Electronics in USA or electrical in Canada? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 06:01:14 pm
content: I am interviewing with 2 companies now. May have some big decisions to make soon and I welcome your thoughts.Most of my experience is in little startups where I was on my own designing hardware with a side of firmware and mechanical. Mostly with little wireless sensors. I'd like to stick with that, ideally progressing into more complex products with technical guidance and networking opportunities. Problem is, the small to medium cities I like in Canada don't have much work in this field.Option 1:Stay in Canada, move to a smaller town and become a junior electrical engineer with a big utility company. I'd start at $80-90k CAD/year.Pros: stable company in a growing field that may turn into a gold rush thanks to EVs, data centers and alt energy. Access to mentors and room to grow. Could get P.eng status.Cons: going from senior electronics to junior electrical halfway thru my career seems wasteful and means a moderate pay cut.Option 2:Move to USA to design electronics in a little startup. Probably on a TN visa. Earn between $170-250k CAD/year.Pros: more inline with my career path. 2-3x more money.Cons: moving to a fairly large city. TN visa sounds easy but I've heard of people going to jail for over a week because they made a clerical error at the border. Volatile pre revenue startup with limited technical guidance. Volatile career path.Conclusion:It seems foolish not to jump at that big salary but I've never moved countries so I worry there's some downsides I haven't thought of and I worry that career path is too volatile, specially as I move into the latter half of my career. I've heard people age out of tech, not sure how common that is but it could add even more hurdles to the electronics career path. The thought of that makes me want to settle into a stable utility company asap.Am I foolish to step away from my electronics career or is it smart to make the move to electrical sooner than later?

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 06:17:31 pm
content: I'll take option 1, for long term perspective and stability.Also, I've heard the Silicon Valley area is very, very expensive to live in, so if that big city in USA is in the valley, you'll have to spend much more than in Canada.

author: UnijunctionTransistor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 06:48:29 pm
content: Where in the US is the company located, is a major dealbreaker.One, as mentioned earlier is the cost of living.Two, is the weather. While most Canadians love warm weather, extra-warm areas like the Sunbelt or south Texas may prove to be too hot for too long.Third, whether the area is red or blue. I won’t elaborate any details, as there’s already too much angry discussions. Which I am sure you are fully aware of.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 06:51:14 pm
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on October 03, 2025, 06:17:31 pmAs I get older and spend more time job hunting I am gaining appreciation for stability.Just based on housing, Silicon Valley is quite expensive but Vancouver, BC is a bit higher despite wages being about half. That's one of the reasons I'm not considering big Canadian cities.I'm not really looking in California, I prefer colder climates.The two opportunities I'm looking at have similar house costs. The Canadian option being a bit less than the USA one. Not sure about food, parking, insurance, healthcare, etc.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 07:03:18 pm
content: Quote from: UnijunctionTransistor on October 03, 2025, 06:48:29 pmThese are things I am considering. I am more concerned with weather than colours. I like cold climates.

