Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Elementary, Mr. Watson: Turning Your Career up to Eleven

In the 1984 classic rock documentary “This Is Spinal Tap,” guitarist Nigel Tufnel proudly demonstrates an amplifier whose volume knobs are marked from zero to 11 instead of the typical zero to 10. From that movie, we get the phrase, “Turn it up to 11.” It’s a lesson of seeing a limit and exceeding it. So, here’s a rather personal question: What is your level 11? You are the only person who can answer that question, and I hope you will, both in your personal life and in your career.

I have heard early PCB designs described as simply “connecting the dots.” Because designs were not complex in any way and often had low layer counts, it was easy to solve them. But that’s not the case with most designs now; they have very high layer counts, extremely high speeds, EMI considerations, and power levels that are through the roof. Simply maintaining the status quo won’t meet the industry’s demands. More than ever, it’s necessary and expected that designers give their all, their 110%. With that in mind, how do you live up to and surpass your potential as a designer?

Work Hard, Learn More, Set Goals

There are two types of people in every company. First, there’s the person who works until the clock on the wall tells them it’s time to go home. They work strict set hours and collect their paycheck every two weeks; nothing more, nothing less. These are usually the same folks who are first out of the parking lot on Friday afternoon and last back in on Monday morning.

The second type of person works until they are done. They are often the first ones at work and the last ones to leave. But they are also the ones who ask questions to learn new things each day. I will leave it to you to determine which type you are.

I’ve noticed something that has permeated the electronics industry, especially with new designers—they want instant gratification; they want the quick and easy path. Yet, this isn’t the way to be a great PCB designer. Instant gratification doesn’t exist. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work to succeed in this industry. The key here, as in so many things, is to look at the comprehensive, long-term picture.

Vince Lombardi, former long-time coach of the Green Bay Packers, once said: “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

I am constantly asked to find individuals to fill in and help with PCB designs. Unfortunately, despite a slowdown in the economy, there is still a lack of designers. For at least the past 10 years, that trend has not shifted. When PCB007 Magazine does its annual survey, the numbers are staggering, with those who intend to retire within the next 12 months at an all-time high of 63%.

Further Your Education

I recently spoke to a group of engineers, and one of the PCB designers pulled me aside to mention how he liked what I said and felt encouraged that I had proposed to the group a similar challenge to the one I am proposing in this article. I knew what was coming next—you know what I’m talking about, the inevitable but. I knew what would follow was his excuse. He was a middle-aged designer, did not go through formal training, and did not hold any degrees. Therefore, he felt he didn’t have the educational level to be a great PCB designer.

There is a growing trend in the industry to provide ongoing training through great organizations that provide educational content. But as companies’ needs have increased, I’ve also seen a shift in companies looking more at a person’s willingness to learn. There seems to be a growing trend around PCB design educational opportunities.

Even after being in the industry for over 40 years, I spend a fair amount of my week studying and learning new things. I keep a running list of subjects I want to research and then purposely set aside time to learn those new things. But, you might ask, where do I learn these things? What are some great resources for learning? Resources are anywhere and everywhere. Everything you want to know is written down somewhere; you just need to find it. It has never been easier, with endless resources now online; learning is no longer a question of access.

If you put in a concentrated effort to find and learn new things, you will be rewarded. Don’t look at it as a struggle but rather as an investment in your future as a designer.

Set Your Priorities

Have you ever heard the crab basket story?

I imagine you’ve seen a basket of live crabs before. Have you ever noticed that there’s no top on a crab basket? Why don’t the crabs crawl out? You can have a crab basket stuffed full of crabs, and they all stay there. Why? Because all the crabs hold onto each other, preventing each other from leaving.

Life is much the same way. The people you surround yourself with are either a benefit or a detriment. When everyone is in the crab basket together, you can always tell who is a clinging crab when you finally decide to make changes. Conversely, those who are a detriment constantly tell you why you should stay in the basket with everyone else.

No one can tell you what your potential is—only you can do that. As the saying goes, “Misery loves company.” It seems as if all the miserable people who gave up on their dreams a long time ago feel compelled to constantly remind you of everything they can’t do. So never, under any circumstance, let anyone do that. The only person who can place limits on you is yourself.

But that also means your future and continuing success falls squarely on your shoulders. You are responsible for your success or failure.

Time to Go For It

I always like this time of year. A new year brings new goals and opportunities, and with everything we’ve experienced over the past few years, it’s great to get things back to “normal.” The opportunities to push yourself beyond the edge of the basket have never been better—it’s all a matter of committing to taking the next step and cranking that dial from zero to 11.

John Watson, CID, is a customer success manager at Altium.

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