The love for electronics ***********

[PauloConstantino]

Do you also go crazy for electronics like I do ?

I don't know why but I am completely nuts about it. I am fascinated about it so deeply! I can't stop doing it or thinking about it. I'm completely obsessed by it.

I studied mathematics for my degree, and I really liked it at the time but the way I love electronics now doesn't come near it!

The maths was great for me as a foundation because electronics is highly theoretical too, but maybe I would be better off if I had studied electronics instead.

I am 31 now, and I really would like to work an an electronics engineer, maybe designing scopes but my knowledge at the moment isn't much.


I am studying and striving everyday to learn the most I can. I wonder if you are ever too old to be given a job as an engineer? Specially if starting out in your 30's. This would be ridiculous but I do wonder.

Is there an age limit for jobs in electronics engineering? Is there such a thing?

[tggzzz]

It will help anyone get into their first engineering job if they

• choose a project they can do at home
• define what they already know, what they don't know, and how the project will stretch their knowledge and abilities
• define how they will know their project works
• complete the project
• define any mistakes they made, how they were corrected
• define what, with the benefit of 20:20 hindsight, they would do better next time

[tszaboo]

I've met people, who worked in the electronics field.
One had gardening engineer degree. He was working as a support engineer in a big japanese manufacturing plant, assembling TVs and stuff.
The other had theoretical physicist degree, working as a test+repair technician.
One other had a mechanical engineer BSC and EE MSC. Working as a project manager.
Others come from the software/programming filed. A lot.

Its not impossible. But you should be realistic. They will not give you a top design job, if you dont have the knowledge for it. What you can do is simple:
Look for job postings close to your area of expertise, but at companies, who have strong engineering background. Complex measurement systems require good mathematicians. And learn on the job.

[coppice]

There are lots of opportunities in the electronics field for people with maths degrees. Ask a bunch of DSP people, for example, what their degree/degrees are in, and you'll find a number will say maths. Your ability to get into a reasonable electronics job will have more to do with what you did since college, than the fact you studied maths at college. Just be realistic about the TYPE of electronics work you target.

[Rerouter]

There is no age limit, in fact being older than 21 likely means your going to be pushed towards the front for any companies not trying to wring out every last cent,

But realize you wont be sat down in front of a cad package designing tektronixs latest flagship without some serious experience behind you, and the ability to convey that level of intellect,

If you go for smaller businesses your more likely to be put in a seat where you get to do something sooner, learning as you go, as it will be more a culture of many hats, where as big companies will likely not let you do the role unless you can prove your fit for it at the door, as every minute your not making them a product your costing them something. if your being taught, your costing them your time and your trainers. this is a culture i am far too familiar with and why i jumped to a smaller business.

Also be aware with what titles your willing to accept, do you want to say engineer, or are you ok with a role in that field, even if you are not titled as one?, e.g. Electronic technician,

And finally, have a nice hard think if layout and design is all you want to do, imagine coming to work for the next 3 weeks doing nothing but laying out a 8 layer board, because the schematics keep being revised as the requirements changed. would this drive you mad, or would you be happy just to do that job? Accepting that you likely will have to work as part of a team, which you may not like the ideas of, or the standards you have to work to.

I'm an Instrumentation & Control Trade, with the title Instrumentation Technician, A trade course, that began repairing electronics for my company and then playing the many hats game shifted towards designing products and getting them manufactured. But being a many hats culture if i get stuck or frustrated i can hop over, do some site work, or repair some electronics, or manage a few of our web packages, giving me time to step away, clear my head and come back at it fresh, without having the stress of it being my single role in the company, or feeling like i am chained to a desk.

[PauloConstantino]

There is no age limit, in fact being older than 21 likely means your going to be pushed towards the front for any companies not trying to wring out every last cent,

But realize you wont be sat down in front of a cad package designing tektronixs latest flagship without some serious experience behind you, and the ability to convey that level of intellect,

If you go for smaller businesses your more likely to be put in a seat where you get to do something sooner, learning as you go, as it will be more a culture of many hats, where as big companies will likely not let you do the role unless you can prove your fit for it at the door, as every minute your not making them a product your costing them something. if your being taught, your costing them your time and your trainers. this is a culture i am far too familiar with and why i jumped to a smaller business.

Also be aware with what titles your willing to accept, do you want to say engineer, or are you ok with a role in that field, even if you are not titled as one?, e.g. Electronic technician,

And finally, have a nice hard think if layout and design is all you want to do, imagine coming to work for the next 3 weeks doing nothing but laying out a 8 layer board, because the schematics keep being revised as the requirements changed. would this drive you mad, or would you be happy just to do that job? Accepting that you likely will have to work as part of a team, which you may not like the ideas of, or the standards you have to work to.

I'm an Instrumentation & Control Trade, with the title Instrumentation Technician, A trade course, that began repairing electronics for my company and then playing the many hats game shifted towards designing products and getting them manufactured. But being a many hats culture if i get stuck or frustrated i can hop over, do some site work, or repair some electronics, or manage a few of our web packages, giving me time to step away, clear my head and come back at it fresh, without having the stress of it being my single role in the company, or feeling like i am chained to a desk.

Thank you.

I totally forgot to say that I am right now doing a masters degree in microelectronics. Focused on digital system design and integrated circuit design (mosfets). I feel the course is a bit weak though. I wish it was more focused on chip design. They throw it matlab modules and other things. Not my thing. I like hardware design not software.

I've also thought about a career in academia. That would be nice to do research, but it would probably lack the excitement of creating new products. Who knows!


Can I be titled as an engineer if I have a maths bachelors but a masters in microelectronics ?