author: aeg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 10:21:48 pm
content: My opinion: Take the big paycheck. When the startup fails a year from now, go back to Canada and take the utility job.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 10:42:40 pm
content: Quote from: aeg on October 03, 2025, 10:21:48 pmI've worked for a robotics companies, state governments. 2 startups, 20 some years in silicon and now back to silicone valley (well Seattle) for the past 3 years.I've worked for two startups in my career. The two are the most storied times of my work life. The emotional involvement and friends I made at those places are of a different scale.Stability is boring but can be important. No risk no reward as they say. Other than the paperwork, if you're looking in the norther areas of the US you will find it little different from say Toronto. You sound like you "like" the sensor work and that is interesting to you. If you like going to work, try to lean into what you like but if you really have to demand super stability, a utility or government can't be beat mostly. But man is it boring.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 10:55:59 pm
content: Quote from: aeg on October 03, 2025, 10:21:48 pmHow do recruiters feel about failures? I've got one on my resume and another one that didn't fail but changed names so if recruiter searches for them, it may look like they failed. I also have some good successes on there but I don't want too many failures.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 11:11:58 pm
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 03, 2025, 10:55:59 pmAs someone that is often on an interview board. I generally don't associate the failure of a startup with an individual. A high percentage of startups fail.Startups generally hire talented people. People that are really interested in a goal and willing to put in some risk to attain it. These are generally seen as positive attributes for a hire.A down side is that I was once turned down for a job because they didn't think they could keep my interest and I'd leave. They were probably right.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 11:12:16 pm
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on October 03, 2025, 10:42:40 pmSounds like you've been at it for a while! Have you experienced ageism in the startups or in tech in general? Anyone tell you you are too experienced? I got that once.I don't demand super stability, as long as I can get a new job in under 6 months. I'm now over 6 months and starting to worry, what if the market is even worse after this next startup?I have had great, exciting times at startups and made good friends in them. The wins do feel really good. They are so small though, there aren't many people to be friends with. I think that's hampering my job search now. People say networks are important. It's hard to grow a network when there are 3 people in the company. I started my career in a medium sized company and made good friends there too, we had enough people for beer league hockey and softball teams.I used to be ok with ocassional layoffs. Gave me time to do home renos and work on my own electronics. I've been doing that for a while now, spending time and money when not making money. For the last half year I ramped up my job search and found there is nothing in my area. Only found these 2 when I opened my search to other locations.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 11:17:43 pm
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on October 03, 2025, 11:11:58 pmIt's hard to position yourself in a way that appeals to every recruiter. I hear many of them are putting more weight on the likelyhood you'll stay and less weight on your skills.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 11:22:02 pm
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 03, 2025, 11:17:43 pmI have not experienced it but friends say the "recruiters" are all AI these days. That 85% of the upfront effort by people looking for positions is spent dealing with AI and automated systems. And that a lot jobs in the market don't actually exist. Reading up on why there's fake jobs is an interesting topic in and of itself.

author: Gregg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 11:56:31 pm
content: Always consider future retirement and everything involved including medical care/insurance and future taxes. A lot depends on your age and health.On the other hand, many of the silicon valley high paying jobs are not available solely on the basis of competence; it really comes down to who you know that will go to bat for you and if you fit the demographics.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 05:02:13 am
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 03, 2025, 10:55:59 pmI've never heard of a hiring manager looking with disfavor on someone from a failed startup. I'm sure they exist, but that would be a red flag for me as a prospective employee. Most startups fail. This is for a variety of reasons, but generally not the technical skills of their engineers. If you know what you are doing in your role that's all that really matters.Of course if you worked at a free energy startup, or some sort of obvious scam I would pass. But even someone who worked at a company like juicero I wouldn't hold that against them. At least unless your job is market research.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 05:47:55 am
content: My experience is 25 years old now (I retired back then because of a startup I helped start), but for me the job satisfaction and personal growth in a good startup is miles beyond that what you experience at an established company. With a startup you have a clean sheet of paper and a challenging problem to solve, and (usually) a group of highly competent and motivated team mates. In an established company, while there is usually some degree of fresh design, most of the job involves supporting and enhancing legacy products (with all the expected constraints) Established companies also tend to accumulate "deadwood" or at least less enthusiastic employees, as the top engineers eventually leave for more interesting opportunities.But the odds of hitting a financial jackpot are pretty low, and depend on business and technology cycles and trends. What paid off for me 25 years ago is probably not going to work today. And I was very lucky -- I have some very smart friends who worked hard on similar products at other startups, and their companies were eventually auctioned off for pennies on the (invested) dollar.So look at the opportunities realistically -- a lot of things have to go right for a startup to succeed, or even survive. But at least when I was working in startups the demand for my skills (and attitude) was high, and I was fairly confident that if one company cratered there would be other opportunities. As has been mentioned, working at a failed startup doesn't generally reflect poorly on you. What counts is how you contributed and whether your peers and management would hire or recommend you.If you can handle the risk, a startup can be a great opportunity for professional growth, and potentially a big financial gain. Andif conditions are rightthe risk is actually quite low -- in a few weeks you can find a new job that suits you.

author: aeg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 05:58:58 am
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 03, 2025, 10:55:59 pmSo update your resume... "Computing Tabulating Recording Company (now known as IBM)"

