Just curious to what schooling is need to be a CE. Those guys that install/fix 3480, 3490, 3590 Tape Drives, Silos, VTS’s Large Printers and Mainframe Devices. I find that I’m curious about this stuff. I’m good at diagnosing the problems and fixing them if parts are available and I’m interested in the field. Help would be appreciated if you know what I’m talking about.
The job you describe requires a 2-3 year technical degree, typically from an electronics tech school. To use the term Computer Engineer is inacurate, since (1) most engineering degrees require a BS minimum and (2) you must be licensed in most states to call yourself an engineer. Most engineers call the guys who do the installation and repair Computer Technicians. The term CE usually means Customer Engineer, which I guess is tolerated since no one believes that Customers are going to get engineered… The difference between a Computer Engineer and a Computer Technician is that engineers design and build the things that the technicians install and fix.
I agree that it sounds like you are describing a Technician. Computer engineers design computer systems.
I have no idea what terminology is used these days, but in 1968, IBM trained me to be a “customer engineer” (their term). All the technicians working for IBM who fixed IBM equipment, from 360’s to typewriters, were called customer engineers. The ones who fixed “data processing” equipment (punched card machines and computers) were in the Field Engineering Division.
I had flunked out of college twice when IBM hired me but most of the other trainees had some kind of tech school diploma or several years of electronics experience in the military. It sounds like things haven’t changed all that much.
Unless you operate under the “Industrial Exemption”, which means that so long as you are not involved in products and/or services which directly go to the public or serve the public, you can legally hold a job title of “Engineer”, even if you are a janitor.
Of course, IMO this really just serves to “weaken” the term “Engineer”. And I have got into some mean arguements with people who are non-degreed, non-licensed “engineers” who actually are trying to pass themselves off as design or engineering experts - including one fellow whose only engineering experience was a 2-credit hour CAD course. He was actually selling his services to design a garage and house addition for a friend, and actually signing his CAD drawings “John Doe, Engineer”. He called it quits after I started asking him if he had enough liability insurance to cover the impending lawsuit when the garage collapsed. But if he had not backed down, I would have asked the State Board what they thought.
Of course, even if you do break the law the penalties are usually trivial. Sigh.
Una, P.E.