Am I a weak Electronic Engineer?

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I have a degree in electronic engineering. Electronic is my hobby, since primary school, I am involved in electronics. During my university, I built 5 robots and many electronic circuits. I studied mathematics, physics, electronic different laws and methods. I have my own small lab, with all testing and electronic components, 3D printer, oscilloscope and other items. Right now I am working in the electronic field too.

When it comes to making a new circuit board or someone asks me to give them a solution for a circuit board I just lose my way, and I have to think too much and go around to find the solution. For example, now I have to make a polarity tester that measures voltage from 1V to 60V. and detect the polarity positive/minus and minus/positive. But after all these years of experience and practical and theoretical test, I don’t have a clear answer in my mind. I have to go and google the question and see what other people built. Is this fine to do a google search? or do I have to make and practice more circuit boards and make more circuit boards even I don’t need them so this way I will learn more? Am I missing something here? What other electronic engineers do to become more expert in their field? For example why I can’t make a radio? what do I need to make a radio? do I have to do additional studies for making a radio?

Even my other electronics engineering friends calling me to give them a solution for their circuit board. So I don’t know if I have to read more books or practice more? Can someone give me any advice to follow?

Kind regards Habibpower-electronicsshareedit  follow  flagedited 25 mins agoasked 35 mins agoHabib Anwari5155 bronze badges

• 1I think your post is in danger… – Light 1 hour ago
• 6Ask yourself how weak or strong your presentation of your question is… – Brian Drummond 1 hour ago
• @Light, that is not the matter. – Habib Anwari 1 hour ago
• 5I’m voting to close this question because it is not a technical question. These type of concerns might fit on a traditional discussion forum, but they are not within the narrow Q/A model of this site. – Chris Stratton 1 hour ago 
• @BrianDrummond, Maybe I did not present my question well in English. English is my second language. Additionally, I speak about 5 languages. I don’t understand your answer. Do you mean I have to work on my question presentation? can you explain? – Habib Anwari 1 hour ago
• 3@HabibAnwari Light makes a good point – while what you have posted is not a technical question, being able to organize the presentation of any topic (or ultimately, any language) is essentially the same skill (the issue is not word choice, but organization). One cannot “make a radio” – but one can have a need for a specific type of radio, research applicable techniques, see which are largely implemented in available ICs and what would be needed to combine them, or where a discrete solution might have a performance advantage justifying its board-level complexity… – Chris Stratton 1 hour ago 
• 3Even if I would want to read this, I only get to the second sentence as it is a “wall of text” and extremely hard to read. Divide your text in paragraphs to make it more readable. The fact that you posted this text like that makes me wonder what level your “degree” is. OK, I deal only with people that have at least a bachelor in EE so maybe my standards are too high. – Bimpelrekkie 1 hour ago
• 1@ChrisStratton, I apologise if it bothers you. I will close down the question in less than 24 hours. After I get some replies. Your opinion helps me a lot. Even if I am wrong about my question so I will understand. – Habib Anwari 1 hour ago
• 1This posting does not comply with the rules of this site, hence it will be removed by the community – Chris Stratton 1 hour ago 
• 2I’m not sure what your expectation of the work of an EE is, but thinking and trying out different solutions would probably be my main description of what I do. You can’t know the solution to everything, but you have the tools and knowledge to find a solution. If you feel you are lacking in knowledge you start to research and educate yourself. Typically you end up with some expert knowledge in some field (for example microcontrollers) and are weaker in other parts (for example RF) – I’d say that’s perfectly normal. – Arsenal 56 mins ago
• 1@Habib Anwari， I agree with #Arsenal that you are a perfect normal EE engineer. – tlfong01 51 mins ago   
• 1@Arsenal, Thanks for your answer makes more sense than other folks. Some link it to traditions. I am in the UK, compared to UK students I have attended in different electronic and robotic events and won the competition. You are right we can’t be good at everything. – Habib Anwari 50 mins ago
• 1I have come across the concept of a T-shaped engineer. That is, shallow knowledge across a wide range of fields, and deep knowledge of one or a few particular fields. – Neil_UK 41 mins ago
• @Habib Anwari, I studied an EE diploma in Hongkong Technical College ages ago. After graduation I started earning my living as an electronics technician. In those years I could attend the UK’s Engineering Council Part 2 Examinations, to get to degree equivalent level and work my way up. My past EE jobs were mainly in maintenance of semiconductor testing equipment designed in US (Fairchild, Teledyne, Ampex) and Netherlands (ASM). I was once upset because I could not do any design work. I did once “make” a radio, with 3 transistors, and “middle frequency transformers”, / to continue, … – tlfong01 34 mins ago   
• @Neil_UK, I used to think that I was a “pyramid” engineer, with a couple of special knowledge and skills, and a broad base of knowledge and skills. Nowadays it is called “slash” workers, so I call myself “slash” engineer, learning and doing new things all the time. Charles Handy talk about the “Second Curve”, so I am a mult-curve engineer. I did read wildly how other engineer did to become an engineer. I always listen to BBC in Our Times to learn how other engineers, scientists, philosophers work their way up in their science, maths, and engineering field. – tlfong01 22 mins ago   
• @Habib Anwari, The radio I “made” was just a AM radio kit, but I did learn a lot of things which seem useless now, because now there are single IC chips than “do” a radio, or an audio power amplifiers, but I always think there are general concepts I gathered have been useful all my life. I also played with ham radio (Yes, I passed my C&G Amateur Radio Operator Cert Exam). Of course nobody talks about HAM now, but I think I learned many things, including problem solving techniques, and case study research methods. / to continue, … – tlfong01 14 mins ago   
• @Habib Anwari, about your technical presentation skills, of course there are things to improve, but I don’t see any severe problem in your writing, considering your background and too much time placed in your interests. I did once teach in colleges and universities, and have been seeing how students become technician, engineers, and then managers, or businessman (OK, entrepreneurs). I used to think every engineer’s journey is unique, there is no “normal” way. My conclusion is that your are a geek, smart to talk to computers rather than humans. / to continue. – tlfong01 6 mins ago   
• But when the time comes you move to management or teaching (me too, because I wanted to make more money), you will definitely learn and develop your presentation or communication and writing skills. I am thinking aloud, sorry for all the typos. Yours sincerely, tlfong01, MIEE, MBCS, CEng, … – tlfong01 just now   Edit   

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