Advice to BSEE juniors and seniors...
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From: chris w on 18 Apr 2010 18:32 I've been interviewing a few new BSEE graduates for a junior engineer position, and based strictly on what we're looking for, here is some random advice to juniors/seniors: Learn a real design program like Altium. Eagle is ok, but I think downloading the eval version and creating a few small projects would be valuable. Create the parts in the library, capture the schematic, layout the board, generate the gerbers and send them thru freedfm.com until they pass. Maybe even send them to someplace like Advanced PCB which has deals for students. Knowing current tools is important. I think you're much more likely to use something like Altium than Spice or Matlab (which are also good to know). Which brings me to my next suggestion-- do some hobby projects on your own. Take one of your interests, look at some projects on the internet, and adapt one of them to create something original on your own. It gives you something to talk about at your interview, and shows that you have a real interest in electrical engineering. Maybe even bring it with you to the meeting. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but you should understand it well, and be able to talk about it with confidence. Senior design projects are also good discussion topics. You should be able to talk about what you personally contributed. What tools were used, how did the device work, what challenges did you overcome, etc. In my recent interviews, it often seemed like someone else in the group must have done all the work because the candidate could hardly describe what the project did. Learn how to solder. You should own a decent soldering iron, and be able assemble prototypes which used SMD down to 0805 or 0603. If you looking for a job that does any sort of design, then chances are you're going to have to do some assembly/troubleshooting of your own prototypes. Get some experience with current microcontrollers. I have a preference for Microchip, but Atmel or an ARM variant would also be good. I know teaching the 68HC11 still has value, but knowing parts that are more commonly used for new designs will make you seem more experienced and valuable. Networking is important. Lots of new products these day have some connection to the Internet. Understand TCP/IP and ethernet. MAC addresses, netmasks, ARP, default routes, NAT... Even getting into the upper layers might be good, especially HTTP. Linux would be nice to know. Embedded Linux continues to grow. Knowing how to compile a linux kernel, build a file system, or whatever would be a useful skill. Anyway, those are just my opinions. I don't think any of these suggestions take a lot of effort, but they would go a long way to helping you make a good impression if you're looking for a position in a design group. -chris
From: brent on 18 Apr 2010 18:40 On Apr 18, 6:32 pm, chris w <ch...(a)smartjack.com> wrote: > I've been interviewing a few new BSEE graduates for a junior engineer > position, and based strictly on what we're looking for, here is some > random advice to juniors/seniors: > > Learn a real design program like Altium. Eagle is ok, but I think > downloading the eval version and creating a few small projects would > be valuable. Create the parts in the library, capture the schematic, > layout the board, generate the gerbers and send them thru freedfm.com > until they pass. Maybe even send them to someplace like Advanced PCB > which has deals for students. Knowing current tools is important. I > think you're much more likely to use something like Altium than Spice > or Matlab (which are also good to know). > > Which brings me to my next suggestion-- do some hobby projects on your > own. Take one of your interests, look at some projects on the > internet, and adapt one of them to create something original on your > own. It gives you something to talk about at your interview, and > shows that you have a real interest in electrical engineering. Maybe > even bring it with you to the meeting. It doesn't have to be > elaborate, but you should understand it well, and be able to talk > about it with confidence. > > Senior design projects are also good discussion topics. You should be > able to talk about what you personally contributed. What tools were > used, how did the device work, what challenges did you overcome, etc. > In my recent interviews, it often seemed like someone else in the > group must have done all the work because the candidate could hardly > describe what the project did. > > Learn how to solder. You should own a decent soldering iron, and be > able assemble prototypes which used SMD down to 0805 or 0603. If you > looking for a job that does any sort of design, then chances are > you're going to have to do some assembly/troubleshooting of your own > prototypes. > > Get some experience with current microcontrollers. I have a > preference for Microchip, but Atmel or an ARM variant would also be > good. I know teaching the 68HC11 still has value, but knowing parts > that are more commonly used for new designs will make you seem more > experienced and valuable. > > Networking is important. Lots of new products these day have some > connection to the Internet. Understand TCP/IP and ethernet. MAC > addresses, netmasks, ARP, default routes, NAT... Even getting into > the upper layers might be good, especially HTTP. > > Linux would be nice to know. Embedded Linux continues to grow. > Knowing how to compile a linux kernel, build a file system, or > whatever would be a useful skill. > > Anyway, those are just my opinions. I don't think any of these > suggestions take a lot of effort, but they would go a long way to > helping you make a good impression if you're looking for a position in > a design group. > > -chris Good advice. Personally, I would not be so concerned with how to use a particular software package but would make sure of three things: 1. Did they have proper exposure to theoretical courses in college? 2. Can they think. This is hard to quantify, but ultimately , it is the most important thing. 3. Do they Building things - figuring out how things work. Everything from their car to how an appliance works. They must have the "I'll be dipped if I would pay someone a dime to do something I can figure out myself" attitude.
