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Design007-Mar2022

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MARCH 2022 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 27 to 3,000 to design and build projects (these are tax-deductible education costs), then another $2,000 to 3,000 on a certification. At most, you've spent $6,000 for an education that will pay you back in spades. You could go to a university and spend $30,000 to $100,000 depending on which one you go to, just for an honors EE degree where they still won't teach you PCB layout or the issues of manufac- turing. Don't get me wrong: I value my bach- elor's in engineering, but just think about the ROI on this. Shaughnessy: What criteria should designers keep in mind when evaluating their educa- tional needs, strengths, and weaknesses to stay on top of their game in the industry? Jordan: What is it you see yourself doing long term? What is it you want out of life? If you find deep flow and satisfaction in designing and solving puzzles, double down on your PCB design education. If you want to chase big dollars and you have a "people" personality, get the technical knowledge and experience first, then focus on learning to sell or market PCB design or manufacturing services. at's a nice mix of commission while staying close to the technology. If you find you're most pas- sionate about the actual electronic function of hardware, you might decide you really should do that degree and get deeper into the elec- tromagnetic principles; you would need that, for instance, if you want to become a full-time microwave or RF engineer. All these decisions are different levels of financial and mental commitment. Doing engineering math is hard. Learning to sell is (arguably) just as hard, but you need to be open-minded and think where you want to go. Shaughnessy: When I first started covering PCB design in the late '90s, there were no "critical paths" to becoming a designer. Is an engineering degree becoming the critical path for future designers? Jordan: Strictly speaking, I don't think so. As I mentioned, if you are disciplined and passion- ate, you can learn what you need for design- ing PCBs from Udemy and the PCB industry certifications. But there will be gaps if you ever wanted to go deeper. Most people do not stay in the same career longer than three to four years these days, but for PCB and hardware electronics design, which seems to me to be a little bit different, because the kind of person who thinks of doing this in the first place usu- ally is already becoming very passionate about it. Many PCB designers stay in this groove for decades, and never get bored. Every PCB design is like a brand-new job. But if you want to be a millionaire someday, you must face the fact you'll probably need to matriculate to being a business owner, salesperson, or some- thing else down the road. If that's you, be sure you make room for that in your life plan. Shaughnessy: Any final thoughts? Jordan: Personally, I love PCB design, prod- uct engineering, embedded soware devel- opment, and the whole nine yards. ere are few careers that offer the interesting breadth of creativity that PCB and hardware design pro- vide. But I'm currently crossing the chasm into being an entrepreneur. Please, wish me luck. Shaughnessy: Best of luck, Ben! anks for your time. Jordan: ank you, Andy. DESIGN007 Doing engineering math is hard. Learning to sell is (arguably) just as hard, but you need to be open-minded and think where you want to go.

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