EEVblab #2 - Are Electronics Hobbyists Useless?

[Smokey]

I like it.  From now on I'm starting every post with....

Bitch please!

...Maybe his CV got rejected...

Ya he probably only had 20 years of industry experience and was under-qualified.... I kid.. I kid...

[AlfBaz]

Why would someone work for you when they can work in big companies, where they have a future, they offer internships, on the job trainings,
you can work with latest technologies, million dollar equipments etc, you can build your carrier there.

There are (or at the very least will be) an ever increasing number of eternal hobbyists in this country.

Diplomas or advanced diplomas are obtainable at tertiary education centres here called TAFE. The current plethora of state and federal conservative governments are slashing funding to these organisations so they have to increase their fees. The quality of teaching has dropped because their rates of pay have dropped, so most of the really good ones went back to industry and the subject matter has an ever increasing Occupational health and safety component.
As course costs increase, enrolments drop so the lack of numbers see a large number of elective subjects taken out of the curriculum, making courses less enticing

Add to this the situation where increasing concern of litigation in companies sees less uptake of experienced non-qualified people requiring someone in-charge assuming responsibility for their work, versus young inexperienced (and malleable) qualified students will see a lot of hobbyists never moving out of there own lab

[EEVblog]

Dave, your expectation are way to high!

Nope.

It is not that skilled hobbysts/engineers don't exist, they do, but they would never apply to your job offer.

The 70 or so applications I got says otherwise.

You are basically offering a dead end job which doesn't pay much

Actually it pays better than some equivalent jobs.

and part of your job is to take out the rubbish.

Yep, what's your point?

Why would someone work for you when they can work in big companies, where they have a future, they offer internships, on the job trainings,
you can work with latest technologies, million dollar equipments etc, you can build your carrier there.

Then go ahead and do that. Everyone is looking for something different, and I'm offering something different. Right for some, wrong for others. Judging by the number of very keen and often very well qualified and experienced people I got applying, it seems what I have to offer is appealing to many.

[Yago]

and part of your job is to take out the rubbish.

Yep, what's your point?

I missed that earlier.
That is part of what Simon and I briefly talked of earlier, the sense of entitlement in "youngsters" in UK.
Straight from education, and demand an office, private jet, PA, car etc.

It's good test to perform early, if you were "too good" to keep the workshop tidy (it is a safety thing too), you got fired.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

It's good test to perform early, if you were "too good" to keep the workshop tidy (it is a safety thing too), you got fired.

Then you might miss out on blokes like this.

[Yago]

Hey, not fare!
At that level rules don't apply, this is about new starts.

[mtdoc]

I'll bet neither Jim Williams nor Bob Pease would pass Dave's screening qualifications for an assistant. I doubt either of them ever laid hands on PCB cad software.

Yep, useless....

[Smokey]

Man, can Jim Williams write technical documents though.  Some of the best.

http://readingjimwilliams.blogspot.com/

[jlmoon]

It's good test to perform early, if you were "too good" to keep the workshop tidy (it is a safety thing too), you got fired.

Then you might miss out on blokes like this.

That's just Einstein in another wrapper!   

[Dr. Frank]

AHA - there's action in the EEVBLOG lab, before 10 A.M., 2nd of March!

Therefore, we see support for Dave finally showing up..


Welcome!

Waiting for your personal presentation!

First thing todo: Cleaning up that mess!

Frank

[Seppy]

The clean up has commenced, started grouping items 

[TheNewLab]

Hey I know this is a late entry to this subject.
I say that electronics hobbyist does not have to be someone that will develop or invent something new. Some of us are simply curious. Some of us have absolutely no desire to be serious about electronics, or programming or anything related. We just do it as an escape from all the pressures from their actual job. I feel that I would rather explore something I really don't understand instead of watching the History Channel. What has always frustrated me with cars is  you always  get your hands dirty, and I really, really hate when I am underneath and a glob of old crusty oil drops into my eye.

Yes, I got the bug. I actually violated my personal pledge not to get any "serious" electronics tool or equipment. By my own personal rule, I REALLY screwed up by actually buying an actual legitimate desktop oscilloscope. Damn.

[vk3yedotcom]

The clean up has commenced, started grouping items 

Be careful. Clean-ups have a habit of stopping when you find an old magazine or book you just have to read, or a half-built project you get a sudden rush to finish.