The EEVblog is Hiring

[n45048]

[Muttley Snickers]

Some of this stuff might be worth a quick read, just for referance.

Prior notification is compulsory from what I understand.

Muttley

Red tape like that is why there are so many one man bands. Before you can employ someone in a salaried position, if you followed all the rules, you'd need an HR department and a lawyer. That is why casual employment makes so much sense to small outfits. Hopefully common sense will prevail.

I completely agree 100%, but I think that it is important to know what your obligations are in regards to the law.

Dave is in a position whereby he could be prone to malicious attack by a disgruntled person and there is no reason to supply their ammo if at all avoidable.

Muttley

[Galaxyrise]

I managed to land a hobbyist-skilled part-time job during my university years, and it was a huge, huge help.   

I think I might just have crossed the threshold of being worth my salt, too!  (Did my first PCB just recently.)

[n45048]

For the young people reading this: Even work experience is great and I've always encouraged young people to get into it. I started work experience at my local internet provider when I was 12 years old. Landed my first paying job at 14 years, 9 months (the legal age in Australian when you can start getting paid) for the same company. I gained a wealth of knowledge in the industry plus 'life lessons' on how the world and business works. By 17, I was working for Australia's second largest Telco (at the time) earning a very decent salary. Later on I took a bit of a side-ways step into Law Enforcement but after doing my time "pounding the pavement" a whole world of opportunities opened up for me that wasn't accessible to me as a civilian (cybercrime, digital forensics and all that secret squirrel stuff that we can't talk about or "doesn't exist").

I don't want to discourage people from tertiary education as that can be very valuable. For me, I've never needed it and I'm exactly where I want to be in life but that's only because I started young at the very bottom and worked my way 'up the ladder'.

I think what Dave is doing is a great thing. It's not about the money but the experience and lessons that come from it. I think Dave is looking for an enthusiastic young person who would do it for free (the money is a bonus). If I was younger, I'd much prefer to be working for Dave than in retail or hospitality regardless of pay. In my experience, teenage years are fairly critical. It can be hard to play 'catch up' later in life.

[n45048]

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

Aussie kids these days are taught basic web design on top of the usual IT skills these days at school. Primary school kids are already armed with smartphones and tablets. I'm pretty sure having IT skills these days is almost a given.

[miguelvp]

Think about it, is like hiring a tutor that pays you for learning. wax on, wax off comes to mind

[pickle9000]

Failure to answer the skill testing question is an automatic failure.

What is a DeLorean?

[mathsquid]

... Total opposite to the US system in which it is mandatory at many (majority?) of universities that you live on campus.

I work at a university in a small town in the US, about an hour from a major city.  Here (at the uni where I work) students are required to live on campus during their first year unless their home is within some radius from campus (30 miles I think).  I think that this is fairly typical of similar universities.  When I was a student, I went to a small university in a medium-sized city, and there was no such requirement. 

That's my anecdotal information so I can't say anything authoritative, but I know that there's a lot of variation from uni to uni with those sorts of rules.

[miguelvp]

In Arizona there was not such requirement, I rented with other roommates walking distance to the university.

Must be a policy of the campus in question more than a state requirement.

[EEVblog]

Some of this stuff might be worth a quick read, just for referance.
Prior notification is compulsory from what I understand.

It's not covert surveillance, and it's not a closed circuit system. It is a public web cam that is an integral part of my usual business practice. It is known by all, mentioned in the job description, and will be on any employment contract.
I can't possibly see a problem with that. And the acts are pointless when it comes to my particular business circumstance, they are simply not designed to cover it.

[EEVblog]

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

Aussie kids these days are taught basic web design on top of the usual IT skills these days at school. Primary school kids are already armed with smartphones and tablets. I'm pretty sure having IT skills these days is almost a given.

Yes, I don't know what planet George lives on.

[ncoonrod14]

I more than qualify... hey Dave do you think you could add "travel compensation from the U.S." To the list of benefits?
On a serious note, any university student or hobbyist would be a fool to not apply for an opportunity like this, while I agree that this position should have a decent wage as Dave mentioned, anyone who recognizes the potential of working for Dave would do it for free, hell I'd pay to get that kind of experience.

[Wilksey]

You will soon know if your job advert works if people apply!!

Just post it out and see what happens, if you are being unrealistic (I am not saying you are or aren't, it's down to individuals who have the opportunity to apply) then you will find out soon enough.

I would say bad or good, it would be beneficial to some members on the forum to see what kind of responses you get.

