service engineers often begins with a period spent in the design and development departments, where a thorough understanding of the product can be quickly gained. Engineers are introduced to all the major faults that regularly occur, how to diagnose and repair them, and the use of the relevant tools.

They also learn how to test the fully maintained equipment to verify that the equipment is in good working order and performing optimally.

Part of the training is in the marketing and sales department, gaining an understanding of the marketing strategy and the benefits of their products over those of other suppliers.

Finally, trainees will spend time with other field service engineers, getting to know what the job entails, what common faults are diagnosed, and, on a personal level, how to deal with unhappy customers.

Graduate engineers progressing to senior professional status may spend part of their training in the field service function, while engineers with lesser qualifications may make this their career.

Useful Qualifications to Have:

Useful subject include: science and mathematics.

Salary Expectations:

The base salary range of a Field Service Engineer ranges from $34,168 to $69,497 annually, while the median salary for most Field Service Engineers is $53,500 annually. (US Base Pay)

Future Prospects:

The prospects for field service engineers are generally good, although in the electronics industry more reliable products have generally reduced demand for their services. As the quality of products improves, and there is certainly a global pressure for better quality, repair work is less frequently required. Instead, there may be programs of planned maintenance, which are designed to prevent faults occurring in the first place.

Field service engineers are, however, employed by a whole range of manufacturers in the engineering industry and one of the attractions of this career is that engineers can choose between such a wide variety of products with which to work.

Field service engineers are employed to service many different engineered products and it is best to concentrate on those industries that are expanding, to maximize career opportunities.

For further information, contact relevant national engineering institutions or trade associations.