u/potatoexe_

I’m 19, currently working as an electrician and diagnostic tech on commercial trucks. My day-to-day involves tracing CAN bus networks, dealing with ECU logic, and fixing real-world electrical faults.

I’m wrapping up my 12th boards soon and starting a BS in Electronic Systems.

My ultimate goal is to transition into Automotive R&D—specifically hardware and embedded systems design. Outside of work, I'm building my own hardware projects using ESP32s and learning embedded Rust.

I am choosing to stay on the service floor while I study.

My logic:

The "Unicorn" Factor: Seeing exactly how vehicle electronics actually fail in the real world (from heat, vibration, and dust) will make me a better embedded systems engineer than someone who has only built perfect circuits in a lab simulator.

Design for Maintainability: I spend my days dealing with modules and harnesses that are frustrating to service. Knowing what it actually takes to fix a physical machine should give me a practical edge in designing better hardware architecture down the road.

For engineers working in hardware and embedded systems: How much do hiring managers actually value this kind of gritty technician background? Will my real-world diagnostic experience give me a tangible edge when I apply for systems design roles?

I’m 19, currently working as an electrician and diagnostic tech on commercial trucks. My day-to-day involves tracing CAN bus networks, dealing with ECU logic, and fixing real-world electrical faults.

I’m wrapping up my 12th boards soon and starting a BS in Electronic Systems.

My ultimate goal is to transition into Automotive R&D—specifically hardware and embedded systems design. Outside of work, I'm building my own hardware projects using ESP32s and learning embedded Rust.

I am choosing to stay on the service floor while I study.

My logic:

The "Unicorn" Factor: Seeing exactly how vehicle electronics actually fail in the real world (from heat, vibration, and dust) will make me a better embedded systems engineer than someone who has only built perfect circuits in a lab simulator.

Design for Maintainability: I spend my days dealing with modules and harnesses that are frustrating to service. Knowing what it actually takes to fix a physical machine should give me a practical edge in designing better hardware architecture down the road.

For engineers working in hardware and embedded systems: How much do hiring managers actually value this kind of gritty technician background? Will my real-world diagnostic experience give me a tangible edge when I apply for systems design roles?