I hope It's not coming back to bite me in the ass to say that, but I have been slacking and collecting unemployment benefits in the last few years.
During this time I have re-kindled my interest in mechanics and electronics, bought and changed the electronics of a CNC router, learned to use it, learned a bit of woodworking, created the control software and tool path planning system ( https://github.com/nraynaud/webgcode ). I have helped a guy on the internet with a laser cutting software, I have created an easy captcha breaker, played with Cypress PSOC MCUs (it's the gateway drugs to FPGAs), started a project that uses Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals (hint: you can control the 70V stuff with the parts destined for vacuum fluorescent display).
And I learned a few techniques:
- CNC cutting vinyl and using it as a stencil for painting or sandblasting
- isolation milling of PCBs
- PCB etching
- CNC made wood inlays
- using a lot of glues
- learned a bit of Ember.js, lots of Chrome APIs
- a bit of mold making
- parametric mechanical CAD design
Now, I have accepted a job offer and should start next Monday, so I guess all those projects and learnings are over, but that was a good ride.
Question - how did you collect benefits for so long? The two times I was able to collect, the max was 6 months.
I agree with you 100%. The time I spent on unemployment was very spiritually fulfilling and really helped with my career. I got into running, learned how to produce music, and taught myself to code.
I had one year without benefits, and the rest is because there is such a high unemployment country and such a high ratio unemployed/agency employees, that they can't really control anything.
During this time I have re-kindled my interest in mechanics and electronics, bought and changed the electronics of a CNC router, learned to use it, learned a bit of woodworking, created the control software and tool path planning system ( https://github.com/nraynaud/webgcode ). I have helped a guy on the internet with a laser cutting software, I have created an easy captcha breaker, played with Cypress PSOC MCUs (it's the gateway drugs to FPGAs), started a project that uses Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals (hint: you can control the 70V stuff with the parts destined for vacuum fluorescent display). And I learned a few techniques:
- CNC cutting vinyl and using it as a stencil for painting or sandblasting
- isolation milling of PCBs
- PCB etching
- CNC made wood inlays
- using a lot of glues
- learned a bit of Ember.js, lots of Chrome APIs
- a bit of mold making
- parametric mechanical CAD design
Now, I have accepted a job offer and should start next Monday, so I guess all those projects and learnings are over, but that was a good ride.