Industrial automation has an awkward entry-level problem.

Employers want technicians and junior engineers who understand PLCs, drives, sensors and industrial networks—but beginners cannot gain plant experience until someone lets them work in a plant.

The solution is not pretending to be an experienced PLC programmer. It is proving that you understand the fundamentals, can work safely and will become useful without requiring constant supervision.

Current entry-level opportunities do exist. A recent graduate controls commissioning vacancy in Lithuania required basic PLC knowledge, while experience with PROFINET, EtherCAT, drives and control cabinets was listed as desirable rather than essential. The employer also offered job-related training.

Your first job probably will not involve designing an entire factory. It may involve electrical assembly, I/O testing, maintenance assistance or commissioning support. That is perfectly fine.

The goal is to get close enough to industrial equipment that experience starts accumulating.

Understand What “Zero Experience” Really Means

Zero plant experience does not have to mean zero relevant ability.

You may already have useful experience from:

• Electrical installation
• Control-panel building
• Machine assembly
• Automotive repair
• Electronics
• Mechanical maintenance
• HVAC or building controls
• University laboratories
• Personal PLC projects
• Technical support

For example, an electrician may already understand contactors, overloads, three-phase motors and electrical drawings. A mechanic may understand sensors, actuators and systematic fault finding. A software developer may understand structured programming and data handling.

Your task is to connect that background to automation.

Do not write:

No automation experience.

Write something more accurate:

Electrical technician developing practical Siemens PLC, HMI and industrial-control skills, with experience reading schematics and troubleshooting control circuits.

That is honest, but it gives the employer something useful to evaluate.

Learn the Foundation Before Applying

You do not need to master every automation platform.

You should understand the complete control chain:

Sensor → PLC input → program logic → PLC output → actuator → feedback

At minimum, learn:

• Digital inputs and outputs
• Basic analogue signals
• Ladder logic
• PLC scan cycle
• Timers and counters
• Interlocks and permissives
• Motor-control circuits
• Contactors and overloads
• PNP and NPN sensors
• VFD fundamentals
• Basic IP addressing
• Electrical schematic reading
• Safe isolation principles

Choose one PLC ecosystem based on your local job market. In much of continental Europe, Siemens TIA Portal is a practical starting point. In North America, Allen-Bradley is frequently more relevant.

Siemens currently provides extensive SCE material for independent learning, including more than 100 documents, over 40 digital modules and numerous web-based training resources covering TIA Portal, PLC programming, HMI, networking and related technologies. Rockwell also offers introductory PLC learning that covers PLC components, ladder logic and basic troubleshooting without prerequisites.

Do not spend a year comparing courses.

Choose a platform and build something.

Create Two or Three Complete Projects

A certificate says that you completed training.

A project shows what you can produce.

Build small systems that resemble real industrial applications rather than traffic-light demonstrations.

Project 1: Conveyor Control

Include:

• Start and stop controls
• Manual and automatic modes
• Motor feedback
• Jam detection
• Sensor timeout
• Emergency-stop status
• Alarm reset
• HMI status display

Project 2: Duty and Standby Pumps

Include:

• Level or pressure simulation
• Automatic pump alternation
• Failed-start detection
• Standby takeover
• Runtime accumulation
• High-level alarm
• Manual controls
• HMI trends

Project 3: Analogue Process

Create a simple tank-temperature or pressure-control project using:

• Simulated 4–20 mA input
• Raw-value scaling
• Engineering units
• High and low alarms
• Adjustable setpoint
• Hysteresis or PID control
• Historical trend

Test abnormal conditions.

What happens when the sensor fails? What happens after a power interruption? What happens when the motor receives a command but no feedback returns?

That is the difference between a classroom exercise and an automation project.

Document the Projects Properly

You do not need to publish the complete source code.

Create a short portfolio containing:

• Project purpose
• Hardware or simulator used
• I/O list
• Control description
• PLC structure
• HMI screenshots
• Alarm examples
• Test cases
• Problems encountered
• Improvements you would make

A two-page case study is enough.

Hiring managers are not expecting a beginner to have commissioned a pharmaceutical factory. They want evidence that you can organise a simple project, think about failure conditions and explain your decisions.

Apply for the Right First Roles

Applying only for “PLC Programmer” positions makes the search harder.

