The EEVblog is Hiring

[Mark_O]

As the title says, Sydney only:

Haven't read the posting, but if you're going to limit it to people named 'Sydney', that restricts the candidate list quite a bit.   

I suspect he already has a lab coat with that name on it, and he won't pay out for a new one.

   I love it.

[george graves]

It's a junior role, as mentioned, like a student or some such, so the pay is commensurate with that. This is stuff that any hobbyist worth their salt can do.

How much would you pay a student with hobbyist level skills?

Dave - come on.  You're back peddling now.  The huge list of skills you posted would be a really advanced "hobbyist" (even if they only had a 1/4th of them) - more like a EE that had a few years under their belt.  .  And assuming there was someone local, with half skill set you suggest - they deserve a decent wage.  (Isn't the area you live in expensive?)

IMHO, Dave, you of all people should be promoting the idea that people with a skill set like you posted should NOT accept a menial wage job with their skills set.  I'm honestly embarrassed for you.

Yes, there is something to say about getting your foot in the door at a TV/VCR repair shop - to learn the ropes. And yes, working for the EEVblog would give you some internet cred.  But come on - pay the gal or girl a decent wadge you cheap bastard.

I'll just chalk it up to a "dream list" you sat down and made up. 

- EE, video production (WTF? - you only know what you now from trial by fire, how do you expect a student or a "junior" person to know), inventory/BOM/dealing with suppliers (good luck on that, that's a real job), web site skills, some IT skills(most students won't have this)...and on, and on...Oh and that happens to want to work for peanuts.  Perhaps a homeless person that happens to know more then a recent college EE grad, that also use to work in TV?

Come on Dave - I'm a big fan of yours, but this is bull-shit.

[EEVblog]

Dave - come on.  You're back peddling now.  The huge list of skills you posted would be a really advanced "hobbyist" (even if they only had a 1/4th of them). 

Bullshit. I could do all that at 15 years of age. And this is the age of the internet and the hacker/maker Arduino revolution, age of ecommenrce and $5 double sided PCBs. 10 year olds are running their own kit businesses these days.
All I'm asking for for someone that can solder, and do basic electronics projects, hobby level stuff! Showing me one board you've designed and layed out would be enough.
I don't know what kind of hobbyist you are/were, but geeze, if you think 1/4 of the stuff is advanced level stuff, then I'm speechless.

And assuming there was someone local, with half skill set you suggest - they deserve a decent wage.  (Isn't the area you live expensive?)

IMHO, Dave, you of all people should be promoting the idea that people with a skill set like you posted should NOT accept a menial wage job with their skills set.I'm honestly embarrassed for you.

That's your problem, not mine.

I'll chalk it up to a "dream list" you sat down and made up. 
But maybe there is someone with real skills, in many different areas

Yes, they are called hobbyists. Very common for a hobbyist to have practically every one of those skills at some level.

- EE, video production (WTF? - you only know what you now from trial by fire, how do you expect a student or a "junior" person to know)

I don't, that's why it's listed under desirable.
It's not hard for someone to have shot and edited their own video these days you know.

, inventory/BOM/dealing with suppliers (good luck on that, that's a real job)

It's something I can teach anyone to do, and any hobbyist who knows components will balls it in.
I'd be happy if they knew how to search the suppliers websites and knows how to look up component codes and read datasheets.

, web site skills, some IT skills(most students won't have this)...and on, and on...

What part of desirable but not essential do you not understand?
Are you kidding that students won't have IT skills? What kind of world are you living in? Most nerdy kids know more linux/servers/web/script stuff than most before they even hit puberty.

Come on Dave - I'm a big fan of yours, but this is bull-shit.

No, its not.
It's not paying a lot, but it's not tossing fries in maccas wages either, it's well above the minimum award wage, and offer flexible hours in a low-pressure non-sweatshop environment.
And it could be a good opportunity for someone, perhaps say a TAFE certificate or diploma student or hobbyist who wants to take a step up and get some engineering experience and that "junior engineer" title on their resume instead of technician.
There are plenty of reasons why someone might think this is a good opportunity for them.

Good fucking luck with that.
I hate to be an asshole about this.  But

Yes, you are being an arsehole. Try not to do that, I feel embarrassed for you.
BTW, I've had many people complement me on doing this.

[EEVblog]

It is kinda sounding like a zero hours contract, but as long as it really is a student job with low enough commitments not to interfere with studying then it's okay.

I's quite common for engineering courses to have a full time, or almost full time industry experience component, often lasting for 6 months or a year.

[c4757p]

You're quite optimistic about the skill set of most hobbyists.

