How to supplement my Physics/EE degrees for Work From Home?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around exploring potential fields and courses that could supplement a background in Physics and Electrical Engineering for remote work opportunities. Participants consider various industries and roles that may offer flexibility in work arrangements, particularly for individuals unable to commit to full-time, in-office positions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, Malka, seeks advice on fields that allow for remote work flexibility beyond programming, mentioning VLSI as a potential area of interest.
  • Another participant suggests looking into companies that provide software for hardware support, specifically in circuit or chip design, citing examples like Cadence Spectre and Synopsys Hspice.
  • A self-employed consulting engineer shares their experience working remotely on heat pump systems, emphasizing the importance of research and development alongside engineering tasks, while noting that programming is a necessary tool in their work.
  • This engineer also speculates that future engineering tasks may increasingly rely on programming, suggesting a shift in how design and planning are conducted.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express interest in various fields that could accommodate remote work, but there is no consensus on specific paths or the extent to which programming will dominate future engineering roles. The discussion remains open-ended with multiple perspectives presented.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the lack of detailed exploration into specific courses or certifications that would enhance employability in the suggested fields. Additionally, the discussion does not resolve the extent to which programming skills are necessary across different engineering roles.

mbrmbrg
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I'm a mother of young children with a bachelor's in Physics and a master's in Electrical Engineering. I can't work full-time and commute right now, so I want to take some courses to position myself to get into an industry that would allow me to work from home most of the week. Other than programming, what fields have that sort of flexibility? VLSI?

Thanks in advance!

-Malka
 
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How about companies that sell software that supports hardware? such as circuit or chip design?

My nephew has done that for quite some time as a customer support for a chip modeling software which I can't remember the name of.

Some that come to mind are:
Cadence Spectre, Synopsis Hspice...

https://www.cadence.com/content/cadence-www/global/en_US/home/tools/custom-ic-analog-rf-design.html

https://www.cadence.com/content/cad...uit-simulation/spectre-circuit-simulator.html

https://www.synopsys.com/verification/ams-verification/circuit-simulation/hspice.html
 
Interesting... thanks!
 
I am a self-employed consulting engineer - specializing in heat pump systems and control - and I do most of my projects 'remotely'.

I have degrees in physics and engineering, but it was more important that we developed a pilot system, did extensive research as a side project, and shared the results. Before I had worked in information security for a long time, also working mainly remotely, and at the beginning I joked about 'doing heat pump projects in the same way as IT projects'. But that joke has become my default way of working.

That said, our heat pump projects also involve programming (of controllers, of simulations...) - I believe that's true to some extent for every engineering job. But software is not the main solution I deliver, just a required tool to get the design and planning done. I believe more and more tasks will be based on 'programming' - e.g. today we send design documents and plans to clients, and in the future they will perhaps print out their heat exchangers based on a 3D printing design specified in a 'programming language'.
 
Interesting. Thanks!
 

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