u/Michael_Houghfed

Hello everyone,

I’m a Mechanical Engineering graduate from a public university, and I graduated about two years ago. Since then, I’ve been working as a Biomedical Service Engineer at an oncology center in my country, with my main focus being the maintenance and servicing of medical linear accelerators (LINACs) and CT scanners.

I got my current position through a family connection, and I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity because it gave me hands-on experience that I probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Over the past two years, I’ve learned a lot on the job and developed an interest in Field Service Engineering and specialized technical equipment.

However, I’ve reached a point where I feel like I need to take the next step in my career.

One of my biggest challenges is that the engineering and technical skills I’ve developed aren’t valued or compensated nearly as much in the country as they appear to be in other parts of the world. When I look at what engineers with similar experience are doing internationally, both in terms of the technology they work with and their career progression, it makes me want to find a way to break into that market.

I’m currently looking for opportunities abroad, but honestly, I’m not entirely sure where to start.

I would love to continue working with LINACs, CT scanners, or other medical equipment, but I’m also very open to transitioning into other Field Service Engineering roles in industries such as industrial equipment, automation, manufacturing, energy, or other technical fields.

At this stage, my main goals are to gain more hands-on experience, work with more advanced technology, learn from experienced engineers, and ultimately build a career that offers better opportunities and compensation.

For those of you who work in Field Service Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or similar technical fields:

How would you recommend someone with my background break into the international job market?

Are there particular companies, industries, countries, certifications, or skills I should be targeting? And are there companies that are known to hire international engineers or sponsor work visas for Field Service roles?

I know my current experience may not be enough for some positions, but I’m willing to learn, relocate, start from the ground up if necessary, and put in the work.

Any advice, personal experiences, recommendations, or even leads would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

I’m a Mechanical Engineering graduate from a public university, and I graduated about two years ago. Since then, I’ve been working as a Biomedical Service Engineer at an oncology center in my country, with my main focus being the maintenance and servicing of medical linear accelerators (LINACs) and CT scanners.

I got my current position through a family connection, and I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity because it gave me hands-on experience that I probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Over the past two years, I’ve learned a lot on the job and developed an interest in Field Service Engineering and specialized technical equipment.

However, I’ve reached a point where I feel like I need to take the next step in my career.

One of my biggest challenges is that the engineering and technical skills I’ve developed aren’t valued or compensated nearly as much in the country as they appear to be in other parts of the world. When I look at what engineers with similar experience are doing internationally, both in terms of the technology they work with and their career progression, it makes me want to find a way to break into that market.

I’m currently looking for opportunities abroad, but honestly, I’m not entirely sure where to start.

I would love to continue working with LINACs, CT scanners, or other medical equipment, but I’m also very open to transitioning into other Field Service Engineering roles in industries such as industrial equipment, automation, manufacturing, energy, or other technical fields.

At this stage, my main goals are to gain more hands-on experience, work with more advanced technology, learn from experienced engineers, and ultimately build a career that offers better opportunities and compensation.

For those of you who work in Field Service Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or similar technical fields:

How would you recommend someone with my background break into the international job market?

Are there particular companies, industries, countries, certifications, or skills I should be targeting? And are there companies that are known to hire international engineers or sponsor work visas for Field Service roles?

I know my current experience may not be enough for some positions, but I’m willing to learn, relocate, start from the ground up if necessary, and put in the work.

Any advice, personal experiences, recommendations, or even leads would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

​

Hey everyone,

I’m a 21-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate from Africa, currently working as an on-site trainee/service engineer on LINACs. I’ve been training and gaining hands-on experience for about two years now, and I’m at the point where I really want to take the next step and get into full-time Field Service Engineering in the LINAC/radiotherapy equipment field.

I know I’m still very early in my career, but I’ve genuinely come to enjoy the technical side of this work. I like troubleshooting, getting hands-on with equipment, understanding how systems work, and figuring out why something isn’t working when everyone else is staring at the fault message.

My goal right now is to get into a proper field service role where I can learn from experienced engineers, travel, work on different systems, and build the kind of experience that can give me a strong foundation for the rest of my career.

Coming from Africa, though, I’m finding that breaking into the international field service market can be difficult. I’m not expecting anyone to hand me a job—I’m mainly looking for advice on how someone in my position can realistically get their foot in the door.

If you’re a Field Service Engineer, especially someone who works with LINACs or radiotherapy equipment, I’d really appreciate any advice on:

How you got your first Field Service Engineering position

What companies or types of organizations are worth approaching

What skills or certifications I should focus on developing

Whether manufacturers/third-party service organizations hire engineers from outside their home countries

How I can make myself more competitive for international opportunities

And, if you happen to know someone I could reach out to, I’d be incredibly grateful for an introduction or even just a point in the right direction.

I realize this career can be demanding and eventually take a toll, which is why I’ve seen some of you talking about transitioning into more stable roles later in your careers. But at 21, I’m at a stage where I’m willing to put in the work, learn as much as possible, and build my experience.

I feel like getting into the field properly now could really set the direction of my career and help me build the professional network and experience I’ll need for the future.

So if you’ve been in this field for a while, what would you do if you were 21 again and trying to break into LINAC Field Service from Africa?

Any advice, criticism, resources, or connections would be genuinely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!