On Home Projects as a Reentry into the Job Market

I also have my doubts that a one-project embedded education has any value. Of course, it's better than nothing but it could possibly be valued at slightly more than nothing depending on what the project is and what the job requirements are.

When I interview people, I ask about their extracurricular engineering activities. I think it's where their true colors show because, if such activity exists, they are demonstrating a passion for their chosen endeavor and will probably be much more knowledgeable and talkative about their hobby projects than their professional projects.

For hobbies, there are all sorts of rocket people, electronic music people, video people, etc. out there. I think some are doing amazing work and those are the people who I'd hire. Those who make a blinky PIC just to put "embedded" on their resume are easily exposed.

JJS

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g

In short: yes, as long as it's a project using reasonably modern technology (Applicants building their project in CHIP-8 running on a CDP1802 need not apply). This is more valuable than random coursework at a university - honestly, a couple of seminars are more useful than six months of college (in terms of teaching recent, relevant info), and actually getting down and dirty and getting something real to work is more relevant still.

What if they made the CDP1802 in their kitchen oven, from sand found in the driveway?

(I ask because I've been toying with the notion of replicating the COSMAC ELF that I had in high school on an old Spartan 3 FPGA eval board I have lying around. If I ever get the spare time).

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Definitely. Somebody who does home/hobby projects probably enjoys the work. People who like what they're doing are always a step ahead of those who don't.

It depends on the classes.

That would win points as well.

Everybody's got to eat...

--
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! I'm having a
                                  at               tax-deductible experience!
                              gmail.com            I need an energy crunch!!

My question isn't so much do they do it all the time for a hobby -- I would certainly look favorably on someone who's been a radio amateur, or who's been building Lego robots since they came out or something like that.

I'm talking more of the folks who peel themselves away from the Wii just long enough to do some "embedded" project _just because_ it's embedded and they want a job.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

If it was a non-trivial piece of s/w in a popular language, then yes.

--
Dirk

http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onetribe - Occult Talk Show

I'll second that.

That would be delivering lip service on the part of the candidate. No, I would not hire if I found out there's no depth. But there it usually doesn't matter whether it was a hobby project or classes. I know people who have passed classes at our university with flying colors yet cannot even repair simple electronics. Not so good.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

The only person I know who is sufficiently hardcore to do that sort of thing is Jeri Ellsworth,

- who apparently has made her own ICs on her home lab bench (as well as being famous for the C64-on-a-chip FPGA then later ASIC). Looks like

1974 was a good year for cool engineers ;)

Anyway - yes, if you turn sand into digital logic, you get a free pass!

Sure. Many of the best engineers I know started out as hobbyists, and that's something I always looked for in helping interview people at IBM Research. Showing that it isn't just a job to you is a key differentiator. Dave Jones has a couple of vblogs on interviewing, and he's on the right track with them, I think.

Folks that just sit on their hands, or look like that's what they're doing, start to appear less valuable with time.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal
ElectroOptical Innovations
55 Orchard Rd
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
845-480-2058
hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net

I suppose they get partial credit. They're behind people with geeky hobbies, but ahead of people who didn't even bother making a PIC blink an LED.

--
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! Like I always say
                                  at               -- nothing can beat
                              gmail.com            the BRATWURST here in
                                                   DUSSELDORF!!

We were interviewing programmers a year or so ago, and the choice came down to a guy and a woman, both apparently good. The guy is a vehicle nut and had designed and built a number of tach-style embedded-processor things for cars, trucks, and bicycles, and had pictures. We were impressed by a programmer who actually built and programmed electronic gadgets, so we hired him.

In general, we'd give the edge to someone who does home electronic projects, for almost any job position. It shows practicality and enthusiasm for electronics.

John

I think not. I've attached pictures of all my electronic pet control collar tests to my CVs and have gotten nowhere.

Should I have included the shots of all the failures? I believe in complete honesty, yet feel perhaps that the brain splatter and ruptured eyeballs caused by the high energy discharges may actually be hurting my chances.

In explaining the use of the little critters, I DO mention the overcrowded conditions in the animal shelters and how I'm actually bettering Society as a whole by freeing up space.

None of this has dampened my enthusiasm in the least and I will be starting work with the larger breeds next week and in an effort to diminish the 'squeamish' factor the Personnel Managers apparently have, will be using black and white photography from now on.

Would you advise using the darker hair subjects? White tends to be a bit graphic....

mike

Try General Dynamics. ;0

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal
ElectroOptical Innovations
55 Orchard Rd
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
845-480-2058
hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net

I once turned paper found in my wallet into a fully functioning HP41CV.

mike

It really depends on the project. If they take the project, build it, manufacture it, and sold it at ham fests and other places, then that would be plus. If they were doing something interesting and unusual, or especially difficult, that would also be a plus. If it was really simple and basic, but they had to learn a whole new toolset that is applicable to a new job, then it would also be a plus...

Charlie

I don't think it adds much to the resume of an experienced engineer. It may add significantly to a freshly minted engineer, however. There is a lot more to engineering than hacking together some code.

I'd flunk. I don't do electronics at home. I get enough of that at work. Burnout is a real risk. I have other challenges to keep me busy at home.

I guess it's better than no blinky, but I don't think they're getting hired right now either.

Yes it was! ;-)

How about analogs? RF? How about gold? ;-)

He just said "engineering," not "electrical engineering" -- I suspect your woodworking projects would qualify just fine!

Well, my current projects involve staying cool. ;-) I haven't ventured into the garage or attic for a couple of months. :-(