Hey Folks,
Since the beginning of this year I've been taking my interest in electronics
diagnosis seriously and looking to continue to level up and turn it into a career.
I've been tinkering with my own electronics, learning from my mistakes,
purchased books, watching youtube videos and online learning.
I'm unsure what routes to take that leads to employment/making money
and how to directly demonstrate value to employers/businesses.

In Short:
What electronic knowledge should I already have?
How could I demonstrate/communicate value to businesses/employers?
What are the best ways to communicate/reach out to a business/employer? I don't see many open entry-level positions*
And I would love to hear any personal experiences too!
Thank you to all!

 

what is your educational background? hobby level experience, while welcome, is likely to not generate much interest, although some places have rather low expectations.

electronics is everywhere and old guys are retiring. there is a need for someone younger to take over. plenty of companies would be only happy to hire someone as a technician, maintenance or service tech... often they would provide training that is specific to their product line assuming one has the basics covered. one of skills always in demand would be troubleshooting. often job may require some travel so valid drivers license with clean record would be required. many people cannot or do not with to spend time away from family, which makes that an opportunity for someone trying to get in.

 

Formal electronics training (even online free classes) of some sort helps to at least get past the circular file.

Demonstrations (completed projects that you designed and built) of your abilities is an added plus to get to the next level of interest.

 

There is no shortcut to proper education and experience. Here are suggested steps.

1) Learn the fundamentals of electricity, magnetism, and electrical and electronic components.
2) Learn all kinds of circuits and applications.
3) Build stuff.
4) Repair stuff.

 

what is your educational background? hobby level experience, while welcome, is likely to not generate much interest, although some places have rather low expectations.

electronics is everywhere and old guys are retiring. there is a need for someone younger to take over. plenty of companies would be only happy to hire someone as a technician, maintenance or service tech... often they would provide training that is specific to their product line assuming one has the basics covered. one of skills always in demand would be troubleshooting. often job may require some travel so valid drivers license with clean record would be required. many people cannot or do not with to spend time away from family, which makes that an opportunity for someone trying to get in.

Thanks for the reply panic mode!
I completed 3 years of Computer Science at the university level,
mechanical inclined, and repaired my own electronics and
currently I'm repairing my SMPS. Also I have done multiple
soldering projects, working with my Rashberry pi, and my flipper zero.
Now that I look at it, I prob should have taken engineering classes lol.

Troubleshooting is def what I'm looking into and I agree with ya,
electronics are everywhere and the idea of me not knowing where to
find these opportunities is what led me to post here.

Thanks for the providing the different job titles it's def helped broaden
my search and provide more results. Previously I would search
"Electronic Tech" positions.

I have a Driver's License and if the job provides a good amount of
on-hands learning and levels of mentorship. Then yea I can put
up with traveling.

 

Formal electronics training (even online free classes) of some sort helps to at least get past the circular file.
View attachment 356022
Demonstrations (completed projects that you designed and built) of your abilities is an added plus to get to the next level of interest.

Thanks for the reply!
And if you were hiring for an entry-level position. What would you want to see from an entry-level candidate?

 

Thanks for the reply!
And if you were hiring for an entry-level position. What would you want to see from an entry-level candidate?

I don't or didn't hire entry-level candidates. I was asked my opinion on more senior candidates (4 years of actual work experience) in evaluation sessions with specialized needs. Military (Navy) nuclear power/technician guys were always on the top of the list. Not just because of high technical expertise but I could trust them to make good decisions.

 

There is no shortcut to proper education and experience. Here are suggested steps.

1) Learn the fundamentals of electricity, magnetism, and electrical and electronic components.
2) Learn all kinds of circuits and applications.
3) Build stuff.
4) Repair stuff.

100% agree with ya,
I have these steps already in progress. Another purpose of mine is to
learn with others that know more than I do. Like the saying goes
"Sharpen iron with iron" And that's the part I'm trying to figure out.
Where can I go to learn from others that know more than I do?

 

100% agree with ya,
I have these steps already in progress. Another purpose of mine is to
learn with others that know more than I do. Like the saying goes
"Sharpen iron with iron" And that's the part I'm trying to figure out.
Where can I go to learn from others that know more than I do?

Right here on AAC!

Find something that doesn't work and try to fix it with guidance from AAC expert members.
It's amazing how well two persons can communicate across two remote screens, and sometimes miscommunicate.

 

Right here on AAC!

Find something that doesn't work and try to fix it with guidance from AAC expert members.
It's amazing how well two persons can communicate across two remote screens, and sometimes miscommunicate.

Great Thanks MrChips, I think Don Norman wrote a solid piece on what
attributes to miscommunication, it's a great read. Thank you again, your
advice is probably what keeps this entire platform running all these years.
Outside of that, how would others learn electronics if it wasn't for it's existence.