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 06:24:51 am
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on October 03, 2025, 11:22:02 pmI had an interview that had 8 videos of recruiter asking questions, 1 minute to prep, then 2 minutes to answer in recorded video. It was great having a minute to prep and knowing how long my answer should be.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 06:29:56 am
content: Quote from: Gregg on October 03, 2025, 11:56:31 pmI've been considering retirement since before I started uni!My last 2 jobs have come from people I had worked with previously. "Who you know" does seem important. That's part of the appeal in the bigger company: more people to make friends with.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 06:50:16 am
content: Another thing to consider is stress. A startup company could bring a lot of it, also requiring long hours to get the product ready for market. Complaining about longer work days will be met with, we don't pay the big bucks for nothing.Sure it can bring retirement sooner than a stable job with less pay, but when the stress leads to an illness retirement won't be as nice as it should.Looking back on my own career and current situation I would advice to take the stable job, and make electronics your hobby.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 03:37:23 pm
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on October 04, 2025, 05:02:13 amThis makes sense and I would argue they lastest longer than they should have because I did the work of 2 or 3 people, and delivered functional products.I think most engineers or people familiar with startups should understand this. I'm not sure HR gets it but you're right, if they don't understand this then I might not want to work for them.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 03:57:38 pm
content: Quote from: fourfathom on October 04, 2025, 05:47:55 amI've been putting more effort into estimating a potential employers likelyhood of success. It is hard to know which startups will make it. You friends were smart and in similar companies but didn't get there. How did you pick the winner? What did they miss?The reasons I like the bigger utility company, is I think they are in a great market, delivering power at a time when demand is increasing rapidly. I guess the projects could get boring but I'm looking forward to a good learning environment, new stuff to learn and expert guidance.Now I'm wondering, am I just looking to a new field because I'm bored? Maybe I should push harder to progress in my current field instead.If I go with electrical, I'll likely keep working on my own electronics and doing home renos so I can still have a bit of risk and hopefully reward.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 04:02:12 pm
content: Quote from: aeg on October 04, 2025, 05:58:58 amI had considered that previously. Thank you for the reminder. I opted not due to formatting problems since 1 company turned into 2 and they all have long names but I might revisit this.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 04:12:02 pm
content: Quote from: pcprogrammer on October 04, 2025, 06:50:16 amHow common is it for employers to ask more than 40 hours/week?I've never experienced that except in rare cases. I've also never been paid the big bucks except when I contracted and in that case, it was the other way around since I was paid hourly. I wanted more projects but they tried to do everything in house and just gave me part time hours when they were stuck or behind on something.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 04:17:57 pm
content: Quote from: pcprogrammer on October 04, 2025, 06:50:16 amI hope your current situation improves. I have heard people who retire earlier live longer. Not sure if it's true but I think it seems reasonable. It is hard to take care of ourselves, eat well, exercise and correct problems when we are so busy working.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 04:23:42 pm
content: 90% of my jobs came from people that I knew, either as them recommending me or telling me about the opportunities.I'd also advise to go with a bigger pay check as you get older, but on the other hand the utility company may win if they also provide stock options, matching contributions, pension, health insurance. The total of that may be better than the startup.In terms of getting bored - think about and look tor opportunities to shift into a manager position. Garanteed, you will have to cut on the lovely low level technical stuff, because will be busy managing people, assignments, budgets, compliance. The latter is a big thing in the industry and may become lifetime job until you kick the bucket.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 04:59:42 pm
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 04, 2025, 04:12:02 pmIn a startup it's very common. But as an engineer I was salaried and "exempt" from overtime. I got the same salary whether I put in a 20-hour or an 80-hour week. And there were some 80-hour weeks, and many 60-hour weeks. Since you have startup stock or options, you have an interest well beyond your paycheck to make the company succeed. It's stressful and exciting and fun and all-consuming. And when you push yourself that hard you eventually hit the wall and get burned out for a while. I eventually learned to recognize my own pre-burnout symptoms, so would back off as needed to preserve my effectiveness and sanity.The financial payback is seldom huge but the opportunity to work at that level of accomplishment can help you learn a lot, and be recognized as a key player when it comes time to find another job.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 05:32:15 pm
content: I'm a P.Eng doing embedded and H/W design for a few decades, then went into the electrical utility industry for a few years, then back to doing electronics.In Canada, electronics work is rare compared to the number of new grads and immigrants. Look on Indeed carefully.Recession pretty much clear cuts the few employers and workers. So I took the utility job. I have done both power generation and transmission sections.Lots of travel, unpaid overtime (salary eh). Substations, generation is far away from the cozy office.Stable work, long-term, projects a year ahead, good wages and benefits. They tend to staff up for big projects and then lay off most when it's finished.Many people there were lifers, great for having a family.You are doing a lot of catalogue engineering- working with products, designing them in, configuring S/W. No electronics.You are not allowed to do "new" designs because Maintenance staff want it kept simple, must be done the old standard way.After a few years, I will say the electrical utility project work was technically boring and ultimately exhausting for the wrong reasons:Old monopoly companies are highly dysfunctional, lots of dead wood because they make money regardless of how poorly they are managed.The politics was incredible. You are dealing with many departments- Purchasing, Panel Fab, Apparatus, Protection, SCADA, Telecom, Maintenance, Distribution etc.The departments fight constantly, turf wars and in the end did not get along with each other. Strangest thing I've seen.So it was never a happy team, working together. Many months to get a purchase approved and the equipment in.I did SCADA which was high stress because a single bit can switch off power to a section of a city. Traveling to the town of Buttmunch in winter at -30C was no fun either.---------------------------------------Tech startups in Canada are another train wreck. Top-heavy 10 executives fat paycheques yet one lone engineer. They cheap out on him, little experience but he can be endlessly flogged.So the months, years roll by and the startup has no product. Meanwhile burning up their money.It's a short-term joyride. As an outsider (consultant) you can give the bad news to the exec, that they took the wrong road (for years), but not as an employee full of hype and tech startup Koolaid.