From: D Yuniskis on 18 Apr 2010 19:40 Hi Brent, brent wrote: > Good advice. > > Personally, I would not be so concerned with how to use a particular > software package but would make sure of three things: > > 1. Did they have proper exposure to theoretical courses in college? That's usually easy to verify. > 2. Can they think. This is hard to quantify, but ultimately , it is > the most important thing. Agreed. I'm not a fan of "tests" in interviews. Having said that, I *do* heartily believe that you can pose a problem to an applicant (even if that problem *looks* like a "test" -- write a routine that does... design a circuit that does...) and then ask them to explain their solution. See what criteria they used to come up with their solution. Ask them how they could improve upon it. Ask what it;s strengths and weaknesses might be. Etc. There are myriad "simple problems" that you can pose that don't *act* like "tests" yet allow you to examine the individual's thought processes *and* attitude -- is he/she intimidated by a problem being thrust into his/her lap or does he/she relish the challenge, etc. I like seeing how people can adapt to problems from the "wrong" perspective (e.g., thinking outside the box). Do they dismiss the problem as "unsolvable"? Do they bombard me with "Why would you want to do that?" (which I see as a stalling tactic -- "Why do *I* have to justify an approach to you? *You* are the one being tasked with the problem" -- and possibly indicative of someone who will grumble later about some "decision from management" and not give 100% towards trying to *meet* that goal) > 3. Do they Building things - figuring out how things work. > Everything from their car to how an appliance works. They must have > the "I'll be dipped if I would pay someone a dime to do something I > can figure out myself" attitude. This is a special/different breed you're trying to identify, here. It may not be necessary for the position that is being filled. OTOH, I am seriously impressed by folks who do (or think about) things that are *out* of the ordinary. E.g., don't try to impress me with a digital alarm clock that you *assembled*. Rather, show me how you used some OTS parts to design a clock that counted *backwards* -- and, tell me *why* you felt the need to do so! I would add: 4. Try to assess their honesty. I am frequently disturbed by how often folks pawn off the works of others as their own. It's fairly obvious when you ask them *probing* questions about some of their claimed "accomplishments" -- and they can't come up with the "details". I once had an applicant proudly present a "listing" of one of his "programs" under the pretense that *he* had done it. After looking at the code and recognizing the product in question, imagine his surprise when I asked him, "What part of this did <John Doe> do?" (naming the actual designer of the product -- "Oops! I bet you weren't expecting to encounter someone who *knows* <John> andn is familiar with *his* work...?" :< ) 5. Try to assess how "multi-dimensional" the applicant is. Is he/she a "one-trick pony" who will help solve some *particular* need of your organization? Or, can he apply ideas from one technology/area to other areas to give you "future benefits" as your needs evolve.
From: Joerg on 18 Apr 2010 21:02 chris w wrote: > I've been interviewing a few new BSEE graduates for a junior engineer > position, and based strictly on what we're looking for, here is some > random advice to juniors/seniors: > > Learn a real design program like Altium. Eagle is ok, but I think > downloading the eval version and creating a few small projects would > be valuable. Create the parts in the library, ... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Absolutamente! Don't go out on the web asking if someone has the footprint for the xyz gizmo. Make it. > ... capture the schematic, > layout the board, generate the gerbers and send them thru freedfm.com > until they pass. Maybe even send them to someplace like Advanced PCB > which has deals for students. Knowing current tools is important. I > think you're much more likely to use something like Altium than Spice > or Matlab (which are also good to know). > If hardcore analog design is (part of) the goal I think the candidate should know SPICE inside and out. LTSpice is very good, and free of charge from the LTC web site. Seriously, I have diagnosed tough field failures where the underlying spikes were next to impossible to measure with any reasonable equipment. Either because they were too faint or because they only happened once in a blue moon. SPICE showed it. Sometimes this was met with skepticism by client engineers but miraculously the field failures were gone after changing the circuitry. [rest snipped, all very good advice] Now I wish some decision makers at universities would read your post because that would soon double the design productivity in our country ... -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Spehro Pefhany on 18 Apr 2010 21:06
On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:02:06 -0700, the renowned Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >chris w wrote: >> I've been interviewing a few new BSEE graduates for a junior engineer >> position, and based strictly on what we're looking for, here is some >> random advice to juniors/seniors: >> >> Learn a real design program like Altium. Eagle is ok, but I think >> downloading the eval version and creating a few small projects would >> be valuable. Create the parts in the library, ... > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > >Absolutamente! Don't go out on the web asking if someone has the >footprint for the xyz gizmo. Make it. > > >> ... capture the schematic, >> layout the board, generate the gerbers and send them thru freedfm.com >> until they pass. Maybe even send them to someplace like Advanced PCB >> which has deals for students. Knowing current tools is important. I >> think you're much more likely to use something like Altium than Spice >> or Matlab (which are also good to know). >> > >If hardcore analog design is (part of) the goal I think the candidate >should know SPICE inside and out. LTSpice is very good, and free of >charge from the LTC web site. > >Seriously, I have diagnosed tough field failures where the underlying >spikes were next to impossible to measure with any reasonable equipment. >Either because they were too faint or because they only happened once in >a blue moon. SPICE showed it. Sometimes this was met with skepticism by >client engineers but miraculously the field failures were gone after >changing the circuitry. > >[rest snipped, all very good advice] > >Now I wish some decision makers at universities would read your post >because that would soon double the design productivity in our country ... I like the idea of a new Jr. hire knowing Altium or whatever, because I'm not likely to assign a task that involves heavy-duty circuit analysis right off, but PCB design and some simple circuit design is probable. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany -- "it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff(a)interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com |