1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
Medical Equipment Service Industry - What is your job title?
Field Service Engineer - Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I work for Diagnostica Stago Inc.(DSI) based in Parsippanny, NJ. The parent company DSI is head quartered in Frnace and that is where all production is. DSI specializes in Coagualtion/Haemostasis field. DSI makes instruments, reagents (both routine and special) and further educates and does research. Instruments and reagents are used by different facilities all over the world to test patients. Size: more than 10,000 employees worldwide. In U.S. more than 250 t0 300 employees.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
9 years - How many hours do you work a week on average?
45 to 50 hours - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
45 to 50 hours - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
Install new or refurbished instruments at customer's facility, sales demos, product shows etc. to ensure full functionality according to DSI specs. Analyzes review and inspection findings to determine source of problem and performs repair, replacement or other corrective action.
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
US $70,000 - What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
70000 - Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
Medical / Dental / Vision / 401(K) / Company vehicle or allowance - Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
under compensated
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
Work mainly with customers. I like it as one is not going to the same place everyday. sometimes traveling can make huge stress and odd and long hours can make it stressful which i dislike.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
- Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
- Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
Home and in the field. Dislike odd and long hours. sometimes dislike traveling back to back for weeks.
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 1 Income
- 7 Work Environment - co-workers
- 8 Work Environment - supervisors
- 3 Benefits
- 5 Hours
- 6 Level of responsibility
- 2 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 4 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Get prepared for working long, odd hours. Also get prepared for stressful times as depending on area he/she has to cover it can take a toll on family life. In work like this experience knowing customers and their demands and troubleshooting a complex problem can be very challenging and one should be ready for it and not just consider this as a 8:30 am to 5:00pm job in just one city. Job requires overnight travel, stay and physical too.
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Technical skills- knowledge of electronics, electricity and mechanics.Computer Skills- basic knwledge of DOS, windows NT, MS Word, excel, Database and internet software and other email programs. Language Skills- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintennace instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before group of customers or employees of the company.
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes. - What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Advice would be to get ready for lot of variables. Job could be physically demanding as it requires standing, lifting, entering statistical data, etc. Job can have odd hours to finish work and requires travel sometimes more than 50% of time.
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
Through College placement - What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
Resume, Paper test and three interviews, driver licencse and credit check. - Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
three interviews. Interviewd with the director of company. First interview was individual interview and included a paper test. Resume was already submitted before first interview was even scheduled. If paper test was sucessful with good merits then second interview was scheduled at head office. which was group interview with several people. Third interview was the job offer and other small formalities. - If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
Describe a customer and how can they be satisfied. - Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
No - If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
College and was a good job offer at that time.
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes. Was trained on all instruments and coagulation theory. - Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
80 to 85% the employer prepared me. - Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes. Education had a role of about 70%. - If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
Short work hours sometimes, independent, possible oppurtunity to make more money, no coworkers to ineterfere with work. - What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
Most Fulfilling is that you work indeoendent, flexible and sometimes not too long hours. Least fulfilling is odd and possibly long hours. Compensation could be better and too much travel can take a toll on family life. - Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
yes. I like the job and want to apply for a management position in the future. - What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
Complete graduation with Management degree and go for Management positions. - Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No.
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
FRIDAY, May 25th, 2007. - 8 am - 9 am
Checked company voice mail to see if there were any pending service calls to go at any customer site as I work out of home office. Had one call for Houston, TX in the medical center. everyday at about 8;30am I have to leave update with my manager and head office where and what I will be doing so left that and after checking my work email, sync in the info and downloading service call headed for the service call to be done at one of the hospital in medical center. - 9 am - 10 am
Started travel from home office and still traveling. - 10 am - 11 am
Reached the hospital in Medical Center at about 10:15 am. parked the company vehicle and gathered all things I needed to complete the job. I carry tool box, laptop, parts and documentation or other kits as needed. Reached customer site in the laboratory at about 10:30am. Customer had some pending work to finish. so waited for that and gathered info for their problem. - 11 am - 12 am
Started troubleshooting medical equipment at about 10:45am. Out of two problems fixed one as per customer satisfaction. Second problem replaced part and ran tests to make sure problem was eliminated. Customer started running different tests. - 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
Ordered new part through head office and checked voice mail to see if there was anything else pending. Left update with manager and hotline at head office that now I was on my was to home office. - 2 pm - 3 pm
Arrived at home office around 2:30 pm. Received call from another fellow Field Service Engineer who was on his way to Dallas, Tx from SanAntonio, TX to backup another engineer. Talked about problem he was going to work on and discussed my findings and other work issues. I became a back up for him temporarily. - 3 pm - 4 pm
Reached the hospital in Medical Center at about 10:15 am. parked the company vehicle and gathered all things I needed to complete the job. I carry tool box, laptop, parts and documentation or other kits as needed. Reached customer site in the laboratory at about 10:30am. Customer had some pending work to finish. so waited for that and gathered info for their problem. - 4 pm - 5 pm
No service calls. Available. At 5:00 pm it was end of work day. - 5 pm - 6 pm
- 6 pm - 7 pm
- 7 pm - 8 pm
- 8 pm - 9 pm
- 9 pm - 10 pm
- 10 pm - 11 pm
- 11 pm - 12 pm