[Answer] What Software or Other Skills Can Automation Majors Teach Themselves to Improve?

[Answer] What Software or Other Skills Can Automation Majors Teach Themselves to Improve?

Automation, computer science, and electronics are all information-related disciplines. They are very close to one another, yet each has its own focus. Computer science and electronics each excel on the software and hardware sides respectively, while automation sits somewhere in between. Put nicely, it combines the strengths of both; put less kindly, it can feel a bit like it belongs fully to neither. Because of this natural characteristic, automation majors often have a very broad employment scope. Therefore, if you want to teach yourself some software during your student years to improve your abilities, one major factor to consider is what kind of work you are inclined to pursue in the future. Choose what to learn according to your direction. Below are some reference suggestions.

Basic / General-Purpose Tools

• Fundamentals of programming. C/C++, Python, or JavaScript. No matter how much programming languages evolve, C/C++ remain foundational. Studying them in depth helps you understand the fundamentals of computer programming. At the same time, because of C's natural connection to hardware, learning C can also deepen your understanding of computer architecture, memory systems, algorithms, and more. C++, meanwhile, is one of the pioneers of object-oriented programming and remains an important force in modern programming languages. As for Python and JavaScript, they are two of the most popular modern languages, each with irreplaceable value in fields such as artificial intelligence and web technology. You can choose one of them to study.
• LabVIEW / Matlab. For automation engineers—or really for anyone involved in scientific research—gaining solid proficiency in LabVIEW and Matlab is like acquiring heavyweight strategic weapons. The former allows engineering and technical personnel without much programming background to quickly empower themselves with software and rapidly complete scientific experiments and measurement tasks. The latter enables an engineer who may have long forgotten much of their mathematical training to efficiently solve advanced calculation and simulation problems. Of course, if you are already proficient in Python, a considerable portion of Matlab's functionality can be achieved through Python. But in terms of specialization and convenience, these two are still top choices for researchers.
• AutoCAD. Drawings are the language of engineers. AutoCAD (or other CAD software, though AutoCAD is so strong that many alternatives struggle to compare) is a tool for writing in that language. AutoCAD can be used to create drawings for architecture, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and many other fields. It supports both 2D and 3D drafting. Although each domain has its own specialized design software, AutoCAD is unmatched in general-purpose applicability, so it is well worth learning as a foundational tool. With a solid foundation in engineering drawing, one can truly be considered a qualified engineer, so the importance of AutoCAD goes without saying.
• Editors. You can choose the popular Visual Studio Code as your IDE for programming and document writing. (Strictly speaking, VS Code may not fully count as an IDE, but you will quickly be drawn to its powerful features and rich plugin ecosystem.) It is not only useful for programming—even as a daily writing tool, it can be extremely handy. If possible, learning Vim can also greatly improve your efficiency. (Emacs users may object, but I have never really used Emacs, so I cannot recommend it.) VS Code's Vim mode also makes it easy to combine the two. Of course, for most users, Vim is optional; mastering VS Code's keyboard shortcuts alone can already enable very fast editing.
• The Microsoft Office suite. Among computer users, almost everyone knows how to use Office software. But there is a world of difference between simply knowing how to use it and using it well. The true power of Office is not just that it is easy to get started with (if you only care about basic use, WPS is often enough), but in its powerful advanced features—macros, pivot tables, scripts, and more. (Hopefully Office will fully support JavaScript scripting in the future as a replacement for VBScript.) These advanced capabilities can improve productivity by 2x to 100x—or perhaps even more—but only if you undergo some basic, systematic learning and practice.
• PLC programming languages and tools. If you want to work in industrial automation, PLCs are impossible to avoid. Among the many PLC programming languages and tools available, I personally recommend learning Siemens TIA Portal. If your budget allows, you can also buy a small PLC for everyday practice. At the same time, you can use the TIA ecosystem to learn configuration software such as WinCC. These are introductory topics for automation engineers, and they are also essential courses.

Other Software / Tool References

• Adobe family design tools. From Acrobat Pro to Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and many others, Adobe's design software has extremely strong and irreplaceable advantages in document processing, image editing, and video editing. For users related to computing, being at least somewhat familiar with these tools can undoubtedly help you get more out of your computer. Of course, most of us do not need to become as skilled with Photoshop as the staff at a print shop, but at minimum, being able to do simple image retouching, effects work, or video editing can make life more convenient and colorful, and these skills often come in handy.
• Electronic design software such as Altium Designer. Learning Altium Designer can help you quickly get closer to hardware and complete the full process from schematic design to PCB fabrication. It is a very useful tool for DIY enthusiasts and geeks alike. And for automation engineers, being able to turn your designs into real products can be especially rewarding.
• Linux operating systems. Even if you mainly use Windows, you should still devote some effort to systematic learning and practice so that you can skillfully use the various features of Windows—especially advanced ones—to empower your work and study. Beyond that, you may also consider becoming familiar with a Linux distribution. I recommend Ubuntu or Fedora. Learning and using Linux can very effectively and quickly improve your understanding of computer systems, though I will not go into detail here.
• Open-source software. Beyond commercial software—and the unofficial software environment that has long existed domestically—there is another side of the software world made up of many powerful open-source tools. Users in computer-related fields should have at least some awareness of this. For example, on Linux there are LibreOffice, LibreCAD, FreeCAD, and the famous open-source 3D design software Blender. In addition, some open-source tools for daily use include the compression utility Bandizip (unfortunately, newer versions have started moving toward commercial licensing, though older versions can still be downloaded from the official website), the note-taking app Joplin (which can serve as an excellent replacement for products like Evernote), the reference manager Zotero, the file transfer tool FileZilla, and the bootable USB creation tool Rufus.