[EEVblog]

You're quite optimistic about the skill set of most hobbyists.

To have designed a circuit, layed out a PCB, soldered it and tested/debugged it?
Really?
Have I entered an alternate reality or something? 

[tom66]

I would say about 90-95% of students at my university (one of the top 10 in the country for EE) could not do even one of the things Dave asks.

Having seen "student" soldering, it's embarrassing... seriously it's just terrible. Most of them will just copy code from the Arduino tutorials, with no knowledge of how it actually works, or what it does...

It may seem common on the internet, but I don't think it's that common overall. Maybe there's a few people in Sydney that could do what you want, but not many.

I don't know what Dave plans on paying but my year engineering placement I only get about £8.50 p/hr, this is about 30% higher than minimum wage.

[EEVblog]

I would say about 90-95% of students at my university (one of the top 10 in the country for EE) could not do even one of the things Dave asks.

When I went it was like 99%, yes.
That's is why I'm after someone who's a hobbyist.
My original draft actually had the line "you probably haven't learnt this stuff in school".

I don't know what Dave plans on paying but my year placement I only get about £8.50 p/hr, this is about 30% higher than minimum wage.

That's not even our minimum wage here.

[c4757p]

You're quite optimistic about the skill set of most hobbyists.

To have designed a circuit, layed out a PCB, soldered it and tested/debugged it?
Really?
Have I entered an alternate reality or something? 

No, most people just aren't as enthusiastic as you. Also, you listed "schematic design, PCB layout, and embedded C firmware and PC programming" and "soldering, construction, and prototype debugging skills" as technical skills. Having those as skills is quite different from having attempted them once or twice. Most hobbyists do not have PCB layout skills, of the sort that might fulfill anyone's requirements for anything...

[EEVblog]

No, most people just aren't as enthusiastic as you. Also, you listed "schematic design, PCB layout, and embedded C firmware and PC programming" and "soldering, construction, and prototype debugging skills" as technical skills. Having those as skills is quite different from having attempted them once or twice. Most hobbyists do not have PCB layout skills, of the sort that might fulfill anyone's requirements for anything...

Then too bad for them, they probably won't get ahead.
I still see all the time hobbyists who do awesome stuff, probably more so now than ever, but I could be a bit myopic on that. So throw around "most" all you want, I still think there are vast numbers of hobbyists out there with decent usable skills.

[c4757p]

Out there? Yeah, there are - they're on the Internet, so you see the ones who do cool stuff and want to show it off. If you think that translates to being able to find even one of them (who wants to work for you, even!) in your own general area, you're seriously overestimating pop(Syndey)/pop(world)

[EEVblog]

Job description updated to indicate that professional levels skills are not expected.
But I suspect that still won't satisfy the anal brigade until I dumb it down to Trained Monkey Level 1

[c4757p]

the anal brigade

Wait, how can you see my web history?

[EEVblog]

Out there? Yeah, there are - they're on the Internet, so you see the ones who do cool stuff and want to show it off. If you think that translates to being able to find even one of them (who wants to work for you, even!) in your own general area, you're seriously overestimating pop(Syndey)/pop(world)

Perhaps. But so what? I'm not supposed to ask? 
Do I deserve to get taken to task for asking? 

[Yago]

Being able to solder and use vid cam/software is asking little these days IMHO.

[george graves]

Bullshit. I could do all that at 15 years of age. And this is the age of the internet and the hacker/maker Arduino revolution, age of ecommenrce and $5 double sided PCBs. 10 year olds are running their own kit businesses these days.

A.) Your awesome?   B.) The "10 year old" thing is a cute headline.  It's not a real thing.  You know that.

All I'm asking for for someone that can solder, and do basic electronics projects, hobby level stuff! Showing me one board you've designed and layed out would be enough.
I don't know what kind of hobbyist you are/were, but geeze, if you think 1/4 of the stuff is advanced level stuff, then I'm speechless.

Well then ask for that!

That's not what you asked for.  You asked for a HUGE LIST. Now you see why I said you're back-peddling?

IMHO, Dave, you of all people should be promoting the idea that people with a skill set like you posted should NOT accept a menial wage job with their skills set.I'm honestly embarrassed for you.

That's your problem, not mine.

It's is kinda your problem.  You're the one offering cheese burger wages for EE work, publicly, online.  Come on Dave, would you work for peanuts if you knew 1/4 of what you listed?  Come one.  Be real.  And furthermore - shouldn't you be encouraging people with the list you provided NOT to work for peanuts? 

it's well above the minimum award wage, and offer flexible hours in a low-pressure non-sweatshop environment

Yummy.

