How do you become a Field Marketing Manager? How do you move from being a design engineer to working in field applications, field sales, and field marketing?
This article focuses on the career of one engineer who has made this transition to Field Marketing Manager. David Arnold graduated in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and has worked in the semiconductor industry most recently for Atmel Corporation (now part of Microchip) and Microchip Technology Inc. From taking his bicycle apart to paint it purple, to working on cutting edge automotive technology, here is David’s story from Engineer to Field Marketing Manager.

Spotlight on Engineer to Field Marketing Manager Transition

Background

Were you always interested in how things worked? Can you give examples?
Yes, even when I was growing up, I would take things apart and put them back together. I remember taking my bicycle apart to paint it purple, which my parents were not too happy about. However, I got it back together, and it was perfect. I would also always play with Lego and build things.

Were there any childhood interests which were a factor in deciding to study engineering?
I excelled in maths; it came naturally to me. I would always get the bonus questions correct in my calculus classes and solve them in a way that was different from the teacher’s approach. I played guitar when I was growing up, and it fascinated me with regard to the electronics aspect of engineering.

Was there a particular person who inspired you to study engineering?
I would say my High School maths teacher, Mr. Lobb. He always encouraged me to excel. Also, my high school principal was very supportive. I grew up in a small town of approximately 5,000 people and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which had around 30,000 students at the time. It was a bit of a culture shock, but my persistence gave me the drive to finish.

Engineer to Field Applications Engineer

Why did you decide to move into a Field Applications Engineer role? (what attracted you?)
I would always have manufacturers and distributors calling on me when I was a design engineer, and I thought it would be such a fun job being able to talk to people about their designs and how to support them. I have always loved talking to people and possessed the necessary skills to transition into an FAE Role.

Why were you personally attracted to being customer facing?
Being able to discuss various projects with customers and designers and provide support as needed. In addition, it provided me with an excellent learning opportunity to gain a diverse background in multiple areas.

What was/were the biggest difference(s) in your workload, job satisfaction and work life balance?
I thought an FAE would be an easier job than being a designer. I thought I would be going out to lunch and traveling every day, but much to my surprise, my workload increased. With the love of my job, it didn’t really matter, and I always made time to balance my life.

Moving to Field Marketing Manager

After Field Apps and Field Sales, was this the next logical step, and why?
I always wanted to learn and grow in every aspect of my life. The role of Field Sales/Marketing allowed me to expand my learning to include the business aspect, but I always kept my technical skills up to date.

Typical week in current role as Field Marketing Manager

What exactly does your role include and what’s your typical week like?
It depends; sometimes the weeks are very long, sometimes there is a lot of learning, or sometimes there is just a lot of work to do. I work about 50-60 hours a week, but I love what I do.

What do you gain from being customer facing?
I always enjoy working with customers, supporting them, and learning from their experiences.

How much of your role is still ‘engineering’? How do you stay up to date?
I would say about 30% is still engineering. I strive to stay very technical to solve the bigger-picture problems and be able to communicate with my customers at their level.

How much travel do you do now?
It depends on which position I had. As a Technical Marketing Manager, I travelled about 2-3 days per week. As an FAE, it was about 2-3 days every other week. I also love traveling, and I am a Million Miler on Delta Airlines.

Geographical locations

You have lived in the Midwest and the south of the United States. What have you perceived as the difference in business style and work culture?
I didn’t pay much attention to the culture, but I did notice that customers in the southeast USA were typically more laid-back or relaxed. Again, I was really focused on the customer and not so much on the culture, and I had a natural ability to adjust.

New engineers

In your opinion what makes a good Field Marketing Engineer?
A field marketing engineer requires a diverse set of skills. Having a good technical background is part of the foundation, but you also need people skills, as well as business skills.

Why would you recommend moving into this area from a pure development/design role?
It depends on what you want. If you strive to always be learning and challenged and enjoy communicating with customers, I think it’s an excellent transition.

If an engineer is considering moving into field marketing, what should they consider and how can they prepare?
I would consider having a strong technical background and being open to learning and adapting to your role, as well as being flexible. Learn how to present to your customers and people as well as being in front of large crowds.

The future

What are your predictions for the future of the automotive industry from the viewpoint of your experience?
The automotive industry is always changing, and we are already seeing a shift toward EVs and autonomous vehicles. I think this trend will continue to increase, as will the need for functional safety and cybersecurity. Sensors will always continue to improve, and with the addition of AI, I see autonomous vehicles becoming the norm.

Further reading

Life of an Automotive Field Applications Engineer Manager
Working as an Embedded Systems FAE in the automotive sector