In the past two years, there has been a strange phenomenon: a large number of fresh graduates cannot find jobs, while on the other hand, companies cannot find suitable candidates.
You might find this strange; isn’t it contradictory?
Actually, it’s not contradictory. In recent years, the industry has become very competitive, and the requirements for hiring have become higher, while many fresh graduates are relatively inexperienced (unable to meet the company’s requirements). As a result, companies struggle to find suitable candidates, and many fresh graduates are unable to find jobs.
This leads to another topic: How difficult is it to cultivate an excellent embedded engineer?
How difficult is it to cultivate embedded engineers?
The overall environment in recent years is evident to all. Companies are trying every means to cut costs, including the hidden costs of training new employees.
From the perspective of companies, how difficult is it to cultivate an excellent embedded engineer?
1. Technical Training
Technical training includes two aspects: the depth and breadth of technology.
Depth of Technology: Typically involves the technology within the industry the company operates. For example, if your company is involved in robotics, and you are responsible for the motor control aspects, then you need to have a deep understanding of the underlying drivers of motors and various algorithm controls.
Breadth of Technology: One reason embedded systems are considered “difficult” is that they require a broad range of technical knowledge. You need to understand electronics, programming, and various software and hardware tools.
2. Learning and Adaptability Skills
Fresh graduates may not adapt well when entering a new environment, and this is where HR needs to step in.
Moreover, learning ability is equally important; in university, teachers teach you technical knowledge hand-in-hand, but in a company, engineers need to take the initiative to learn.
Whether fresh graduates or engineers with years of experience, the ability to learn proactively is crucial.
3. Project Development Training
In university, projects are often just for fun, and you only observe the results in a lab setting. However, in a job, projects involve a diverse range of clients. Therefore, projects must be executed according to the company’s standards.
Modularity, high cohesion, low coupling, project documentation, etc., are all requirements that were not emphasized in university but are essential in the workplace.
4. Team Collaboration Skills
Excellent embedded engineers need to have good teamwork spirit, be able to communicate effectively with team members, and solve problems together. Teamwork awareness is essential once you join a company; you cannot work in isolation. For example, PCB hardware and embedded software need to be coordinated together, and blame-shifting is not acceptable.
5. Reporting Skills
As an employee, I believe everyone should have the ability to report work. There is a saying: good work reports lead to promotions and raises.
We need to think from the leader’s perspective when reporting work; otherwise, the leader won’t understand what you are saying.
For instance, if you are a high-level embedded software developer, and your boss doesn’t understand code, is it appropriate to report that this project used so many variables and functions?
6. Customer Communication Skills
Many times, when products encounter problems at customer sites, or when customers need upgrades, as development engineers, we may need to participate in on-site support and communicate with customers.
For example, if a customer requests a new feature, you need to evaluate whether this feature can be added and what risks it may bring; all of this requires communication with the customer.
In fact, there are many other skills that need to be cultivated. During this process, as an embedded engineer, you may feel a lot of pain, but this is when you grow the fastest. When you look back after going through this journey, you will be grateful for the painful experiences.
Finally, I would like to thank my previous companies for their training, which helped me grow~~~
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