I'm an Electrical Engineering student.
I'm thinking of setting up a home electronics lab. My reasoning is that by doing electronics work and not just theory, I acquire some useful practical experience plus I can gradually create a portfolio of projects that I can show off at job interviews. I also really like it as a hobby. What do you guys think? Should I go for it? Will it have an impact on finding a job or will it just be another hobby?
A home lab before graduation and as a tool to impress interviewers... It's a two-edged sword and can greatly depend on the culture of the specific company that you are applying to.
On the one hand, it may be viewed as a valuable asset to learning; as proof that you have a passion for the subject; and therefore you may be a self-starter, self-teacher, highly motivated to make your understanding of your subject better. All of the guys named above fall into that catagory, Jim W., Dave J, Bob W., etc. and I am sure it has served them well.
OTOH, it may be viewed suspiciously as evidence of someone who, sooner or later, will leave said company to:
- start an unrelated venture after you have made them spend lots of time and money to train you
- compete with them in their own market after you have made them spend lots of time and money to train you
- steal their secret info
- leave them when they need you most
I have worked for both and for those who never gave those subjects a second thought.
The first group are/were exemplified by companies such as HP of the olden days. They actually allowed employees to raid their inventory for home projects because they knew that the employees involved were improving themselves.
The latter group may very well ask you to sign something to prevent you from doing any of that. Avoid them at all costs.
Right now the market seems to be favouring the applicants very much so my advice is to be careful and not jump at the first outfit that makes an offer. In any case you probably wont have much time for anything like that until after you graduate, anyway.