note
toma
I get to do some perl programming in my
job, which is electronic engineering (EE).
I like EE because I like to build things,
I love math, and I like things that are difficult
and complex.<P>
You can get a good job with a four-year EE degree.
Biology-based jobs seem to be doled out to an insider's
club of PhDs, while many highly-educated people
do an inordinate amount of low-level work.
EE isn't like that.<P>
For the past 20 years I have had assignments
that were primarily EE hardware design, embedded system
firmware, software design, and system design.<P>
Currently I am doing hardware system design.
Perl programming is a fun part of my job because I can
use it to help automate my design tasks. I also use perl
to glue together disparate tools, and I invent new tools
for my own use.
Without pesky users, software is quicker, easier,
and much more fun to write! I learned this the hard
way when I had an assignment writing commercial
CAD software.<P>
If you are tired of software, avoid pure digital design.
It is too much like writing software in a proprietary
language with a really lame compiler.
<P>
The most important thing is to find something that you
can really enjoy.
A hot market in a particular
area will not last as long as you would like your career to.
There are many reasons not to chase a quick buck.
For example,
when a job market cools down, you're left to
compete with people who are there because they
are passionate about their work.<P>
Right now the EE job market is poor, but it has always
been a cyclical business, so I expect that it will come back.<P>
When I was in school, chemical engineering was *hot*. Oil
companies offered high salaries just like dot coms
did recently. The whole future of civilization itself
revolved around the oil supply! Six years later it
was a distant memory. Many hot careers burned
brightly for a short time.<P>
<I>It should work perfectly the first time! - toma</I>
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