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20 The PCB Design Magazine • May 2017 MUST WORK WELL ON A TEAM; CID A BONUS A week or so later, I answered the phone and was introduced to the Reno company's engineer- ing services manager and principle electronics engineer. We talked extensively about my work history and the types of printed boards I had de- signed, but they seemed particularly interested in a certification I'd received the previous year from IPC, the Certified Interconnect Designer (CID). I mentioned that I'd paid for the CID train- ing and certification on my own because my company at the time was getting ready for lay- offs and probably couldn't afford it. I explained that I considered it valuable—not because I thought I'd be job hunting within the next year, but because I'd heard that it taught PCB design principles based on IPC standard design and manufacturing specifications. I added that the certification program had taught me how to look outside my own bubble to see how my de- sign decisions not only affect the performance of the PCB, but how they affect the success or failure of PCB CAM and fabrication personnel, assembly and testing personnel, and even the inspection and purchasing personnel. As the phone interview concluded, the en- gineering manager asked if I had any questions regarding the position. I referred to the job de- scription requirement about working well on While teaching a recent Certified Inter- connect Designer (CID) class in Chicago, I got to know my nine students fairly well. They came from all sorts of backgrounds and geographic locations, but they had one thing in common: They wanted to have CID after their names. Ever the intrepid reporter, I asked if any of them would be interested in talking about their reasons for taking the CID class, and four of them agreed. These are their stories: Amy Baker, a PCB designer with Digi International Wireless Design Service in Minnetonka, MN: "My company supports IPC designer certification because of the credibility it adds to our team. The material is well presented with emphasis on referencing industry approved IPC stan- dards, design methodologies and best prac- tice. The diversity of people attending our class made for interesting class discussion and outstanding network opportunities." Javier Baca, EE, Yazaki Service, San Nicolas, N.L. Mexico: "The IPC CID course helped me to think beyond the limited PCB project experience I gained at the university level. The four- day class has helped me better relate to my company's standards and how they compare to IPC standards. I hope to use the knowledge I've gained in this program to increase the quality of our design process back home." David Moore, PCB design supervisor/manager, Honeywell International, Melville, NY: "I'm gaining my IPC PCB de- signer certification to better un- derstand IPC design, documen- tation and manufacturing standards. I will return to my company with enough founda- tional knowledge to build upon our PCB de- sign processes and help our department to be accountable for its success." Julito Tejada, principle engineer, Honeywell International, Melville, NY: "The benefit of this course is that it gives the attendees com- mand of the PCB design and manufacturing functions by helping us to understand how to move forward using standardization. The workbooks and pre- sentations help us to gain a useful depth of knowledge." KELLY CHATS WITH HIS CID STUDENTS