author: Electrodynamic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2025, 09:20:04 pm
content: KasperQuoteThat's cool, I'm in Alberta Canada.Last year I started up a company specializing in smart homes, wireless/mesh networking tech and automation. It's not well known but there is a huge rural market begging for this kind of technology. Literally everyone I talk to wants this kind of tech for automation and security. Here most of the plug and play stuff doesn't cut it and they want specialized applications.I'm retired from my last job but started smart home/automation and general contracting companies. My former work was power generation and Johnson/Siemens building automation which was extremely expensive and outdated imo. These big companies were created to serve commercial/industrial applications not residential and small business automation.It's not well know but the economy here in Alberta is booming. Everyone is building and demand for technology is high. Many of the larger bloated companies may be struggling with tariffs and red tape but the residential/rural market is doing very well. We had high population growth just as large numbers of trades and technical people retired so demand is high.Have you considered starting your own company?. I love it and should have started 20 years ago. I charge $200/hr plus expenses and nobody blinks an eye. This should indicate the kind of profit margins involved. I would never even consider working for someone else again, it's a waste of time. Four times the money and half the stress is definitely the way to go imo.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 04:35:57 am
content: Quote from: Bud on October 04, 2025, 04:23:42 pmGood points about the benefits. Specially if there is a big difference in hours/week.I've been looking at courses lately, PMP (project management) is on my list of potentials.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 04:50:08 am
content: Quote from: fourfathom on October 04, 2025, 04:59:42 pmThe first startup I worked at, I took extra cash instead of equity since I wanted to buy house and do renos. That equity would have paid off well but the renos paid really well and helped me avoid burnout from sitting in office all day.The 2nd startup, I took equity and it went to 0. Should have stuck with home renos!

