General > General Technical Chat
5000th post with good news!
MuhScopeBroke:
Happy for you ;D
pidcon:
Congratulations! :)
tggzzz:
--- Quote from: Zero999 on July 09, 2020, 01:04:48 pm ---
--- Quote from: tggzzz on July 09, 2020, 07:44:57 am ---
--- Quote from: tooki on July 09, 2020, 05:27:16 am ---Oh, I know exactly what you are talking about. I’ve often referred to that distinction when discussing how one should (or shouldn’t) hire software developers: HR drones often want checklists of languages and technologies, but a talented developer can pick up new languages in no time. The skills of how to actually architect and write good software are unrelated to the languages used.
--- End quote ---
I will make a distinction between different programming paradigms, to use a word I dislike. From one procedural (or OOP or funtional) language to another is easy. From procedural to OOP or FSM or HDL is more difficult, and some people never manage it.
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When you get into instrumentation and automation, some of the programming lanagues are graphical such as LabVIEW and ladder logic, which can take time to adjust to.
--- End quote ---
True.
I'm not familiar with either of those, but if I needed to use them I would be paying careful attention to the semantics of the diagrams, rather than the syntax. My uninformed guess would be that ladder logic is better in that respect.
Other graphical languages include Harel StateCharts (and FSMs in general) which are pretty well defined, schematics which have stylistic variations but must be semantically well defined, and all the UML diagrams which are not very well defined.
knotlogic:
Congratulations tooki! All the best with the new job, and and I hope things continue to get better! :-+
tooki:
I started this thread when my apprenticeship began. Now that it’s finished, I think a big update is in order!
FYI, due to my prior experience and education, I was able to skip the first year of what is normally a 4-year program, hence my being done in 3 years. (I’ll refer to my years within the program by their place in the 4-year program.) For those not familiar with the Swiss apprenticeship system: an apprentice is formally employed (and paid) by a company, and the apprentice goes to (theoretical, classroom) school 1-2 days per week, and works at the company for the balance. Additionally, specific hands-on courses must be completed at vocational training centers.
As I said earlier, the apprenticeship was offered by a vocational training center itself, a place whose primary business is to conduct those hands-on courses. But they have some apprentices of their own, too. Since they aren’t a “normal” electronics business as such, their year 3 and 4 electronics apprentices are sent on internships at partner companies (often ones whose own electronics apprentices came to us to do the hands-on courses) to get more real-world experience. In year 3, I was offered a 4 month internship at a place that doesn’t normally offer them (but that had space because their own year 2 apprentice had quit): the electronics workshop of the physics department of the University of Zurich. (That’s the same physics department where Albert Einstein earned his PhD.)
The internship went well and ended up getting extended to 6 months, during which time the option got floated of actually being able to transfer there formally. I finished out year 3 at the vocational training center, and then for year 4, officially became employed as an apprentice by the university. This also means that the university would be my employer of record upon graduation, and while I am deeply grateful to the training center for giving me the opportunity to climb out of that long, deep hole, the university is a more prestigious name to appear on the diploma. The internship and year 4 in the physics department were great, with me getting experience with things I’d be unlikely to encounter in most companies, like working with high voltages (up to 50kV) and currents (up to 14kA), high and ultra-high vacuum, cryogenics, radiation hardening, and very weak and/or fast signals. Lots of coaxial connectors, lots of Teflon and Kapton insulated wires and cables, lots of coaching on high-speed and low-noise PCB design, and lots of working directly with the researchers who’d be using the things to conduct experiments that mostly go way over my head. ;D (Lemme tell you, working in the physics department was a humbling experience, as I'd never, ever, worked or studied in an environment with so many people who are so much smarter and more talented than me.)
In May, while studying for finals, I was also starting to look around for a job for once I finished. As the physics department’s electronics workshop had no openings, there was no possibility to stay on there. But as it turned out, the chemistry department’s electronics technician had left a few months prior, and they were about to begin searching for one.
Well, it all worked out and in June, I passed my final exams and was granted the diploma as a (Swiss) federally certified electronics technician, and as of this month (after taking a long-overdue vacation to visit USA) I am the new electronics technician for the University of Zurich’s Department of Chemistry, where I’m in charge of supporting the entire department’s electronics needs. This job is a mix of creating new setups for research projects (a lot of lab automation, but also some custom circuit design), modifying and maintaining existing setups, and of repairing and maintaining commercial lab equipment of all sorts. (The chemistry department conducts hands-on labs for large numbers of beginning chemistry and premed students, so there are huge numbers of gadgets that need to be working at the beginning of the semester, so I’ve been busy with that at the moment.) The electronics workshop (crappy shaky panorama attached) is within the mechanical workshop, so I’m working alongside several machinists who do all the non-electronics side of the aforementioned setups and repairs, which I am also enjoying since I like that stuff, too.
I couldn’t be more delighted with this outcome, since I know I enjoy working in academia, and permanent positions at the university are apparently quite sought-after.
So to everyone here who’s ever interacted with me, be it to answer my questions, challenge my mistakes, give me things to think about or interesting ideas to research, or whatever else, I extend my sincerest thanks for helping me on this journey! I’ve learned so much here, both from interacting and from reading others’ discussions, that I honestly don’t think I’d be where I am today if it hadn’t been for this forum. Thank you. 🙏
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