{"id":7046,"date":"2026-07-15T22:49:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T17:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7046"},"modified":"2026-07-15T22:49:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T17:49:47","slug":"i-couldnt-find-a-job-for-9-months-so-i-decided-to-learn-new-skills-im-now-assembling-electronics-with-no-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7046","title":{"rendered":"I couldn&#8217;t find a job for 9 months, so I decided to learn new skills. I&#8217;m now assembling electronics with no experience."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I lost my job in public service nine months ago and have been unemployed ever since.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I accepted a random position assembling electronic parts, so I&#8217;m learning new skills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Soldering and building printed circuit boards are helping me get by as I wait for a job in my field.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When I was 20, I spent a summer working as a maid, <a data-ylk=\"slk:cleaning houses;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/robot-trainers-clean-apartment-cook-lunch-free-shift-ai-startup-2026-6?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">cleaning houses<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The hours were long, the pay was terrible, half the day was spent in traffic, and the work was frequently unappreciated by our clients.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But the job did have one excellent benefit: I learned a lot about cleaning houses and <a data-ylk=\"slk:commercial spaces;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/bank-financing-urban-planning-pandemic-retail-apocalypse-vacant-storefront-2023-10?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">commercial spaces<\/a>, skills that have paid dividends for the last two decades by allowing me to maintain a clean and healthy home. Every time I dust, I remember to start with the ceiling fan and work my way down the walls. I know steel wool does wonders for old bathtub soap scum. And I know that cinnamon covers any odor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">So, as I struggle to find a new job in my field of <a data-ylk=\"slk:public service;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/unemployed-months-grad-school-middle-age-2026-4?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">public service<\/a> after losing my position last year, I remembered how unusual skills and non-traditional career paths have helped me in the past. That&#8217;s why when my engineer friend offered me a gig assembling electronic parts, I jumped at the chance.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">I&#8217;m learning to read a BOM<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Before this job, the only machine I regularly operated was the office printer. But in the last year, I&#8217;ve used <a data-ylk=\"slk:3D printers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/teenager-built-six-figure-ecommerce-business-with-3d-printers-2025-12?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">3D printers<\/a>, laser markers, compressor-powered wire crimpers, industrial-grade milling machines, and circuit board ovens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But the first thing I learned was how to read a circuit board&#8217;s bill of materials, or BOM. Created by the designer, a BOM lists every component necessary to create a functional circuit board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">BOMs I work with are listed in an <a data-ylk=\"slk:Excel spreadsheet;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/microsoft-excel?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Excel spreadsheet<\/a> in ascending order so the assembly machines can be programmed to place the tiny components on a circuit board in the correct order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The BOMs also don&#8217;t include helpful reference notes for newbies like me, so I have to use a separate reference guide to identify parts by serial number.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It&#8217;s a wonderful feeling to correctly read a BOM and use it to assemble a functioning circuit board.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">I&#8217;ve also learned soldering<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Soldering, the act of melting lead with a hot iron shaped like a pen to form something while trying not to burn yourself or inhale toxic fumes, has been an odd skill to learn in unemployment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As an office worker with a BA, the only previous experience I had with soldering was watching Tony Stark use it to build <a data-ylk=\"slk:Iron Man;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/ceo-ironman-group-scott-derue-day-in-the-life-2026-2?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Iron Man<\/a> armor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But now I know it comes down to temperature and timing. Too much heat can melt the wire casing. And I learned to be frugal with solder, as my boss frequently reminds us that it keeps getting more expensive.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">PCB (Printed Circuit Board) building is another skill I&#8217;ve learned<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Working with printed circuit boards involves placing a bunch of electronic components, most smaller than a poppy seed, on boards ranging in size from a silver dollar to a smartphone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While most components can be placed by a machine, some parts require hand placement, which means I now spend long afternoons hunched over a work table, peering through a giant magnifying glass, and using tweezers to place the components onto the board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sometimes I feel like I&#8217;m playing the <a data-ylk=\"slk:board game;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/board-game-company-tariffs-prepared-worst-2025-5?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoocom&amp;utm_medium=syndication&amp;utm_source=yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">board game<\/a> &#8220;Operation,&#8221; only with smaller game pieces and a production deadline.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">I plan to keep learning<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The job market has been brutal for the last year. In the last nine months alone, I&#8217;ve sent out hundreds of r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, sat through a dozen interviews, and dealt with the frustration of a stagnant job market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, as with my months as a maid, my current gig keeps providing me with opportunities to learn skills with a variety of applications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I&#8217;ve already asked about opportunities to learn welding. Cutting metal with fire sounds like a good job skill to have in your 40s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow <a data-ylk=\"slk:Business Insider;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/profiles.yahoo.com\/brands\/business-insider\/\">Business Insider<\/a> on Yahoo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I lost my job in public service nine months ago and have been unemployed ever since. I accepted a random position assembling electronic parts, so I&#8217;m learning new skills. Soldering and building printed circuit boards are helping me get by as I wait for a job in my field. When I was 20, I spent&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/5e86134b607d085acc4de773f5f4dd937b19c8981566dc38c8f05608111fa28c\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w1200;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fbusiness_insider_consolidated_articles_886%2Fd17073ba02aa90a7ddc60b12c5bc19b6","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}