[Answer] In Automation as a Major, Is It Better to Be Older and More Experienced, or Younger?

[Answer] In Automation as a Major, Is It Better to Be Older and More Experienced, or Younger?

There is a natural order in learning, and every field has its specialists. The automation industry is all-encompassing: everything from computer software to fundamental industrial components such as switches and relays is related to the discipline. Therefore, as people grow older and accumulate experience, their professional skills can improve to a certain extent. However, I have also seen many automation professionals spend years standing still, staying within their own limited area of expertise. In that case, even if they have worked for twenty years, it does not necessarily mean they have twenty years of experience; more likely, they have repeated two years of experience ten times.

By contrast, many young engineers actively learn advanced programming languages, study areas such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, and apply that knowledge in automation. This has greatly accelerated the rapid development of the industry. From this perspective, in a field like automation, which is closely connected to the information industry, the advantages brought by age are often not as powerful as the productivity gains brought by more advanced technology.

Therefore, the point where age-based experience and peak learning ability intersect may be where the industry’s top talent is most concentrated.