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  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

New Member, great forum, let me introduce myself and ask a question

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EasternTIGERS

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Hi everyone, I am a new member on this forum, I been reading it for the past month and the posters and people that contribute I learnt quite a lot from them so thank you all.

I am 25 years old I live in the UK and recently about 2 months got interested in electronics, I have no money or job at the moment and have no funds for university. I just borrow libary books and the internet as my learning resource. I have no contacts in the real world either. I have repaired the occasional television, wide screen, and other components such as resistors, capatitors, diodes, just basic repairs, I can build computers so my knowledge is very basic, I have a multimeter which I can fully use and test and breadboard that I constructed a laser trip wire basic circuit.

I have no money for an Oscilliscope and mabie in the future I shall buy this. I am interested in things like Transformers, Tesla Coils and free energy, I like to tinker with things.

So friends, I want to ask when I was young in the UK I used to see the old television repair and electronic repair shops, today I hardly see any, as it is cheaper to replace than repair electronics, I want to ask what kind of direction can I go or follow to that can lead to a career or job working with electronics as I enjoy this, I know this is a long way as Im a beginner. What is the electronic industry like in the uk? I have see Electronic Engineers in the UK they told me they are all imported from China and India, Like I said I have no money for university so will this limit my potential?

Sorry for the long message, Thank you everyone

John Vlad
 
As you already seem aware, the Electronics indistry in the UK is all but dead - jobs are few and far between, and the Universities are churning out numerous graduates every year. Even those with degrees will probably struggle finding jobs, and a complete beginner like yourself has pretty well zero chance - in the past apprenticeships were available, but those are pretty rare now, and you're really far too old for it anyway.
 
I agree, get a job to pay the bills and keep it as a hobby.
 
As you already seem aware, the Electronics indistry in the UK is all but dead - jobs are few and far between, and the Universities are churning out numerous graduates every year. Even those with degrees will probably struggle finding jobs, and a complete beginner like yourself has pretty well zero chance - in the past apprenticeships were available, but those are pretty rare now, and you're really far too old for it anyway.

Thank
you for the reply, I spoke to a lot of people and they confirm what you just said, I see the uk is more white collar and call center employment dominant. Surley they is something to fix this?
 
I agree, get a job to pay the bills and keep it as a hobby.

Hi Hero
I agree with you it always is a hobby for me and my intention, I am not working now as I have a degree but this is useless and too many people got degree they are all out of work

I appreciate the honesty mate
 
Thank
you for the reply, I spoke to a lot of people and they confirm what you just said, I see the uk is more white collar and call center employment dominant. Surley they is something to fix this?

It's government policy that has resulted in this situation, heavily taxing any manufacturing in this country, forcing almost all to have moved abroad now.
 
How about
circuit design?

There's still circuit design done here, it's only really manufacturing which has been taxed to make it non-viable.

However, you've got little hope of a job designing stuff, unless you're going to take a degree in electronics. You're also unlikely to be even accepted by a University for a degree, unless you've already got decent qualifications, and a good knowledge of Electronics. For example, my daughter started a masters chemistry degree last October, standard offer to get on the course is two A levels at grade A, and one at grade B.
 
Hi everyone, I am a new member on this forum, I been reading it for the past month and the posters and people that contribute I learnt quite a lot from them so thank you all.

I am 25 years old I live in the UK and recently about 2 months got interested in electronics, I have no money or job at the moment and have no funds for university. I just borrow libary books and the internet as my learning resource. I have no contacts in the real world either. I have repaired the occasional television, wide screen, and other components such as resistors, capatitors, diodes, just basic repairs, I can build computers so my knowledge is very basic, I have a multimeter which I can fully use and test and breadboard that I constructed a laser trip wire basic circuit.

I have no money for an Oscilliscope and mabie in the future I shall buy this. I am interested in things like Transformers, Tesla Coils and free energy, I like to tinker with things.

