First post, study and career advice

[keeping it real]

Hola!

Hello everyone! This is my first post and first electronics forum I joined. The reason for joining is seeking pro help and learning the career path better.

I am under 30 yo and have MSc in electronics (Mostly Circuit design and IC). However, this career path hasn't favored me much on job market. Studies were completed with little motivation but diploma achieved anyway. Reasons for lack of motivation were several, but mostly for bad sight of industry field. Lack of work has put me into thinking more about the increasing demands of the job market and my personal own interests.

So I decided to use my time learning how to code C/C++ on my own time. I have always been interested in computers, however I haven't done any coding (besides the couple of _small_ courses in C, Assembly). Now I am reading a book about C++.

I know this is mostly electronics forum and that I am not going to be world class coder (because of high starting age). However, I would like to make reasonable move towards coding. That's why I am thinking moving into embedded software design because of my past. l I have my interests in logic, puzzles and games. Because the C++ book is good and I am interested in it, I would like to use C++ for coding something small.

Any advices/thoughts how reasanoble this move is, career advice etc. ? How about moving from embedded to PC/serverside?
All advices, experiences are welcomed. Thanks uprfront!

 

[Mikebits]

Let's say your conducting a job interview. Candidate 1 has hardware design experience, candidate 2 is a coder. #3 does both. Who would you hire? Nuf said?

 

[Ian Rogers]

For C++, go and buy your self an Arduino and a couple of shields and learn C++ on embedded processor... There are quite a few examples to start you off... www.arduino.cc
You can also program the MBED arm system in C++. www.mbed.org... (Online coding program... nothing do download )

If just to learn C or Basic or just assembler... there are oodles of other manufacturers.. If you downloaded MPLAB at www.microchip.com.. you can get started in assembler and C for nothing...(comes with a built in simulator)....

The other options include C# micro.net platform... (free microsoft download VS2010)

 

[JimB]

Studies were completed with little motivation but diploma achieved anyway.

This sets my alarm bells ringing.

Reasons for lack of motivation were several, but mostly for bad sight of industry field.

Why were you studying electronics?
Do you have an interest in electronics outside that required for work, have you ever done anything vaguely electronics related as a hobby?
Or was it that the "careers advisor" at school suggested electronics? Which could equally have been mechanical engineering, architecture, chemical engineering or one of many other subjects on his list.

Lack of work has put me into thinking more about the increasing demands of the job market and my personal own interests.

Apart from the good advice being given by others here in this forum suggesting related areas of study, I cant help but think that you are a square peg in a round hole, you just have not found what it is that floats your boat.

JimB

 

[keeping it real]

JIMB, Yes you are right. In yearly days, careers advisor at school suggested technology and from technology apartment I picked one of the closest to my mind at the moment (computer science/electronics). I don't have so big compassion for it, but I belong to big majority in our school/and probably any school related in this country. Also, I think this technology field attracts most of those (who doesn't know what floats their boat, &low limits to get to school). But they still want to get a job and money, even though the career/job wasn't what they had expected when starting studies. So do I, and I like to work with computers and develop myself. I've been around with computers since I was 7, mostly gaming though.

However, I want to get the best of the situation. Also in jobs that I have had, I have liked the things I did (designing/testing). Also more familiar and abstract things naturally interests more. The thing is that electronics area has decreased a lot and moved to China, and the fight over jobs is unbearable. I think mostly computer/PDA aided human/home monitoring, signal acquisition and logic design interest me the most. That just doesn't fit the career opportunities at the moment. You do what u get. If you don't get anything you should develop yourself towards the needs of job market. Most preferred expertise would now be heavy web developer but this is very far from my expertise. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Mikebits]

I worked as an engineer for about 10 years, was not my cup of tea, lets face it, it is not for everybody. Went back to school and now my office is ambulances and fire-engines...

Give engineering a shot, if not happy with the work, go back to school, learn something new and give that a try. Money means very little if you are unhappy.

For some reason, I am very adamant about this last point. Oh yeah I worked in a job I did not like...