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 05:21:28 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on October 04, 2025, 05:32:15 pmYou didn't get OT for travelling? Ouch.Is there good skiing or hiking in Buttmunch?Were there any signs of the dysfunction before you joined the company? Things I could look out for?I looked up an old classmate who works in the big electrical company. She said it was great and there should be an opening soon. Talked to HR the next morning and sent me a new ad shortly after. She also recomended other companies in the same field.In contrast, when I tell my friends in tech that I'm job hunting, they say, "it's tough out there, good luck". One gave me a referal but I didn't get past first interview: boss said there were alot of very strong applicants.Startups I've worked at weren't that top heavy but it is something I watch out for. The one that did well was 3 young guys and a few advisors. Made the product first then built the sales/marketting dept.The one that didn't make it, had a bigger budget and bigger team. They built investor relations / sales / marketting department before we built a product, then ran out of money near the finish line.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 06:00:20 am
content: Quote from: Electrodynamic on October 04, 2025, 09:20:04 pmSounds like you are living the dream! Are you hiring?I used to design home automation devices. Made friends with an installer in Alberta and he said all 4 of them in the company were EEs that became installers because it paid better. I've thought about getting into it since then but when I see job ads in my area the pay is low.I like that space: customers with money, and a combination of tech with hands on work. I just put a solar powered LED strip on the arbor of the shed I built. Before that, I put security cameras in bird houses: protects them from weather and thieves, and makes for good bird watching when they hover at the entrance!I believe what you say about Alberta. Been thinking of moving there for years. Had an interview with Garmin there a couple years ago. Probably should have gone for it but I wasn't ready to move at the time.I have put a lot of effort into trying to start companies, beyond the bit of contracting I do. I have a shelf of half finished prototypes to prove it! Completed a product of my own this year, passed EMC testing and got it into a couple stores but haven't sold any yet. It's expensive so it's hard to find customers. I think I either need to spend a bunch on marketting or make a lower cost model and build production tools to bring cost/unit down. I'd love to focus on it but it's getting expensive and I have a mortgage to pay so I want some income while I fumble my way thru marketting and the final steps of finding out if my product will go anywhere.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 06:19:20 am
content: @Electrodynamic - home owners do not blink an eye giving you $200/hr ?

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 06:59:10 am
content: Quote from: Bud on October 05, 2025, 06:19:20 amSounds like very rich people in that area to not blink an eye for such an amount per hour. I wonder how often they contact for additional payed work or to complain things are not working and demand for it to be fixed for free.@KasperQuote from: Kasper on October 04, 2025, 04:12:02 pmIn the Netherlands for what I have experienced it is basically expected from you when the salary is above average. When there is an urgent project that needs to be finished they just tell you that you are not getting the big bucks for nothing.When on an hourly rate, which I often also was due to being self employed, making more hours indeed means more money, but might also mean a lot more tax to pay. The Dutch tax system is that way, so not always worth the stress it can bring. Money is not everything. I found that what is more important is joy in what you do.Quote from: Kasper on October 04, 2025, 04:17:57 pmThanks, I hope that too of course, but with a chronic syndrome the medical world still knows little about, the change of improvement is not that big. Luckily it seems stable at the moment and bearable for most of the time.It depends on your character if stress can bring you down, but too much of it for too long is basically bad for everyone. As long as you keep in mind that you do have to take care of yourself and watch your health and what you eat, you are on the right track. Like fourfathom wrote it is important to find and recognize your own breakdown point and put on the brake before it is to late. Easier said then done, I know, but you at least have it on your radar now.About becoming a manager, best to first find out if you are suited for it. Being a good manager is not easy and requires some character trades that I miss. Have tried being one, but now know I'm not cut out for it, and it does take you away from the low level fun stuff.I do applaud you for putting effort in making an informed decision on this issue.

author: Exosia
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 10:01:02 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on October 04, 2025, 05:32:15 pm"dead hood" is spot onWhat's more disturbing is that many employees in this type of organization are incapable of rational conversation, and it's like nothing can force them to engage in one.

