Electronics Assembler, Inspector, and Tester

Wires, circuit boards, and electrical components, oh my! Many steps go into putting together electronics, including assembling the electronics themselves, inspecting them to ensure they meet quality standards, and possibly the most crucial part, testing. The most well-versed in electronics can do all three.

Personal Connection

To work with electronics, you need to understand the components while appreciating the complexity and how they come together. There's a lot of hands-on work, a bit of math, and rewarding results:
  • Do you like working with electronics?
  • Do you often take things apart to figure out how they work?
  • Would you like to learn more about how electronics are made?
  • Does your ideal job involve working with your hands?

Other Connections

Electronics enthusiasts who don't feel drawn to assembly, inspection, or testing can pursue other related careers:
Aerospace engineering is about making machines fly, which could mean developing new designs for planes or coming up with a rocket that will take humans to Mars
Computer hardware engineers work in research and development, coming up with new designs and ideas for computer hardware
Electricians install and repair electrical systems in homes and businesses
Nanotechnology engineers work on about as micro a scale as you can get, researching and developing the smallest computer components as well as applying their research to the medical and health industries
Electronics engineers do research and design electronics systems and components, from small mobile phones to larger electronics systems

STEM Connection

Here are just a few ways that new and emerging technologies are transforming the electronics industry:
Computers, and their components, are becoming smaller and smaller:
Electronics assemblers, inspectors, and testers are working with increasingly miniature electronic components. While the computers we use tend to be rather large, the real work takes place on a microscopic level. Read more:
Read More
The rise of robots has heralded a new direction in electronics manufacturing:
When you're building a robot that has to perform functions that involve moving limbs and picking things up, some additional steps go beyond the usual electronics manufacturing processes. Read more:
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Technology that flies might not seem all that new, but it's quickly turning heads:
Drones are almost commonplace now, but when you think about what it takes to make something that's capable of taking photos, videos, performing acrobatic maneuvers, and everything else drones are capable of, it's pretty amazing. Read more:
Read More
Electronic textiles (or, in layman's terms, smart clothes) represent the future of health and athletics:
Usually, electronic components go in the things you'd expect, like TVs and gaming systems. In the future, however, they'll also be in clothing. Read more:
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Journeys to Becoming an Electronics Assembler, Inspector, and Tester

The path to working in electronics may seem like a faraway dream, but did you know you can start on that path while in high school?
Read about one woman's journey into manufacturing specialized industrial parts:

April Senase from Skokie, Illinois, has worked at numerous factories for more than a decade, often as the first, or only, woman running high-tech machinery. She also became the first female instructor at a trade school that teaches computer-aided machining.

As an instructor, April hopes to inspire more women to seek careers in manufacturing, which is being transformed from a labor-intensive industry to a high-tech one. "Women are very detail-oriented," said Senase. "You need that approach in manufacturing today because the work is so much more precise."

Read more about April's story here:

 

Read about the youngest computer specialist in the world:

 

Ayan Qureshi, who lives with his family in England, became the youngest computer specialist in the world after passing Microsoft's Certified Professional exam when he was just five years old!

In an interview, he told the BBC that the exam was difficult but enjoyable, and his dream is to set up a UK based tech hub like Silicon Valley. 

Introduced to computers by his father, an IT specialist, at three years old, gave Ayan the jumpstart to his interest in the machines. His father let Ayan play with his old computers so he could develop an understanding of motherboards and hard drives. Mr. Qureshi explained the test to Ayan and said, "The hardest challenge was explaining the language of the test to a five-year-old. But he seemed to pick it up and has a very good memory." 

Read more about Ayan's amazing story here:

Fun Facts

Some interesting trivia about computers:
Green Circuit Boards:
Did you know that printed circuit boards are green for a good reason? Read more here:
Read More
Tons of Data:
Early computer hard drives weighed a ton. Literally. Learn more (and test out your electronics trivia knowledge) here:
Read More
Macintosh:
Did you know that Macintosh computers are named after McIntosh apples? Read more here:
Read More

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