Any freelance electrical engineers around here ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Kamiomi
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 07:17:12 pm
content: Yo ! I am a student in EE (Automation), and I wished to expand my practical knowledge of system design (and make some bucks along the way...). I am curious about what jobs can be done remotely in a field like EE. I already know that PCB design is in high demand. What else ? Is there something more related to automation ?

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 08:05:14 pm
content: If you're a student right now, I'm not sure any job can be done well remotely. Not yet.Your academic studies are a great start, but you'll need practical experience too. Find yourself a job where you can work alongside other engineers to learn their skills, meet their contacts, and get a feeling for how the industry works.I started doing freelance work a few years ago, and now do it full time. Don't get me wrong, it's a great way to make a living, but I could never have got started without my network of contacts from previous jobs, and the ability to say to prospective customers that "yes, I have done that before".

author: Kamiomi
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 08:26:14 pm
content: The problem, Andy, is that with the low employment rate in my country, I'm unlikely to be hired, even as an intern. Of course, I don't plan on jumping into freelancing right after my studies, but I'd like to start practicing now to get a feeling of what's ahead.Could you tell me what you do as a freelancer ? And how is it possible to design complex systems without using real-world simulation ?(Sorry if the last question sounds "newbish", but I have no real experience aside the circuits made on breadboard).

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 08:37:17 pm
content: It would be polite to give us all the relevant information, e.g. which country.Choose a difficult project that interests you, design/make/test/use it. You will make many mistakes, but at the end you will be able todemonstrateto a potential employer that (1) you do more than necessary because you are interested in the subject (2) you plan then execute the evaluate (3) you know what you will do better next time. i.e. you improve.That will put you ahead of many many students.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 08:56:15 pm
content: Do set the country flag in your profile; if people know where you are, they may be able to give you location-specific advice. Without it, they won't!The bulk of my business is designing bespoke schematics and PCBs, and producing any firmware which those boards need in order function. I can also provide prototypes, operating instructions and other documentation, carry out performance testing and failure analysis, and help with things like regulatory compliance or production testing.That's the easy bit, though. The hard part will be getting your business off the ground.How will you find customers? What will you do to attract them to your service rather than someone else with more experience? Bearing in mind that many people who need electronics designing are not experts in that area, how will you manage to lead them through the R&D process as far as a usable, fit-for-purpose, legally approved and production ready PCB assembly?

author: Kamiomi
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 09:11:27 pm
content: I am from Algeria.Yes, It will prove a bit difficult to attract customers, but currently, I'm more concerned about the practical knowledge I should acquire and how to acquire it. Apart from PCB design, what are the other thriving areas in freelance EE engineering ? By the way, do you work alone ?tggzzz, thanks for the advice !

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2015, 10:04:46 pm
content: Just about any area of engineering you can think of has people successfully working freelance. The more work in an area, the more freelancers there are competing for the work. I do bits of freelance design work in assorted areas of RF, but usually price myself out of jobs for the generic RF work, however if it's a high power amplifier, a few hundred watts and a few GHz then people will pay me a lot of money as they know I've done successfully it a lot before. Is that a good area to go into? Probably not as you'll need a huge amount of work to get into a very narrow specialization.Learn about things that interest you, build things and make them work. Have fun doing it and if you're not enjoying it choose something else. Trying to work out why something isn't working right at 1am, when you've got to get up at 6am and drive for four hours to show it to a customer is bad enough when you love what you're doing.