Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Designers

Learn as much as you can about the design and manufacturing of printed circuit boards while in high school to prepare yourself for postsecondary training. The manufacturing company Ponoko offers a useful overview of PCB design on its Web site, https://www.ponoko.com/guides/printed-circuit-boards-fabrication-assembly/what-is-a-pcb. YouTube also provides videos that cover PCB design and manufacturing and the work of designers.

You should also talk with a PCB designer about his or her career. Ask your school counselor or shop teacher to help arrange an interview. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What type of tools and equipment do you use to do your work? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology change the field? Perhaps you could even job-shadow a PCB designer to learn even more about the field.

Participate in electronics, computer-aided design, and other competitions that are offered by SkillsUSA (https://www.skillsusa.org/competitions), Technology Student Association (https://tsaweb.org/competitions), and other organizations to test your skills against others, win scholarship funds and other prizes (for some contests), and meet people with shared interests.