Life as an electronics technician
November 11, 2008 5:24 AM Subscribe
What's it like to work as an electronics technician?
I'm thinking of going back to school to get an Associate degree as either an electronics technician or in Electrical Engineering Technology. There's the chance I might use it as a stepping stone to an EE degree depending on my experiences.
First though, what is day-to-day work like for an electronics technician? Secondly, how hard is it to find an opening as a technician?
I'm thinking of going back to school to get an Associate degree as either an electronics technician or in Electrical Engineering Technology. There's the chance I might use it as a stepping stone to an EE degree depending on my experiences.
First though, what is day-to-day work like for an electronics technician? Secondly, how hard is it to find an opening as a technician?
Best answer: One of the first things we were told upon entering college for an electronics engineering technician program was that they can't teach you everything. It's too diverse a field, that graduation is only proof that you can learn the sorts of skills required.
For example, they briefly covered how CRT TV's worked, but not enough to be a TV repair man. By the same token, they covered digital and analog circuitry, communications, soldering and breadboarding circuits, oscilloscope usage, etc. but in general the idea was just to build some technical foundation, then when hired at the junior level that the company would teach you what you need to know.
Electronics are everywhere these days. That's good if you want to pursue the path. But difficult to say what the work environment is like. TV repair man, phone/cable installation tech, assembly line solderer, microwave antennae maintenance, computer assembly, .....
Or, as I mentioned, just proof that you have a capacity to learn technical things. That's what got my foot in the high-tech door out of college, although I ended-up moving into software development which I have more of a knack for.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 6:00 AM on November 11, 2008
For example, they briefly covered how CRT TV's worked, but not enough to be a TV repair man. By the same token, they covered digital and analog circuitry, communications, soldering and breadboarding circuits, oscilloscope usage, etc. but in general the idea was just to build some technical foundation, then when hired at the junior level that the company would teach you what you need to know.
Electronics are everywhere these days. That's good if you want to pursue the path. But difficult to say what the work environment is like. TV repair man, phone/cable installation tech, assembly line solderer, microwave antennae maintenance, computer assembly, .....
Or, as I mentioned, just proof that you have a capacity to learn technical things. That's what got my foot in the high-tech door out of college, although I ended-up moving into software development which I have more of a knack for.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 6:00 AM on November 11, 2008
What specific field do you want to get into?
posted by majortom1981 at 6:47 AM on November 11, 2008
posted by majortom1981 at 6:47 AM on November 11, 2008
I don't have any personal knowledge of finding a job in this field, but it would appear that there are plenty of government organizations looking to hire. My dad is an electronics technician with the Air Force (note that he's not IN the Air Force), where he runs and maintains half a dozen wind tunnels for aerodynamics research, which is a far cry from repairing TVs.
posted by gueneverey at 10:23 AM on November 11, 2008
posted by gueneverey at 10:23 AM on November 11, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by JMOZ at 5:38 AM on November 11, 2008