 

Great Thanks MrChips, I think Don Norman wrote a solid piece on what
attributes to miscommunication, it's a great read. Thank you again, your
advice is probably what keeps this entire platform running all these years.
Outside of that, how would others learn electronics if it wasn't for it's existence.

Check it out. AAC forum is the world’s #1 site of its kind in the electronics field.

 

have you considered industrial automation? companies that make machines for other companies? specifically system integrators for automotive (because they are everywhere and - very fast pace, lots of projects and fastest experience growth with someone as mentor). this is where software skills will be appreciated and you will get a chance to improve troubleshooting skill.

 

No I haven't, I'm def going to look into it because at first glance I assumed it had little to do with troubleshooting. Maybe watching all those "How it's made" episodes in my younger years will come in handy lol. Thanks alot!

 

No I haven't, I'm def going to look into it because at first glance I assumed it had little to do with troubleshooting. Maybe watching all those "How it's made" episodes in my younger years will come in handy lol. Thanks alot!

If you want to get in to trouble shooting there is money to be made in the most industrial areas that use CNC and robotics.
What typically happens is when a company starts up a Local industrial manuf. industry, they get some remotely based company to install and commission their CNC/robotics needed in the production.
Once the installation personnel have left, the shop owner is on his own in the event of any M/C malfunctions.
This is where a local servicing presence can make money; instead of waiting for a tech to arrive with the cost of air fare and loss of production in the event of a machine breakdown, the feature of having someone local makes a very significant saving to any manufacturer.
I made a very good income in providing this type of service, which not only included swift local service but also custom design of some unique CNC applications.

 

Ahhhhh thanks! This sounds super interesting and makes a ton of sense. Yea in the long term I imagine something as this or similar in which I can be proficient into my old age, in many ways not have to break my back, and live a good life.

How did you get into CNC/Robotics?

 

After initial technical education and two yrs with Her Majesty's forces, I started out in the 60's working for a British automotive company, working on their production M/C's .
Basically keeping the production line going, in Canada, I subsequently got a job with one of the national RR's doing similar work, but soon after, PLC's , CNC's & robotics were coming into the forefront, so I managed to wangle courses at the various manuf and embraced the new technology, with plenty of knowledge under my belt, I started my own Co, which resulted in a very nice income.

 

Wow this is awesome! Way to stay fluid and seeing around the bend. Def going to apply your journey to mine as a broad map and now I have more questions.lol
Thanks for the reply!

 

Hey Folks,
Since the beginning of this year I've been taking my interest in electronics
diagnosis seriously and looking to continue to level up and turn it into a career.
I've been tinkering with my own electronics, learning from my mistakes,
purchased books, watching youtube videos and online learning.
I'm unsure what routes to take that leads to employment/making money
and how to directly demonstrate value to employers/businesses.

In Short:
What electronic knowledge should I already have?
How could I demonstrate/communicate value to businesses/employers?
What are the best ways to communicate/reach out to a business/employer? I don't see many open entry-level positions*
And I would love to hear any personal experiences too!
Thank you to all!

At an entry-level, businesses usually look for a mix of practical skills and foundational theory. You don’t need to know everything, but you should be able to demonstrate competency in core areas like Basic Circuit Theory, Components and their behaviors, Reading Schematics & PCB Layouts etc.

 

At an entry-level, businesses usually look for a mix of practical skills and foundational theory. You don’t need to know everything, but you should be able to demonstrate competency in core areas like Basic Circuit Theory, Components and their behaviors, Reading Schematics & PCB Layouts etc.

Aewsome! this is reassuring, it lets me know I'm moving in the right direction. Two books that have been incredibly helpful are "How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic" and "Understanding Semiconductors" I've also been learning a lot from the many Youtube and online videos. Its been fun and times feels easy because I begin to see the patterns and the dots start to connect. I'm definitley open to any addtional suggestions or resources you might recommend.

Currently a real challenge I'm facing is getting my "foot in the door" . I don't have any connections yet, so I'm considering different paths such as taking a certificaton course, enrolling in a two year EE program, and visiting local electronics repair shops to introduce myself and hopefully build a network or find work opportunites. In the meantime I'm continuing my studies and working on personal projects. Again, I'm open to any advice or recommendations you may have.
Thanks a ton for your reply!

 

How to get your “foot in the door”?

Here is what worked for me. I built, built and built stuff. I repaired, repaired, and repaired stuff.

I built a weather station. Then I made a cold call on an industrial instrumentation manufacturer. I showed them what I could do. It matched what they needed. I was hired on the spot and became their R&D department on contract.