So friends, I want to ask when I was young in the UK I used to see the old television repair and electronic repair shops, today I hardly see any, as it is cheaper to replace than repair electronics, I want to ask what kind of direction can I go or follow to that can lead to a career or job working with electronics as I enjoy this, I know this is a long way as Im a beginner. What is the electronic industry like in the uk? I have see Electronic Engineers in the UK they told me they are all imported from China and India, Like I said I have no money for university so will this limit my potential?

Sorry for the long message, Thank you everyone

John Vlad



Hi again and Welcome,


You're hooked now too like the rest of us :)
Good luck to you.

Nigel:
Yes we have the same problem in USA.
 
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Very interesting.. I thought electronics/electrical engineering background receives the most attention compared to other fields? Not that I'm generalizing blatantly, but here in my country that has always been the perception. And it seems true too.

Lots of changes nowadays, I guess.
 
Some of the design has moved to China too, especially as the Chinese education system has improved.
 
Hi again and Welcome,


You're hooked now too like the rest of us :)
Good luck to you.

Nigel:
Yes we have the same problem in USA.

Hi Nigel, thanks for writing me, yes I was hooked a long time on this particular forum, my friend well he is not really a friend he is from India and electronic engineer he came to teach something in the UK for 6 months then went back home then going Dubai to work in the field. He told me he visit this forum and recommended it to me.

A lot of people read the posts on these forums more than you contributers imagine, anyway thanks everyone for making this forum and blog, articles great, I am grateful for you sharing with newbies like me

:)
 
There is an alternative: Learn another language, a very third or even fourth world language, move there and set up shop. Of course, you'll need to have an electronics degree, supplies and equipment, but when things break, you'll be the only one around to fix it. And you will fix it or you might get invited for dinner--as the dinner! ;)
One of my classmates is in Ecuador or Brazil and he keeps things running for the locals, sometimes military units, and missionaries. He also does pretty much everything else, too. Cars, trucks, buses, and farm equipment. Baby-sits and herds goats. Because of what he can do, he's a man of some stature in his community.
If you want to work in electronics at component-level repair then you're going to have to go where that's the only option. Most work in the Western World is at best, (for us), board-level and in a lot of cases, unit-level, which means just throw it away and buy another one.
I wish you the best of luck and if you make it, send us a postcard from the jungle. :)
 
There is an alternative: Learn another language, a very third or even fourth world language, move there and set up shop. Of course, you'll need to have an electronics degree, supplies and equipment, but when things break, you'll be the only one around to fix it. And you will fix it or you might get invited for dinner--as the dinner! ;)
One of my classmates is in Ecuador or Brazil and he keeps things running for the locals, sometimes military units, and missionaries. He also does pretty much everything else, too. Cars, trucks, buses, and farm equipment. Baby-sits and herds goats. Because of what he can do, he's a man of some stature in his community.
If you want to work in electronics at component-level repair then you're going to have to go where that's the only option. Most work in the Western World is at best, (for us), board-level and in a lot of cases, unit-level, which means just throw it away and buy another one.
I wish you the best of luck and if you make it, send us a postcard from the jungle. :)

Haha I enjoyed that :)

Very
true aswell/
 
Very interesting.. I thought electronics/electrical engineering background receives the most attention compared to other fields? Not that I'm generalizing blatantly, but here in my country that has always been the perception. And it seems true too.

Perhaps so out there?, it's moved from Europe/USA to India, China, Malaysia etc.
 
Other chance

Get your degree and move to the oil industry. Those jobs have good salaries.

Look for the most risky areas (where you could be kidnaped at any time) or at a platform at sea. Around two years ago I have been to Angola for about 12 days and learnt about many.

A compatriot (technician) had the highest payement I ever heard of, jumping from platform to platform in charge of instrumentation dedicated to measurements.

At 38 he was considering "retiring" to a more common job ashore.

Sure there are RISKS, but what do you think salaries are paid for? Work, risk, imagination or reliability separately or mixed to suit.

Buena suerte
 
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Wages are generally lower in south east Asia than in the UK and some countries don't have very nice governments, they're even worse than ours.
 
Is a degree necessary? I have a business degree and HND, plus money is not an issue for me, I live on the cheap grow my own stuff and have no electronic devices other than the computers
 
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