[miguelvp]

You will soon know if your job advert works if people apply!!

Just post it out and see what happens, if you are being unrealistic (I am not saying you are or aren't, it's down to individuals who have the opportunity to apply) then you will find out soon enough.

I would say bad or good, it would be beneficial to some members on the forum to see what kind of responses you get.

Post the link to the post at the University of Sidney in the Electrical & Information Engineering department, I hope Unis still have cork-boards for this kinds of things. But I bet you already have gone there many times and they know you.

Maybe just a flyer with EEVblog is hiring and your picture and the url plus add one of those QR codes that they can scan with their phones in the middle of it.

Like this one that points to the beginning of this thread made with http://www.qrstuff.com/

[Howardlong]

You'd hope that the keen wannabe EE in a niversity would already know about eevblog, especially on the home turf!

I know there's been discussion of the understandably confidential nature of the hiring process, however how about, after the process is ended, a selection of anecdotal, and sanitised, what not to do? Back in the day when I did a bit of PFY recruiting, we had some real stinkers on CVs/resumes.

Occasionally we used to get people in just to see who on earth could have written such an "obscure" CV for our own entertainment. The worst thing is when you specifically ask for a particular skill as essential, their CV states they're an expert in the field, and they turn out to be rumbled in the technical interview in 5 seconds. Very sad really.

Equally I got fed up with being given new recruits who I hadn't even interviewed, because HR knew best. It's not just technical expertise either, it's how well they'll fit in on a personal level. After all you're going to have to work with them too. I am sure BOFH knows that all too well though.

[tinhead]

I don't know what planet George lives on.

U.S. of Idiocracy 

[EEVblog]

Must be a policy of the campus in question more than a state requirement.

Yes, I'm pretty sure it's not any sort of state requirement, it's a culture thing enforced by many universities.
I've asked this before of my audience and the general consensus seems to be that majority of US universities either make it a requirement, or strongly encourage living on campus for at least the first year or two (i.e. you need a damn good excuse not to). It's deemed to be a very important part of the "culture" of US university life, critical to your social development, blah blah.
This simply does not happen in Australia. Not only does not a single university require it or even expect it (that I am aware of), spaces on campus are either non-existent, or limited. You'll never get asked where you are staying, that's your business, not the universities. Any on campus accommodation is usually taken by the full fee paying overseas students.
The majority of Australian students simply go to the closest or most suitable university in their city. Going interstate to attend a university is not that common here. Once again different to the US system where it's a huge deal for a student to pick what university they want to go to.

[ncoonrod14]

it's a culture thing enforced by many universities

My university requires this and their claim is that students who live on campus have a 25% higher retention rate than those that don't, whether or not that's true I couldn't say. Here's an interesting article which touches on retention based on housing on the bottom of page 4.
http://www.academia.edu/231258/Institutional_and_Student_Characteristics_that_Predict_Graduation_and_Retention_Rates

[EvilGeniusSkis]

Put a camper next to the lab and buy me a plane ticket.
That's all I need :-)

Camper van? just give me a plane ticket and put a cot in the lab and I'm good.

[Riotpack]

This is a great opportunity, and any hobbyist with high levels of enthusiasm and curiosity in electronics should tick all the boxes with the skill set required.
 I'm sure you wont just be thrown in the deep end and will get training on the format required for BOMs, the process and parameters for ordering from suppliers.

Would be a good idea to start a manual of processes and procedures to standardise tasks to help save time in the future, like formats used in creating a BOM, ordering from suppliers etc  (the new employee could write them up and you could finalise them). That way if you need someone else in the future the training side would be reduced.

[tautech]

Good on you Dave for recognising "you can't do it all yourself" and to have help will no doubt let you persue oppotunities you have recognised.
You have bought it all on yourself with the all comsuming monster EEVblog must be for you.
Your experience and knowledge hopefully will be a source of inspiration to whom you choose and I hope that you don't find somebody with just "enthusiasm and expertise"  and "willing to learn"but also passion for the industry. That can not be taught but I'm sure you can spot it. 
One wonders if your suggested skillset would not be better met by an older applicant, less likely to move on and normally better suited to mentor future recruits as your empire grows.
You could consider experience might also bring more/better ideas to help keep things "ship shape".
It is a massive move to invite another into your empire and all the trivial things personal that will accompany them.
Recruitment is a buzz, but you've been around, you will know the right one if they are out there.

Again, Good Luck.