[_Sin]

Personally I didn't see much wrong with the description, it seems pretty clear to me that Dave is looking for some kind of inexperienced but keen student/amateur all-rounder, rather than anyone with serious experience - but I can see why someone might read it that way.

I think its pretty cool that Dave has reached the point where he needs to / can take on an assistant, and it should be a good opportunity for someone.

The only suggestion I have, is that I might big-up the opportunities to learn a whole bunch of stuff - because to me that would be a big part of the appeal, and it doesn't hurt to underline it (unless Dave plans on just having a flunky and teaching them nothing, but that would seem kind of out of character to me!)

[Wilksey]

If they are going to be on camera, they need to be enthusiastic, and lets be honest, if you are going to work on the EEVBlog, you needs some kind of enthusiasm, even if it's just to keep up with Dave!

I don't think it's going to be easy to find someone at a hobbyist level that has tailored the skillset you ask for, but a basic understanding should at least suffice, if they are willing to learn a bit more (be enthusiastic), that should be easier to find.
I imagine you will get people who say they can, but in reality, they can't, might be a long boring process, bit like a talent competition.

Uni students don't seem to know half the stuff required to be known (at the end of the course) several years ago, it's not their fault, it's the education system going tits.

The only thing I didn't have full confidence from your list in doing when I left college was the PCB Layout, I did a few but back in the day that was the one thing I couldn't really say I felt comfortable doing, that's all changed now of course.

I don't know what it's like in Aus, but here in the UK, it seems to be that most people who do that level of hobbyist work are already in full time employment, and not straight out of Uni, I have met some straight out of Uni and, well, mashing the buttons at Maccy d's might require an extra training session for them...seriously.

I would say, as there is a lot of negative comments on this thread, good luck, I hope you find someone, it would be good to see video interviews if possible, as it is a community forum and blog it would be good to see potential candidates, and as others have pointed out it would be a good instruction of how to, or how not to interview.

[c4757p]

Out there? Yeah, there are - they're on the Internet, so you see the ones who do cool stuff and want to show it off. If you think that translates to being able to find even one of them (who wants to work for you, even!) in your own general area, you're seriously overestimating pop(Syndey)/pop(world)

Perhaps. But so what? I'm not supposed to ask? 
Do I deserve to get taken to task for asking? 

Taken to task? You're on a forum, we're discussing.

[dr.diesel]

Perhaps. But so what? I'm not supposed to ask? 

Nothing wrong with high expectations, it is your position, ask away.  I've waited more than 6 months before trying to find the right person, other times I've had to settle.

All kinds of people from different levels will likely apply or inquire, half won't meet what your asking for, a good number will lie and the rest will be a mix.

Don't dumb the posting down any further.  In the end be honest and public about the experience and what type and level of people applied.  You can either prove the anal brigade right or wrong!    O0

[EEVblog]

The only suggestion I have, is that I might big-up the opportunities to learn a whole bunch of stuff - because to me that would be a big part of the appeal, and it doesn't hurt to underline it (unless Dave plans on just having a flunky and teaching them nothing, but that would seem kind of out of character to me!)

Ultimately they will be hired to get stuff done, not be my apprentice as I teach them stuff all day long.
But yes, it would be out of character for me to not feel a compulsive need to continually teach them stuff. That's actually a fear I have in that I might end up doing so much of that that it makes the whole endevour worthless because it won't be saving me any time and achieving what I hope to achieve by doing this.
If it adds value to the reason why they were hired, then yes, I'll be teaching them all they need to know and more, but there will have to be a line there somewhere.
It's kinda like my blog, it was never intended to and never has been be a blog that intended to just teach stuff. People tend to learn stuff from the blog just by going along for the ride.

[EEVblog]

George, I will not enagage you any further on this, you are just a waste of time. I will not repeat myself, nor point out the demonstrable wrongness of your position.
Have a nice day.

[george graves]

You have a good day too.  I love your videos - always thumbs up.  But you are wrong on this one.

Cheapness will always bite you in the ass. IMHO.  We've all had that cheap-ass boss.  Don't be one of them.  We have more respect for you than that.  My 2 cents.

[mswhin63]

Lab organisation and management

Bit of a chuckle, You really need help with this one 

Nice add, wish most employer were like this. 

[EEVblog]

I imagine you will get people who say they can, but in reality, they can't, might be a long boring process, bit like a talent competition.

Yep, welcome to the world of hiring people.

Uni students don't seem to know half the stuff required to be known (at the end of the course) several years ago, it's not their fault

Which is precisely why I'm not asking for just any old student.