5 answers
Lincoln
Student
5
Questions
Updated
923 views
How much time is spent in office compared to in the field typically ?
Is this time split a good balance for you?
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5 answers
Mark Chen
Global Operations Engineering
6
Answers
Taipei, Taiwan
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Hi Lincoln,
It depends on your function, and the exact time may vary among different companies, we also need to identify the "field".
Sales may take lots of time to visit customer for business discussion or negotiation.
Marketing may take time to visit customer to demo new products.
Customer support engineer may on-site support customer to fix issues (IT or individual customer).
PM, Engineer may on-site ODM to review the project or on-site factory during pilot run.
You can consider what kind of working model you prefer.
Mark
It depends on your function, and the exact time may vary among different companies, we also need to identify the "field".
Sales may take lots of time to visit customer for business discussion or negotiation.
Marketing may take time to visit customer to demo new products.
Customer support engineer may on-site support customer to fix issues (IT or individual customer).
PM, Engineer may on-site ODM to review the project or on-site factory during pilot run.
You can consider what kind of working model you prefer.
Mark
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
275
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Lincoln,
Thank you very much for the question - it's rather general though.
It's useful to first look at time management on it's own merit.
In real life, we need time for work, rest, travel, leisure, family, friends & relatives, sports/work-outs etc.
Given that we all have only 24 hours each day, how much we achieve daily depends on how well we manage our time. Physical and mental well-being must come first as it is a health & safety issue. It's useful to know that we need to spend most of our time performing important activities. Important things are those that contribute significantly to the achievement of our goals. Best practice requires that if what is urgent is not important, then we should defer it to a later convenient time/date.
At the place of, the time we spend in the office and/or in the field depends on the role we occupy, even within the same organization.
In the beer industry, where I spent most of my career, best practice requires that a Section Engineer (e.g. Packaging Engineer) spends 70 percent of his/her time on the shop floor and the balance in the office - this gives him/her the opportunity to experience first hand what happens on the shop floor. This also enables him/her to provide timely support in the face of challenges the plant is experiencing.
In the same environment, the head of engineering (e.g. Engineering Manager) splits his/her time right in middle (50/50).
Within the same supply chain, the sales team - involved with Customer Care - spends most of it's time interacting with consumers/customers etc.
I hope this sheds sufficient light on your query to form a reasonable conclusion.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
Thank you very much for the question - it's rather general though.
It's useful to first look at time management on it's own merit.
In real life, we need time for work, rest, travel, leisure, family, friends & relatives, sports/work-outs etc.
Given that we all have only 24 hours each day, how much we achieve daily depends on how well we manage our time. Physical and mental well-being must come first as it is a health & safety issue. It's useful to know that we need to spend most of our time performing important activities. Important things are those that contribute significantly to the achievement of our goals. Best practice requires that if what is urgent is not important, then we should defer it to a later convenient time/date.
At the place of, the time we spend in the office and/or in the field depends on the role we occupy, even within the same organization.
In the beer industry, where I spent most of my career, best practice requires that a Section Engineer (e.g. Packaging Engineer) spends 70 percent of his/her time on the shop floor and the balance in the office - this gives him/her the opportunity to experience first hand what happens on the shop floor. This also enables him/her to provide timely support in the face of challenges the plant is experiencing.
In the same environment, the head of engineering (e.g. Engineering Manager) splits his/her time right in middle (50/50).
Within the same supply chain, the sales team - involved with Customer Care - spends most of it's time interacting with consumers/customers etc.
I hope this sheds sufficient light on your query to form a reasonable conclusion.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
Donna Hull
Engineer
118
Answers
Columbia
Updated
Donna’s Answer
Lincoln;
When I first started my career, 90% of my time was in the field talking to customers, planning out designs, verifying right of way and permit requirements. The remaining time 8% drafting up work orders for construction teams, and 2% administrative and follow up with construction status (project management).
Moving into a management position, at first it was 50 -50, as I had a team of engineers but was still learning basic aspects myself. Thus I spent a lot of time going into the field with the engineers ensuring I understood the obstacles they were facing and helping to develop comprehensive plans to ensure a robust telecommunications network. Listening and showing respect to those individuals who had a greater knowledge than I did at that time was crucial.
Now 100% of my time is in the office. If I need verification of field conditions or a customer meet is required, I have a network of engineers and supervisors I can reach out to to accomplish this. Although I do work on daily service order requirements my major responsibility is developing the 5 -10 year plans and needs for telecommunications albeit Wireless, Internet of Things, Business or Residential needs. Ironically, now I listen and pay respect to the younger generation, as AI starts permeating business, I have learned many new things in the past few months and know that even more change and growth is in front of me.
When I first started my career, 90% of my time was in the field talking to customers, planning out designs, verifying right of way and permit requirements. The remaining time 8% drafting up work orders for construction teams, and 2% administrative and follow up with construction status (project management).
Moving into a management position, at first it was 50 -50, as I had a team of engineers but was still learning basic aspects myself. Thus I spent a lot of time going into the field with the engineers ensuring I understood the obstacles they were facing and helping to develop comprehensive plans to ensure a robust telecommunications network. Listening and showing respect to those individuals who had a greater knowledge than I did at that time was crucial.
Now 100% of my time is in the office. If I need verification of field conditions or a customer meet is required, I have a network of engineers and supervisors I can reach out to to accomplish this. Although I do work on daily service order requirements my major responsibility is developing the 5 -10 year plans and needs for telecommunications albeit Wireless, Internet of Things, Business or Residential needs. Ironically, now I listen and pay respect to the younger generation, as AI starts permeating business, I have learned many new things in the past few months and know that even more change and growth is in front of me.
Kenny Hutto
7
Answers
Updated
Kenny’s Answer
Hi Lincoln,
You already have some grea answers here, and I'd like to give my perspective; I work as an engineer supporting sales teams. This can vary widely based on the type of role, industry, and which sector you work in. Currently, I work primarily from home, with a little travel for customer-facing meetings and events, and very little in-office time.
Here is what you want to look out for when viewing jobs: Work Type and Travel Requirements.
Work Type will usually be one of three things: On-site (in the office), Hybrid (a combination of remote and in-office), or remote (entirely from home). If a position is advertised as hybrid, the employer will often specify how many in-office days they require or expect. Travel Requirements will usually include something like "20% travel to customer locations." Since there are normally 5 working days in a week, expect about 1 day per week travel, on average.
Best of luck!
You already have some grea answers here, and I'd like to give my perspective; I work as an engineer supporting sales teams. This can vary widely based on the type of role, industry, and which sector you work in. Currently, I work primarily from home, with a little travel for customer-facing meetings and events, and very little in-office time.
Here is what you want to look out for when viewing jobs: Work Type and Travel Requirements.
Work Type will usually be one of three things: On-site (in the office), Hybrid (a combination of remote and in-office), or remote (entirely from home). If a position is advertised as hybrid, the employer will often specify how many in-office days they require or expect. Travel Requirements will usually include something like "20% travel to customer locations." Since there are normally 5 working days in a week, expect about 1 day per week travel, on average.
Best of luck!
Teklemuz Tesfay
Software Engineer and Career Mentor
717
Answers
Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz’s Answer
The time you spend in the office or out in the field varies based on your role and the work you do. Fieldwork might be more important when you need to watch over site activities, attend meetings, or handle urgent issues. Office time is crucial for planning, writing reports, and following up. I keep a good balance by setting clear priorities, focusing on key tasks and deadlines first, and staying away from delays. By planning your time around work needs, you can find a balance that really works.