author: Electrodynamic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 03:05:47 pm
content: pcprogrammerQuoteMy estimates bill out at $200/hr and nobody blinks an eye because they are usually half that of the competition. For example, one contractor friend was making $900/hr installing granite counter tops. It's easy to weed out the bad customers. I'm as busy as I want to be and only accept half the job offers I get.On the smart home/electronics end, I live on an acreage and like dealing with rural people and farmers. You know, the poor farmers driving a $90k truck with a million dollar combine and 600k tractor sitting out back, lol. Most are just happy to have someone come out and do the work. Not common knowledge but most contractors are so busy they won't even look at rural jobs.The best money is in specialized applications imo. Where the customer has a specific problem with no viable off the shelf solution. They want to automate or monitor something with some kind of intelligent control. If x happens then do y and send me a text. It's very easy for me to set this up but it's not something they can do or buy at a hardware store.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 03:19:19 pm
content: Quote from: pcprogrammer on October 05, 2025, 06:59:10 amChronic problems can be very frustrating. I found neural circuit theory helpful for my own problems. There is so much we don't understand about our health, I like the functional medicine approach: improve the basics, reduce the number of problems then focus on the few problems that remain. I've been hiking and listening to podcasts about health lately.The tax system in Canada can be de-motivating as well, particularly when seeing where they spend our money. This is one of the reasons I like to do things myself insteading hiring people. Saves on income tax x2.This forum is such a great knowledge base I usually like trying things before I commit but that's hard to do when choosing career paths. I really appreciate the opportunity to hear other people's thoughts.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 04:16:52 pm
content: Quote from: Electrodynamic on October 05, 2025, 03:05:47 pmSeems like farming is the better of the options.Forget utilities and start ups, do the farming.I grew up on a farm. I don't know when farmers became such luddites and lazy. But hell, you could afford to pay someone 200 bucks an hour to put in a wireless thermometer.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 04:37:56 pm
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on October 05, 2025, 04:16:52 pmI recently spent a couple weeks installing soil moisture sensors. Digging holes all day for $25/hr just to make some connections in agri-tech. Hasn't panned out, yet.Did give me some automotive experience though. Learned about CAN and fixed my truck by replacing a 5V SMPS in the engine control module. I suspect it was caused by a broken GND wire I found under the truck, which I suspect broke when I drove over some prunings at work.

author: Electrodynamic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 08:11:00 pm
content: CyclotronQuoteMy motto is if we can't make at least $150/hr were in the wrong business, adapt to the market or fall behind.My point was that the best customer is always the one willing to pay what were asking. If they are not willing to pay then they are not the customer were looking for.QuoteIt's a little more complicated than that. Maybe a farmer has 20 grain bins and wants to measure the temperature and humidity in the bin to automate the aeration fans. So we data log all the sensors, displayed as graphs and text them if anything falls outside the set parameters. I like go to further and love intelligent systems. So we could use the sensor data, bin volume, drying time cycle and coordinate this with ambient/predicted outside temperature and current/off peak power rates. Why run all the fans if it's cold and humid at peak power rates if we don't need to?. I like intelligent systems optimized for peak efficiency and cost savings.I agree almost anyone can install a wireless thermometer. My smart home automates all my HVAC (heating, AC and whole house fan) based on current and predicted outside temperature. For example, when the outside temperature is cooler or predicted to be cooler than the inside temperature the system switches from AC to the whole house fan. So my AC runs around 4 hours less per day than everyone else. It may not seem like much but a tech friend just did the same thing for a big company with lots of buildings and saved them 20 million a year in cooling costs. So I figure $200/hr is cheap for what I do.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 09:03:25 pm
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 04, 2025, 04:12:02 pmSo in the US mostly nobody will officially tell you "you must work more than 40 hours a week at this job". At least when talking about salaried engineering staff.However, it's extremely common in tech startups to unofficially expect far more than that. And it can be rather blatant. That can be expecting immediate responses to messages around the clock, negative performance comparisons to people who work more hours, and conversations about "showing sufficient dedication to our project" and "not letting the team down"