[rstofer]

Can I be titled as an engineer if I have a maths bachelors but a masters in microelectronics ?

Sure, if you want. 

Just don't use it as a formal title because around here that can be an issue.  It turns out that the title Engineer (with a capital E) is often claimed by those engineers that are registered to a profession.  Civil, mechanical, structural, electrical, among others.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/man-fined-for-criticizing-govt-using-science-without-a-license/

There isn't, AFAIK, a registration path for electronics engineers so I don't know how it is handled.

When I worked for one of the major semiconductor manufacturers, one of the circuit designers had a degree in Astrophysics.

[tszaboo]

Can I be titled as an engineer if I have a maths bachelors but a masters in microelectronics ?

For sure. Look up, what title you receive when you graduate. It will probably contain the word engineer.
If you do the masters, then I dont even know why are you asking. Just finish it, and then you have lots of opportunities. Though every chip designer job I'm seeing requires 5 years experience in the same field.
I also suspect, that HR people are a bunch of morons, who write job listings for one person only in this universe, the one who just left.

[Benta]

The title Engineer is not protected in Europe, so basically a self-study electronics guy can call himself engineer.
But be careful if you add suffixes like B.Sc., M.Sc., Dipl.Ing. an so on. Then you need a diploma in your pocket or you'll be open for a fraud charge.
I don't see that as a problem with you, though   

Be thankful for your math skills. There are a lot of good engineers with deep knowledge out there, but engineers who really know maths are rare.
If you want to play to your skills, think about the border technologies today, eg, sensors, microwave, GHz/THz analog and digital, this is where things are really happening. Designing an MCU is trivial today.

Good Luck, you've selected one of the greatest fields to work in: electronics.

[PauloConstantino]

The title Engineer is not protected in Europe, so basically a self-study electronics guy can call himself engineer.
But be careful if you add suffixes like B.Sc., M.Sc., Dipl.Ing. an so on. Then you need a diploma in your pocket or you'll be open for a fraud charge.
I don't see that as a problem with you, though   

Be thankful for your math skills. There are a lot of good engineers with deep knowledge out there, but engineers who really know maths are rare.
If you want to play to your skills, think about the border technologies today, eg, sensors, microwave, GHz/THz analog and digital, this is where things are really happening. Designing an MCU is trivial today.

Good Luck, you've selected one of the greatest fields to work in: electronics.

Thanks for your inspiring response! Are you working as an engineer right now? For what company and what kind of work?

[IanMacdonald]

I reckon it should be made illegal to call yourself an engineer unless you can pass a steam locomotive driving test. 

[slurry]

Wait until you marry yours first transistor and get some small resistors, that is what's life is all about, completing the circuit.

[PauloConstantino]

Wait until you marry yours first transistor and get some small resistors, that is what's life is all about, completing the circuit.

LOL! hahaha.......... I don't want to marry

[eyiz]

Electronics and Computer Programming are two of the least expensive hobbies you can get started in quickly, and do some really fun things, maybe even discover or invent something entirely new. Hence the appeal.

It's the easy of entry into the field that makes is attractive.

The only problem with Electronics, is that you can end up spending more than you thought, as your interest grows into the field. While, with Computer Programming, your costs are more or less stable, it just consumes more of your time than you'd like.

[PauloConstantino]

Electronics and Computer Programming are two of the least expensive hobbies you can get started in quickly, and do some really fun things, maybe even discover or invent something entirely new. Hence the appeal.

It's the easy of entry into the field that makes is attractive.

The only problem with Electronics, is that you can end up spending more than you thought, as your interest grows into the field. While, with Computer Programming, your costs are more or less stable, it just consumes more of your time than you'd like.

Hooking up LED's is easy, but electronics in general is a very hard subject! Digital was easy for me but because I came from assembly programming and stuff, but analog elec is very complex and not easy entry ...................... 

[slurry]

Digital was easy for me but because I came from assembly programming and stuff, but analog elec is very complex and not easy entry ...................... 

Funny... for me it's totally the opposite, i manage the analog but i have hard time to get even the simplest PIC to run properly blinking a LED.. 

[PauloConstantino]

Digital was easy for me but because I came from assembly programming and stuff, but analog elec is very complex and not easy entry ...................... 

Funny... for me it's totally the opposite, i manage the analog but i have hard time to get even the simplest PIC to run properly blinking a LED.. 

Oh no way! Digital is usually the easiest because it's basically just binary maths and logic. I guess the thing with digital is that it is filled with protocols and abstractions, but then it's not really elec, just abstractions on top of it. What kind of analog do you deal with ?

[VK3DRB]

Do you also go crazy for electronics like I do ?

I don't know why but I am completely nuts about it. I am fascinated about it so deeply! I can't stop doing it or thinking about it. I'm completely obsessed by it.

Find yourself a girlfriend.

I am studying and striving everyday to learn the most I can. I wonder if you are ever too old to be given a job as an engineer? Specially if starting out in your 30's. This would be ridiculous but I do wonder.

Is there an age limit for jobs in electronics engineering? Is there such a thing?

If you have the passion, you likely will make a great electronics engineer. 31 is still quite young. You should be able to study- with credits due to you your maths qualifications. Good electronics engineers will work until they are 65. Don't worry you might not think yourself as highly skilled - yet. The degree does give you a platform for further experience. Electronics engineers never stop learning. That's the beauty of electronics. There is always something new.

[Nusa]

I reckon it should be made illegal to call yourself an engineer unless you can pass a steam locomotive driving test. 

I have a friend who could do exactly that. He used to drive museum trains, among other railroad-related tasks. But he never used the title except when he was actually doing that job.