Ok, I just dont get it-FINAL PROJECT !!!???!!!

[OutToLunch]

Would you employ a supposed Electonics 'graduate' who had never heard of a 555 or a 741?. Both chips manufactured in the multiple millions (if not billions?).

I don't see a correlation between knowing what a 555 or 741 is and electronics proficiency. I would rather the candidate have a firm understanding of analog electronics and be able to exhibit it.

Any such graduate obviously doesn't have the slightest interest in Electronics

That is an overly simplistic viewpoint

Over the years I've interviewed various people for service engineer jobs, and also kids on work experience - three things I ALWAYS do:

1) Ask them if they know their resistor colour code...

that's a test i will fail miserably and i could care less. i live in the smt world (as do many these days) and don't think about color codes. if i ever need to use the color code, i can find it online.

But, if that's a pre-requisite for the position you are interviewing for, then it is what it is.

For a graduate I would expect to hear about projects he did long before he went to Uni - I wouldn't want anyone who didn't have the 'drive' and 'enthusiasm' for electronics before then.

another of your quaint little 'tests' i would have failed. i developed an interest in electrical engineering while i was in college studying mechanical engineering. can't say as i had any electronic hobby work prior to that.

 

[bigkim100]

My God...Look What Ive Started

Egads...look what Ive started!!!
Ive Gone away for a few weeks after posting a cute little comment on retarded students, and now I return to find that it has blossomed into some sort of forum regarding intellect being measured by the knowledge and use of 555's...EGADS, I gotta watch what I post.
Now to add my 2 cents worth in regards to electronics education, I truly respect elctronic engineers and their knowledge and skills. That being said...a early poster stated that he had troubles finding a job in electronics without a diploma. I am self-taught in electronics, starting when I received my first 100 in 1 kit at Christmas, and took it in High-School. I have never found it difficult finding a good paying job, although I have had it in some strange places that most people would have looked. I created Special Effects in films for over 20 years (lotsa Motion Control systems built for camera control, Servos in monster heads, blinky lights, led illumination, and gadgets in Robocop, and literally hindreds of gadgets in hundreds of other big budget films). After the great movie making slowdown in Canada lately, I found work repairing electronics in professional food service equipment, then repairing electronics in esspresso machines. My first job was replacing leds in digits of about 100 incorrectly soldered "Number Being Served" displays. The old analogue electronics knowledge came in handy repairing elderly european equipment...most of which being built long before the invention of the Microcontroller.
Now, all this being said, I could have made a hell of a lot more money, and found far better jobs with a University degree in electronics...so I would never try to dissuade someone from achieving one.
UMMM Resistor color code......HMMMMM....Black, Brown.....UMMMM Roy...ummmm... G... ummmmmm..Biv
I think the lack if knowledge of resisitor color codes damaging ones chances of hiring is a bit short-sighted and daffy. Im more concerned that my co-workers dont clean out the mornings doughnut run before I get a stab at it.

 

[Hero999]

I know the basic colour code, i.e. value plus tolerance - I don't normally need to worry about temperature co-efficient and stability. Most precision resistors are black and clearly marked with the value, tolerance and stability.

One thing I would test an applicant on are component tollerances the E6, E12 and E24 preferred values. Just knowing the number won't be good enough, they'll need to know why preferred values are used. Most courses don't teach students about standard component values; it's something that you only learn if you're really interested in electronics.

It does annoy me when I see circuits with silly component values like 70µF and 40R, especially where close tolerance isn't required.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I know the basic colour code, i.e. value plus tolerance - I don't normally need to worry about temperature co-efficient and stability. Most precision resistors are black and clearly marked with the value, tolerance and stability.

One thing I would test an applicant on are component tollerances the E6, E12 and E24 preferred values. Just knowing the number won't be good enough, they'll need to know why preferred values are used. Most courses don't teach students about standard component values; it's something that you only learn if you're really interested in electronics.

It does annoy me when I see circuits with silly component values like 70µF and 40R, especially where close tolerance isn't required.

Does me as well!

I wrote a program (under DOS) years ago, it had the E12 values stored in it, and calculated parallel resistors. You just gave it the resistance you wanted, and it gave you the best two values from the E12 range. Obviously it could easily have been extended to E24 values, but I only keep the E12 range anyway.

 

[Mikebits]

I think a good method for interviewing a tech is not if they know color code or not, rather I like to see how the applicant will tackle a problem. For example; I will draw a way too complicated circuit for even engineers to understand, and I give a symptom.

Now I don't expect the person to find the problem, however, I watch the methodology they use to try and find the problem. I do answer questions along the way. For me, I test how they analyze a problem and set out to solve it. If they have this talent, then I know they will be smart enough to refer to books or whatever as a tool in completing the task and will work out fine...

 

[flat5]

One place I worked a new tech from Hong Kong was being considered for employment
who could not speak much English and was not doing well in the interview.

The supervisor (a good tech) asked him if he knew about some integrated circuit.
The applicant said nothing but drew it - the whole internal circuit correctly!
He was hired and was great. He really had a green thumb for UHF SMD part placement
and was very pleasant to work with.

 

[be80be]

I wanted job at a plant to repair motor controllers. I had to take a test it was 200 questions. No resistors color code on it. Then I went to the shop I got a box of parts Analog Multimeter. And 1 hour to tell him what was good and what was bad in the box . And I had to show him how I came up with my answer. I got the job and he show me what he had learned in the 30 years he had worked there .

 

[vineeth_vs]

im new here this topic seems to be very interesting because im final year Btech(electronics and communication) student my final year project is voice controlled robot but the problem is that in our class abt 66 student major student including me not know exacat working of MOSFET like electronic devices. But oue teachers could not bother about that in my case we have no electronic teacher for three years and in our curriculum the complex electronic device is 741 Ic that is the problem....................................................................................................