Author Topic: Personal Projects and Job Interviews  (Read 1833 times)

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Offline mishimaBeefTopic starter

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Personal Projects and Job Interviews
« on: July 26, 2011, 12:04:43 am »
Hi guys,

Just gonna be to the point here: what is exactly so impressive to interviewers about working on your own projects? Aren't we pretty much reinventing the wheel so to speak? I mean all the projects we do have pretty much been done before right? Where is the value? Is it in proving that you understanding the design process? Or somewhere else? Thoughts?

Curious guy looking to get serious
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Personal Projects and Job Interviews
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2011, 12:21:24 am »
It shows that you care enough about electronics to work on it in your own time.
To a smart employer that means you are keen, likely more generally knowledgeable than someone who doesn't, and they don't have to pay money to keep your still up, as you are already doing it yourself.

People who have an active interest in electronics outside of work generally make better engineers, for all sort of little reasons.

That's why the project itself doesn't matter, it's just the fact that you had the motivation to do it in the first place.

Dave.
 

Offline gregariz

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Re: Personal Projects and Job Interviews
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2011, 12:36:48 am »
It shows that you care enough about electronics to work on it in your own time.
To a smart employer that means you are keen, likely more generally knowledgeable than someone who doesn't, and they don't have to pay money to keep your still up, as you are already doing it yourself.

People who have an active interest in electronics outside of work generally make better engineers, for all sort of little reasons.

That's why the project itself doesn't matter, it's just the fact that you had the motivation to do it in the first place.

Dave.

For a design engineer's job I agree with everything Dave said. For the many jobs surrounding engineering, I would have to consider it based on the job at hand. For example I believe many employers prefer project managers who are not technical so I would be most reluctant to tout an electronics hobby for a 'technical administration' post. It just depends who is doing the hiring and firing. If its a technical illiterate, I'd just be a bit cautious as many seem to dislike engineers.
 


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