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2025, 09:16:36 pm
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on October 05, 2025, 09:03:25 pmAgreed. The typical successful contributor at a US startup is a work-a-holic that may be found from time to time eating and sleeping at work.I didn't get rich in my time with startups, I did get experience and some relationships that will last a lifetime. Those relationships also brought me other jobs/roles.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 03:19:45 am
content: Quote from: Electrodynamic on October 05, 2025, 08:11:00 pmThat was a popular one when I worked in automation. It was that and hotels that wanted to turn off the AC when guests had the balcony door open.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 03:27:35 am
content: Quote from: ejeffrey on October 05, 2025, 09:03:25 pmWhy won't they say it officially?I haven't seen that at places I've worked. The shenanigans I'm more familiar with are promises for good raises soon, then great performance reviews and tiny raises accompanied by more promises.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 05:05:46 am
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 06, 2025, 03:27:35 amThese aren't "shenanigans" -- it's an essential part of a startup. You have a small team of highly capable people who are trying to bring a breakthrough product to market ahead of the competition. This level of effort and commitment are part of the package and if you aren't prepared for this then you shouldn't join a startup. Yeah, chances are that you won't hit the jackpot, but even if you don't you will have gained experience and respect and contacts.I've been employed where everyone worked nine-to-five, and the level of enthusiasm and talent was marginal at best. Bureaucracy and empire-building stood in the way of accomplishment. Sales and marketing were clueless (and trying to sell an obsolescent product). A dead-end situation to be sure. A good startup is the polar opposite if this. I know where I'd rather be working!Of course most established companies aren't as bad, and not all startups are as good as what I've described. But established business tend to rot from within, and startups generally have the types of people you would want to work with. You also have to look at the life-cycle of the business, and the industry. Unfortunately there's no crystal ball for this.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 05:34:24 am
content: Quote from: fourfathom on October 06, 2025, 05:05:46 amI wasn't saying long hours are shenanigans. I was talking about the leaders who don't give accurate description of expectations. If long hours are so good, why don't they write that in the job ad?I've worked in startups for the last 10 years. The one that was the most successful, had the least people, with the shortest resumes, working the fewest hours. I didn't report a ton of hours but I was often thinking about work while I wasn't at my desk. Some of my best ideas came when I went for a hike after work.We were successful because we had a good idea and good timing. We also worked hard, kept the spending down and we stuck around until it was finished, because we didn't get burnt out.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 03:05:09 pm
content: Often startups are in a race, a new technology comes out and multiple companies race eachother to implement it. They also race their budget, to make sales before running out of funding.I know there are times when long hours make sense, but I know from experience that's not the only way to be successful. Either way, when people trade time for money, it should be clear how much time is expected.

author: Electrodynamic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 03:35:50 pm
content: ejefferyQuoteI can't tell you how many times I have heard that team spirit nonsense.So when someone tells us to be dedicated, obedient and do it for the team this is just a form of manipulation. In the real world the moment there is trouble the team are always the first to be thrown under the bus.It's funny because I used to tell my supervisor that if I had any better offer I would be out of this shit hole so fast they wouldn't even know I was gone, we both just laughed. I told my supervisors supervisor the same thing. He also agreed that if he had any better offer he would be gone as well. So in my experience no thinking man honestly believes this team spirit bs.More so since I was involved in the management of many startups over the years. They are just another employee and if my livelihood is threatened by there performance or wage I would skid them next day. As the company owner I have everything to lose while my employees can just find another job. So we are not a team, I pay them to do a job for me and if they cannot do it I find someone who can. This is the way the real world works.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 04:17:38 pm
content: Nothing I have said above should make you think that I don't recognize the realities of the employer-employee relationship. I was fired from my first tech job (for reasonsmostlybeyond my control) and this has certainly colored my understanding -- it's definitely not "to death do us part". I was also the Director of Engineering at my last real job (a startup, where I also did design work), so I've hired and fired.If an employee is not "adding value" they they will be terminated (and should be). If an employee is not happy at the job then they should be looking for a different one. I've been employed at fairly large and established companies, and at the start of my career this was a good fit for me. Later on more demanding opportunities became available to me and when I was ready I took on more responsibility and challenge, with the hope of a bigger reward. Sometimes it paid off.Some startups are badly conceived, some are poorly run, some are abusive of the employees. Some are "startups" in name only, and not having taken off are just slowly coasting towards the end of the runway. If you're in one of those, you need to decide if the opportunity/pain ratio is worth it for you. And definitely don't join a startup if you are looking for a comfortable 9-5 job.Sometimes, depending on the industry and economy, a comfortable 9-5 job is your best option. I've been there too.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2025, 07:27:17 pm
content: After reviewing my design challenge submission and their evolving needs, the startup in the USA has decided not to proceed.Either they didn't get the funding that was going to pay for this role, I have experienced that when I was on the hiring end of things, or, the more likely reason, I didn't practice enough for the design challenge. It has been over 5 years since my last technical interview challenge.Oh well, it was good practice and helped me see the potential in a move to the USA. Now I am applying to some of the big names there, while also doing some prep for the upcomming utility company interview.Anyone know how long the big tech companies in USA usually take from application to job offer?

