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32 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2025 I've worked in a company office for most of my life, but many young designers are com- fortable working remotely. Whether you work at home or at your company's facility, I urge to you to engage with other designers in person as oen as possible. Zoom and Teams meetings are handy, but there's no substitute for meet- ing other designers in person at conferences or trade shows. Follow Passions Away from Your Screen I have a saying based upon years of observa- tion: e best PCB designers can figure out how to solve a challenge 12 different ways. e objective is not to come up with the cheapest, smallest, or quickest design. e objective is to come up with a design which will provide the best value to all the project stakeholders. Develop your problem-solving and communi- cation skills. Be sure to enjoy plenty of hobbies and activ- ities. In the 1980s, we boomers enrolled in community college classes for $5 per semester (plus books). In the 1990s, many of us began writing technical articles for industry maga- zines. Some of us learned to sing or play an instrument. Some of us played and sang with the Porch Dawgs at design conferences in the 1990s and early 2000s. I discovered years ago that I had a knack for conducting video inter- views at trade shows; I never thought I'd be "eye candy" aer 30 years in the industry. Character Counts Remember that character counts. No one wants to work with someone who is unpleas- ant or untrustworthy. No need for a spiritual deep dive here, but a PCB design career is business. Good business is usually mutually beneficial, while bad business oen ends up in court. Don't end up in court. Much of what you need to know to get ahead in this industry—and any industry, really— can be found in the character traits listed in the guidelines for the Boy Scouts of America, which was recently rebranded as Scouting America. Being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thriy, brave, clean, and reverent will help ensure that you enjoy a successful career and life. ese traits are timeless and easy to under- stand, and they should be part of every PCB designer's DRC for long-term personal goals. Good luck, new designers. We boomers will be happy to answer your questions, but you'd better hurry. e pickleball courts are calling us. DESIGN007 Kelly Dack, CIT, CID+, provides DFx centered PCB design and manufacturing liaison expertise for a dynamic EMS provider in the Pacific Northwest while also serving as an IPC design certification instructor (CID) for EPTAC. To read past columns, click here.