Jay Posted on May 31 First Post: A Little Biography # career # bio # firmware Hello, my name is Jay. Growing up, I wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps and become an engineer—and I did, just not in the way I originally expected. My dad is a Professional Engineer licensed under Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) and works as a structural engineer. What he does is fascinating, so I initially set out to become a structural engineer myself. During my undergraduate studies, I took courses in calculus, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and all the other engineering fundamentals. I pursued that path for two years until I realized something. Structural engineering might not be for me. Why? Because I took my first programming class in Python—and I loved it. I quickly realized that I had a knack for programming. To be honest, I wasn't particularly good at it at the time, but I found it exhilarating that a few carefully written instructions in a Python file could create something useful. I wanted to learn more. What ultimately pushed me to transition from structural engineering to software was a group of students in my program. They were transferring to a nearby Mechatronics Engineering program, so I decided to look into it. The curriculum included electronics, controls, robotics, and programming—everything that interested me. After some discussions and paperwork with my college, I successfully transferred into the program. As a side note, if you're thinking I should have studied Computer Science or Computer Engineering instead, you'd be absolutely right. The reason I didn't is because I wanted to work with hardware as well as software. Plus, the Mechatronics program was much closer to home, which was a nice bonus. Fast forward a few years, and I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics Engineering. Then came the next challenge: finding a job. Should I work at a large corporation or a small startup? Did I have enough skills? Was I ready? The job hunt was not easy
LIVE