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 11, 2025, 08:17:20 pm
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 11, 2025, 07:27:17 pmDepending on the field of candidates and the time for the interview panels, 1-2 months. Depending on where you land in the queue, you may see longer or shorter. My interview process to transfer took a month.Companies often vary in their hiring practices, too. My company is very "inclusive" in hiring the right fit, and so there are a lot of panel interviews.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2025, 08:31:21 pm
content: Quote from: Cyclotron on October 11, 2025, 08:17:20 pmThat is quite a change of pace from contracting. I'm used to getting a slack msg and starting work that day.Once you get an offer, how long do you spend negotiating / thinking about it / waiting to see if other offers come in?

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 11, 2025, 10:25:14 pm
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 11, 2025, 08:31:21 pmCombined, I worked for about 25 years in infosec and infrastructure in Silicon Valley at major companies. I did a startup before that and then after it.Now I'm back with a large Washington state technology company doing infosec. The startups were quick to hire and move forward. The big ones slow.A lot of companies are starting to post pay ranges with positions; mine started that a few months back.If I'm serious about the job, I'm confident about what I want for pay, and if I would like to work for them. Come to think of it, I've always known someone at the company I went to, so I knew something about them.If you're fishing, then the question comes down to how well the fish are biting. Accepting an offer and giving them a 30-45 day start day can give you slack to catch a fish that might be better. Something along the lines of, "I'm excited but I really feel like I want to finish up some stuff with my current role and let them down easy if that's ok."

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 11, 2025, 11:25:17 pm
content: If you accept an offer then back out before starting, would you expect that bridge to be burned or is this just something that happens often?I follow Random Recruiter and he says he interviews often, just to make contact or check in even though he's happy where he is and isn't seriously looking. I was suprised to hear that, I always figure recruiters would get annoyed if I apply and then turn down a reasonable offer.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 12, 2025, 12:47:10 am
content: It's a line to walk. If you tell them you're interested and accept an offer, you should provide something reasonable for backing out.I've seen plenty of offers go out to candidates only to be rescinded. While we can't treat them the way they treat us, I keep that in mind.Politeness goes a long way in things. Begging forgiveness and offering some excuse that is meaningful and believable is good. I'm not lying.But if I accepted an offer and the week before I started, I got an offer for my dream job, I'd rescind, beg forgiveness, and just say. "Look, I am super excited about what you folks are doing and really wanted to join, but I hope you understand this other offer is literally the number 1 role I've been looking for, and I don't want to pass it up."If you're offered a role, you'll generally keep a good record with the company because they want the talent. I know a couple of really nasty people in HR that might be one to black mark a candidate for rescinding, but any recruiter or hiring manager that makes an offer and gets rescinded generally knows these things happen and will look to lure you away.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2025, 01:18:38 am
content: Quote from: Kasper on October 11, 2025, 11:25:17 pmIt is burned on the hiring manager's side. It is ridiculous to think anyone would want you again if you do this to them.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2025, 02:21:04 am
content: Quote from: Bud on October 12, 2025, 01:18:38 amThis depends on the company, the situation, and on how good you are. In a smaller company (startup, for example) the hiring manager, if there is one, doesn't always have the last word. I've made people offers, which they accepted, but then they decided to not join after all. In a few cases we asked them to let us know if their situation changed -- they were *that* good.But generally it's not a good idea to un-accept an accepted offer.

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 12, 2025, 03:21:22 am
content: Un-accepting an accepted offer costs them time, effort, and trust in hiring, and work progress which can be critical, even if your reasons seem persuasive. If the bridge is not burned it is charred and should probably be deemed unsafe.

author: Kasper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2025, 05:15:40 pm
content: Thanks everyone, this makes sense. An alternate path would be to delay accepting the offer until hearing back from another potential.How much tolerance do you expect for that? I've always thought 24 hours is a fair limit, have you seen anyone delay for longer?On a side note, I recently got quick rejections from a couple of the big tech companies in USA. Application has yes/no dropdown for the question: do you require visa sponsorship (ex H1B). I'm guessing they are filtering out the 'yes' answers since H1B now costs $100k. I wish there was a 3rd option for TN visa, it sounds vastly easier and cheaper, for now.