Research, design, develop, or test computer or computer-related equipment for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. May supervise the manufacturing and installation of computer or computer-related equipment and components.
Work Activities
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Update knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in computer technology.
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Design and develop computer hardware and support peripherals, including central processing units (CPUs), support logic, microprocessors, custom integrated circuits, and printers and disk drives.
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Confer with engineering staff and consult specifications to evaluate interface between hardware and software and operational and performance requirements of overall system.
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Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation.
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Write detailed functional specifications that document the hardware development process and support hardware introduction.
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Test and verify hardware and support peripherals to ensure that they meet specifications and requirements, by recording and analyzing test data.
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Direct technicians, engineering designers or other technical support personnel as needed.
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Provide technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments, suppliers, engineers and other team members throughout the product development and implementation process.
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Select hardware and material, assuring compliance with specifications and product requirements.
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Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
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Analyze user needs and recommend appropriate hardware.
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Evaluate factors such as reporting formats required, cost constraints, and need for security restrictions to determine hardware configuration.
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Provide training and support to system designers and users.
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Monitor functioning of equipment and make necessary modifications to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
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Specify power supply requirements and configuration, drawing on system performance expectations and design specifications.
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Assemble and modify existing pieces of equipment to meet special needs.
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Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan layout, including type of computers and peripheral equipment modifications.
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Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, and humidity in area of system installation.
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Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
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Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Engineering and Technology
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
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Design
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Education Bachelor's degree
- Work Experience No work experience
- Training No on-the-job training
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Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
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Attention to Detail
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Analytical Thinking
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Innovation
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Initiative
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Cooperation
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Achievement/Effort
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Signal generators
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Oscilloscopes
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Frequency calibrator or simulator
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Electronic measuring probes
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Circuit tester
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Object or component oriented development software
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Development environment software
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Data base user interface and query software
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Computer aided design CAD software
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Analytical or scientific software