Look for titles such as:

• Junior automation engineer
• Graduate controls engineer
• Automation technician
• Controls commissioning trainee
• Electrical maintenance technician
• Mechatronics technician
• Control-panel technician
• Field-service technician
• Machine assembly technician
• Junior SCADA engineer
• Instrumentation technician

These roles can provide access to PLC-controlled equipment without expecting you to independently deliver a complete control system on day one.

A recent Lithuanian graduate commissioning role, for example, involved I/O testing, program optimisation and customer-site support while asking only for basic PLC knowledge at entry.

Another current Lithuanian automation vacancy lists manufacturing experience as an advantage rather than a strict requirement, although it still expects PLC knowledge, electrical drawing ability and an understanding of automated lines.

Read the complete requirements, not just the job title.

Use Maintenance and Commissioning as Entry Routes

Maintenance is one of the most realistic paths into automation.

A junior technician may begin by:

• Replacing sensors
• Restoring VFD parameters
• Checking control voltage
• Tracing electrical faults
• Backing up HMIs
• Monitoring PLC logic
• Assisting senior technicians

Over time, that can develop into controlled software changes and complete automation responsibility.

Commissioning is another strong entry route, especially when you are willing to travel. Graduate commissioning engineers may perform I/O checks, verify wiring, configure drives and support system startup under experienced engineers.

The disadvantage is travel. A current Dematic commissioning vacancy in Lithuania advertises international travel of up to 80%, alongside electrical commissioning, PLC work, safety documentation and industrial-network responsibilities.

It can be demanding, but few environments expose a beginner to more equipment in less time.

Build a CV for an Entry-Level Automation Role

Put your relevant technical information near the top.

Professional Profile

Junior automation candidate with an electrical background and practical Siemens TIA Portal experience. Able to read control schematics, create basic PLC and HMI applications and troubleshoot sensors, relays and motor-control circuits. Seeking a maintenance, commissioning or junior controls position with structured industrial training.

Technical Skills

PLC: Siemens S7-1200, TIA Portal
Programming: Ladder Diagram, basic Structured Text
HMI: WinCC basics
Electrical: Contactors, overloads, motors, sensors, 24 V DC controls
Networks: Basic Ethernet and PROFINET concepts
Drives: VFD setup and control fundamentals
Tools: Multimeter, electrical schematics, Excel

Then add your projects as evidence.

Do not list technologies you have only heard about. Interviewers can distinguish genuine experience from copied keywords within a few questions.

Prepare for Practical Testing

A beginner may be asked to:

• Read a basic electrical drawing
• Explain a motor starter
• Identify why a contactor will not energise
• Trace a PLC input
• Write a start-and-stop circuit
• Explain a timer
• Diagnose a sensor fault
• Describe safe isolation
• Interpret a simple ladder rung

Explain your reasoning while working.

A strong beginner says:

The contactor is not pulling in, so I would first confirm the control supply and then trace the circuit through the stop circuit, overload contact and coil.

A weak candidate immediately suggests replacing the PLC.

Employers can teach unfamiliar software. It is harder to teach someone to stop guessing.

Apply Before You Feel Completely Ready

Job descriptions often describe the ideal candidate rather than the minimum acceptable one.

Apply when you meet the core requirements and can demonstrate relevant potential.

A useful rule is:

Apply when you understand roughly half to two-thirds of the technical requirements and can explain how you are learning the rest.

Do not claim experience you do not have. Instead, separate clearly:

• What you have done professionally
• What you have practised personally
• What you understand theoretically
• What you have not yet used

Honesty combined with visible effort is more convincing than inflated experience.

Final Thoughts

Your first automation employer is not hiring a finished controls engineer.

They are deciding whether you have the foundation to become one.

The strongest entry-level combination is:

Basic electrical knowledge

• one PLC platform
• two or three documented projects
• logical troubleshooting
• willingness to start in maintenance or commissioning

Do not wait until someone gives you plant experience before beginning to learn.

Build the technical foundation first. Apply to roles that place you near real machinery. Assist experienced technicians, ask sensible questions and document what you learn.

The first job is the hardest to obtain because you have no industrial proof.

After one year of real troubleshooting, I/O testing and commissioning, that problem begins to disappear.