I've decided to become an electronic designer as a career choice: any advice?

Hi Paul, Simple - design stuff, build stuff, troubleshoot stuff, publish stuff, read stuff, play around with stuff. Get your hands dirty with real-world electronics, don't just study. Good grades won't get you a job, enthusiasm and showing that you know stuff will. Enjoy what you do, and get a job where you can learn from others.

Dave :)

Become an orthodontist... it pays better ;-)

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | |

Well, "I wanna hold your hand" [1] didn't even hint at their ultimate drug-fueled talents.

John

Right, you have to be brilliant, get educated, work hard, and do that consistently for 40 years. But please, don't go over to the dark side, as Jim has done.

Make that around 'minus 55 years'.

I was tinkering with tube amplifiers and FM tuners when I was 10 years old, but really had no intent of going into electronics. I was enthralled with architecture as a career.

But random events twist your outlook... in 1956 my Dad became a Raytheon wholesaler. In his stock were CK722's and CK760's. I was hooked just in time to apply to MIT.

When I graduated MIT (1962) the I/C business, particularly analog, was just getting started... so I was hired by Motorola at the optimal time.

Aside: I didn't like the Beatles initially... didn't really get into them until I was in my 40's. I was mostly into classical, but liked Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, the Everly Brothers, Elvis, Fats Domino, Little Richard and Bill Haley and his Comets and, of course, Willie Nelson... all I can remember right now.

...Jim Thompson

I think this is the best answer so far. ;-)

--Mac

Hi all, I've come to the conclusion that I'm good at electroniks and would welcome any advice about how to succeed at it as jim thompson has done. thanks, p.

Learn to speak Chinese.

Hello Paul,

Rent a time machine, take a seat, locate the control panel and key in 'minus 40 years'. When you step out of it you might as well pick up that new 45rpm Beatles record, they just landed the top five places on the Billboard Hot 100.

Regards, Joerg

A friend of mine has given up engineering and retrained as a plumber.

Leon

Hello Jim,

Well, I was assuming Paul would consider an 'electronic childhood' a must. And in Europe where he lives you can't usually go straight from high school to the ivy league. First you have to report to a drill sergeant.

It was a Philips electronics kit that did it for me. The real breakthrough came when my parent's TV died. I couldn't figure out the cause with my little voltmeter. So we made a deal. They'd buy me a little scope and I agreed to fix it and whatever else breaks down later. Now I was in business. I still have that scope and it still works.

That is what my father said as well. Them were the golden days, never to return. You guys could make great chips on a rather crude process because that's all there was. My father and his peers made complete steel factories lines run on 2k of memory because that's all they had.

I was always partial to Country and Blues. And then, of course, Led Zeppelin etc. Living in Germany meant there usually was just AFN since most of their stations played that schmaltzy serenade stuff that I just cannot stand.

Regards, Joerg

Theory: There is an optimum historical period for careers, when a worker can make it big (or die trying):

explorer: 1500 - 1540 whaler: 1880's homesteading farmer: 1860's rairoad man: 1870's chemist: 1920's rapper: 1990's rock star: 1970's architect: 1920's big stone hauler: -3000's prophet: -400's spice merchant: 1400's lumberjack: 1890's web designer: 1995-1999 Cobol programmer: 1999 psychiatrist: 1960's oil man: 1950's pharmacist: 1990's to ? traveling salesman: 1900's

Maybe you should reconsider and become a realtor ?

It's what I should have done.

Graham

And Hindi.

Graham

Terrorist 2000's (die trying:)

The one with a hardboard base full of holes and cardboard circuit overlays and hooks and spring to make all the connections?

Oh the agony when eventually a leg fell off my AC128.

I had one of those kits too.

Graham

Kindly knock off telling me what to do or say.

develop a strong liking for caffeinated drinks.