How Hiring Managers see a Ham Radio license

Naldy Medina, KP4AMC: “I got my job because of ham radio.”

He was 24, and his hiring manager confirmed his applied electromagnetic spectrum experience as a ham helped seal the deal. 

Naldy, KP4AMC, now 29, credits his Dad for first sparking his interest and expresses gratitude to the many mentors who continue to help and inspire. 

Today, Naldy gives back as an active member of the Newport County [RI] Radio Club (NCRC), while also pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and working full-time as an engineer in NUWC Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department. 

The proven impact of ham radio on Naldy’s growth-mindset career pathway is not unique. 

I often ask licensed radio amateurs: how did ham radio shape your career path? For many, like Naldy KP4AMC or Chris Lirakis, AA9AL, the connections are crystal clear. Yet almost every ham can point out transferable job skills and  technical or team competencies supported by the volunteer, civic-minded, cross-generational learning community that is amateur radio. This defining, catalyzing track record is something all of us, at every age can contribute to as both learners and mentors. As they say, it takes a village. 

See also: “Ham Radio is a Gateway to Technology” https://nediv.arrl.org/2023/02/17/ham-radio-is-a-gateway-to-technology/

How can we better amplify this message? Especially now as the spectrum privileges we too-often take for granted are becoming ever more crowded critical infrastructure. And yet, amateur radio offers proven entry pathways into timely 21st c. wireless and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) careers. Let’s get the message out.

Another active Newport County Radio Club (NCRC) member, Greg, WA1VUG agrees that “Ham Radio: Pathway to Career/Employment” is definitely a topic to discuss: “It certainly has offered this path to many people (myself included).”  And the mentoring and networking matters. After connecting with the ARRL Technical Lab early in his career, Greg Bonaguide is now the National Application Engineer, RF & Microwave Components, at Rohde & Schwarz Inc. In his spare time, Greg joined the NCRC in part to participate in the NCRC’s successful $8K 2023 ARRL Club Foundation grant advancing an experimental ARTEN mesh microwave and sensor project. Giving back as a mentor, and in-person networking among hams still matter, amidst all the benefits of remote communication. So, I was not surprised to see Greg WA1VUG again offering a Super Test Lab up to 122 GHz for hams gathering at the April 2024 Microwave Conference.

I often ask licensed radio amateurs: how did ham radio shape your career path? For many, like Naldy KP4AMC or Chris Lirakis, AA9AL, the connections are crystal clear. Yet almost every ham can point out transferable job skills and technical or team competencies supported by the volunteer, civic-minded, cross-generational learning community that is amateur radio. This defining, catalyzing track record is something all of us, at every age can contribute to as both learners and mentors. As they say, it takes a village.

See also: “Ham Radio is a Gateway to Technology” https://nediv.arrl.org/2023/02/17/ham-radio-is-a-gateway-to-technology/

How can we better amplify this message? Especially now as the spectrum privileges we too-often take for granted are becoming ever more crowded critical infrastructure. And yet, amateur radio offers proven entry pathways into timely 21st c. wireless and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) careers. Let’s get the message out.

Another active Newport County Radio Club (NCRC) member, Greg, WA1VUG agrees that “Ham Radio: Pathway to Career/Employment” is definitely a topic to discuss: “It certainly has offered this path to many people (myself included).” And the mentoring and networking matters. After connecting with the ARRL Technical Lab early in his career, Greg Bonaguide is now the National Application Engineer, RF & Microwave Components, at Rohde & Schwarz Inc. In his spare time, Greg joined the NCRC in part to participate in the NCRC’s successful $8K 2023 ARRL Club Foundation grant advancing an experimental ARTEN mesh microwave and sensor project. Giving back as a mentor, and in-person networking among hams still matter, amidst all the benefits of remote communication. So, I was not surprised to see Greg WA1VUG again offering a Super Test Lab up to 122 GHz for hams gathering at the April 2024 Microwave Conference.

NCRC member and professional RF engineer Greg, WA1VUG offered a Super Test Lab up to 122 GHz for hams at the recent April 2024 Microwave Conference in CT, near the ARRL HQ.

Again, how do hiring managers see a ham radio license? 

Other experienced hiring managers I discussed this with include respected hams in their 30s-50s with ties to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic) whom I met at the recent 47th Eastern VHF/UHF/Microwave Conference. All were eloquent about the qualities they consistently find in job candidates, interns, and new hires who present with ham radio among their skillset. 

These tech professionals look to hire someone with a growth mindset and a demonstrated ability to show up and be energized applying what they’ve learned (persisting through set-backs and challenges). They consistently find amateur radio offers curious learners the chance to showcase their problem-solving skills, persistence, and talent for coming up with creative solutions for solving a challenge. Hiring managers and supervisors take note of how candidates or interns balance self-initiative and yet are self-aware enough to turn to more experienced mentors to get the answers they need to get over the next speedbump. Equally important are the so-called “soft” or “power skills”: Do they listen? How do they manage through conflict resolution? Team building? Budget and resource constraints? Do they bring inclusive leadership skills to the table to support the digital transformation every business is facing? 

