Is starting as a Field Application Engineer a good entry point into the embedded industry?
I’m a fresher trying to start my career in embedded systems, and I recently got an interview for a “Field Application Engineer” role at a company.
The role is more customer facing and field oriented rather than pure development/testing. Responsibilities include:
- Supporting customers with embedded design & debugging tools like cross compilers, assemblers, in-circuit emulators, GUI toolchains, etc.
- Assisting customers in developing drivers and BSPs under RTOS
- Understanding customer technical requirements and suggesting industry-specific solutions
- Travel and customer interaction are part of the job
The company mainly works in electronic components distribution, embedded tools, and technical sales/support.
I want to eventually grow deeper into embedded systems/firmware development, RTOS, drivers, and low-level programming.
Will this help me build strong technical skills and open paths toward firmware/embedded development later, or does it push more toward technical sales/support long term?
I’d really appreciate honest opinions from people already working in embedded systems or FAE roles.
Thanks!