[techydude]

25->20 years ago I had a dream job, my first post-high-school job.  I had my finger in just about every pie the company had available at various stages, from prototype & low-volume manufacturing inc making our own bare PCBs, electronics service & repair, to designing electronics, writing firmware, working within a stock controlled system, writing documentation, doing "systems engineering" getting some of those projects integrated within large industrial machinery, and all the while working alongside a few qualified engineers who themselves were working on a wide range of projects.

i soaked up knowledge & experience at a rate unlike almost any other time in my life since, and most of that time while I was doing EE @ UTS either part-time or 'sandwich' (back in the days when UTS's undergrads had to do 6 months uni, 6 months work, for 6 years, to qualify).

i was only making about $20k-$25k/year (in early-90s $AUD), it sucked and I knew it, but I knew I had an incredibly valuable learning experience to wake up to every morning.  (the financial trouble came when I left home & tried to live off that.)  looking back now, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

if I were around that age now, I'd give my left nut for a job like that - it gave me such a thorough grounding in the electronics business unlike so many of my peers at the time who were "clueless".  I was a raw beginner in so many of those things when I started, but I had awesome colleagues who were willing to teach me, I learned quickly, and by the time I moved on I was "very competent" in so many areas that few other jobs would have taught me all in 1 job.

although Dave's job description sounds like he's looking for a Mini-Me, lets face it, what job doesn't ask for way more than they expect to actually get?  and what sounds like about au$22/hour would make it difficult for someone not still living with parents, there are 'smart cookies' out there who would fit this mold & already have a basic understanding of many of the skills he's seeking.  I saw several of them at Sydney's mini-Maker Faire.

an 18-25yo me in today's world would JUMP at a chance like this.

[HighVoltage]

What a great opportunity for anyone who will get this job.

When I grew up, I could chose between the many places in our area to do almost anything, helping out at a TV repair shop and learning the basics is just one example. Those days are over, at least here and it is difficult for young people to find a anything remotely to the experience I had. When I went studying for my engineering degree it was almost like I knew it all already and I just had to learn the theories behind the technology. In general, people with no practical experience had a much more difficult time in college. What Dave is offering here is an amazing job, even if one would not get any money paid.

[G0HZU]

25->20 years ago I had a dream job, my first post-high-school job.  I had my finger in just about every pie the company had available at various stages, from prototype & low-volume manufacturing inc making our own bare PCBs, electronics service & repair, to designing electronics, writing firmware, working within a stock controlled system, writing documentation, doing "systems engineering" getting some of those projects integrated within large industrial machinery, and all the while working alongside a few qualified engineers who themselves were working on a wide range of projects.

That's what the students traditionally do at my place of work. They get talent spotted at a young age and then get groomed by the company throughout their degree by doing regular work experience stints at the company (across all departments) until they graduate. This way they are useful at the company from the first day they gain full time employment.

[Howardlong]

25->20 years ago I had a dream job, my first post-high-school job.  I had my finger in just about every pie the company had available at various stages, from prototype & low-volume manufacturing inc making our own bare PCBs, electronics service & repair, to designing electronics, writing firmware, working within a stock controlled system, writing documentation, doing "systems engineering" getting some of those projects integrated within large industrial machinery, and all the while working alongside a few qualified engineers who themselves were working on a wide range of projects.

That's what the students traditionally do at my place of work. They get talent spotted at a young age and then get groomed by the company throughout their degree by doing regular work experience stints at the company (across all departments) until they graduate. This way they are useful at the company from the first day they gain full time employment.

Agreed, I found it very sad that the students on my EE degree course back in the early/mid 80s could go through all three years without ever having used a soldering iron or an oscilloscope, indeed I'd say most of them were like that. But they did know how solve complicated calculus in several different ways, and, somewhat obscurely for an EE, know how to write a program in Cobol.

I was lucky, I'd already had a fairly deep practical background designing and building electronics and programming down to machine code myself by doing it, but my theory wasn't up to much. The opportunity for work placements wasn't great as I remember it, but having that opportunity must be beneficial to both parties.

A frustration must be though that these days, the average time in a job is much much shorter than it was, perhaps only a matter of a year or two, particularly among the younger crowd. The HR departments don't much help either, they positively encourage high churn rates either through things like stack ranking or appraisal systems, neither of which existed when I was last a full time employee. So all that work you've spent nurturing someone is all too often lost to another company who'll pay a bit more than you can because of some absurd HR policy.