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56 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2022 Here's one example. In June 1941, Lt. Junior Grade Norman "Dusty" Kleiss, a pilot new to the Enter- prise, set out to make his first air- cra carrier landing. Learning to set a plane down on land is hard enough but landing on the narrow strip of a moving ship in the middle of the ocean can be incredibly chal- lenging for even the most experi- enced pilots. Remember, this was 80 years ago when computer navi- gation and automated systems were concepts that hadn't even been imagined yet let alone incorporated into an air- plane. e only thing that carrier pilots could rely on to get them safely back on the deck was their skill, experience, and confidence—char- acteristics that were in short supply for a green- horn like Kleiss. However, when he got into his plane, Kleiss found Bruno Gaido sitting in the rear seat instead of the sandbags normally used to simulate a crewman's weight on a qualifica- tion flight. Because of his inexperience, Kleiss tried to talk him out of coming with him, but Bruno simply responded; "You got wings, don't ya?" Kleiss went on that day to be qualified with several perfect landings thanks to the confi- dence instilled in him by Bruno Gaido. Sometimes the difference between our fail- ure and success is determined by the faith and confidence that others have in us. I'm sure we've all benefited from the con- fidence that others have shown in us over the years. When it came to my first solo flight as a student pilot I was just as anxious as Lt. Kleiss. To be completely honest, I wasn't just nervous, I was terrified. But my flight instructor calmly looked me in the eye and said, "You can do this." And so I did. One time while I was search- ing for work, I had stopped believing in myself. In that instance, a hiring manager gave me the shot of confidence I needed when she said, "My company needs what you can do," and she hired me. But perhaps the best example, and one that still gives me confidence whenever I think about it, is many years ago when my design manager assigned me to lay out a new generation of motherboard for a large computer manufacturer. is would be a high-speed design using new CAD soware and design tactics that I was unfamiliar with. I would also be required to work onsite at this company for several months away from my regular team. It was an intimidating prospect, but my boss gave me the assurance I needed by telling me that he believed in my abilities to get the job done. As we all know, the current demographics of the printed circuit board layout industry is changing. Many designers are approaching retirement, and engineering groups are look- ing for new designers not only to continue their work but take it to the next level. Circuit board technology is also changing. e next genera- tion of PCBAs will require new design meth- odologies to support their evolving specifica- tions along with new materials and processes to manufacture them. But no matter how much the soware and hardware in our industry will change, the simple fact is that printed cir- cuit boards of one type or another will still be needed for a very long time. To keep the elec- tronics innovation process flowing, it is essen- tial that we all participate in the growth of the PCB design industry as much as possible. How can we help to develop a pool of new layout designers that are ready to take on the challenges of the next-generation of electronic development? As we have seen from the exam- ple of Bruno Gaido, one of the most effective methods for helping a greenhorn designer is to build up their confidence and give them the sta- ble foundation they need for success. Here are some ideas that I use when working with new people on the job: • Look for the diamond in the rough: Not all designers will follow a traditional career