One hiring manager mentioned he is always open to offer internships to those with no degrees – or to hiring smart engineering school dropouts who didn’t do well as students. He finds this motivated pool of applicants often show remarkable bias for action when challenged on the job with real-world problems. 

Of course, some hams want to bypass school and the hiring manager altogether and prioritize being self-employed entrepreneurs. During this same recent Microwave Conference, papers were presented by innovators – regardless of academic credentials. For example, check out the SDR Radio talk given by N4EME of SDR Switch. As a learning community, ham radio has been ahead of the curve offering to grow talent in distributed local clubs where anyone can jump in, get mentored and in turn, get a seat at the table to explore, find where they belong, and contribute personally and professionally. To degree or not to degree, we are all here to inspire together. 

One repeated throughline is the opportunity amateur radio offers for hands-on experiential learning in a growth-mindset community of diverse thinkers. Where do you want to start exploring? Don’t attempt to boil the ocean, but do be comfortable exploring the breadth of the hobby, as you eventually dig deeper in a few areas of your choice. 

After observing the noticeable number of young diverse professionals from RPI, along with their alumni RPI mentors – all of whom took the time to gather at this Microwave Conference – our discussion pivoted to the ARRL School Club Roundup. The RPI alums were delighted to brag and let me know that RPI’s W2SZ Radio Club is one of the oldest continuously active radio clubs in the country. https://w2sz.org/about/  It is well-funded, and serves as another indicator of how this engineering school understands the sense of lifelong community and professional connecting that the ham radio community builds. 

ARRL School Club Roundup K-Grads + Alumni > Winter Field Day & JOTA

I look forward to helping promote this kind of ham radio investment in Rhode Island and among the over 250 institutions of higher education in the New England Division. (Stay tuned for more info on how to get involved, with updates and a talk planned for the August 2024 New England Division HamXposition.)  https://hamxposition.org/

“ARRL School Club Roundup – an untapped New England Division Youth Force Multiplier“

• Presenters: Nancy Austin, KC1NEK – Rhode Island Section Manage; Career Coach and Collegiate Educator
• Jeremy Taylor, K1JST, Rhode Island Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC); K-12 Director of Technology; Board of Directors – RI Society for Technology in Education 

Description: Rhode Island’s participation in the February 2024 ARRL School Club Roundup (SCR) was a great demonstration of why this long-standing twice a year event should be on more club calendars. It’s simple, easy, and fun.  With minimal effort, we can all reach out and make QSOs across the country encouraging new young operators, as we support K-12 amateur radio educator outreach, and mentor the revitalization of Amateur Radio collegiate clubs in the New England Division – home to more than 250 colleges and universities.  These are important initiatives for so many reasons, from joining a growth-mindset mentoring community, to workforce development skill building in wireless technologies, radio spectrum engineering, and adjacent team careers, to raising awareness of the many radio amateur related college scholarships available: https://www.arrl.org/scholarship-descriptions

You do NOT need to be an official student-run school club to participate. Join in with your club mentoring a K-12 after-school bootcamp for the week;  help pilot the revitalization of a K-12 or collegiate club with a School Roundup special-event call sign; or make QSOs as an individual operator.  Leverage the timing to have the Fall School Club Roundup be a natural followup to the Scouting community excitement that is Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). 

Join us at HamXpo as we share Rhode Island’s experience, and how you can get started this October 21-25, 2024 following JOTA (October 18-20, 2024) and February 12-16, 2025 following Winter Field Day.

You Can Get There From Here

In my experience as an educator and talent development career coach, the Amateur Radio community offers so much that  the L&D (Learning and Development) field can learn from when it comes to transforming learning and talent retention. 

Naldy Medina, KP4AMC at the 2024 NCRC Winter Field Day being mentored by the ARRL RI Technical Coordinator, Dave Neal, W2DAN – himself an avid contestor, tireless mentor, veteran, and by day – a Motorola radio professional. Shown also with fairly new ham Nolan Byrnes, K1PRU who prioritized being there to watch and learn more. 

We are radio amateur’s – Let’s keep connecting silos. 

For example – here’s an opportunity. Did you know?

In Rhode Island alone, there are currently over 2,600 unfilled jobs open in cybersecurity, and nationally almost 500,000 unfilled jobs requesting cybersecurity-related skills. https://www.cyberseek.org/

I continue to see Ham Radio as an under-appreciated on-ramp into a career in cybersecurity – building a portfolio of skills so you can actually get from here to there. 

For some time I have participated in NIST NICE working groups tasked with finding better ways to transform cybersecurity learning pathways and retain diverse cyber talent once in the workforce. At an April 2024 NIST NICE monthly working group meeting, Josh Reiter, Department of the Navy, called out a few things I’d like to share here and amplify for the radio amateur community as we strategize best ways to explain why ham radio is more relevant than ever in 2024. 

The consensus is growing that degrees matter for some roles, but what employer partners are really looking for in candidates is never the degree. It’s the demonstrated willingness to learn. Along with communication skills and the ability to work productively with a diverse team. 

He then called out the Cisco CISO’s June 2023: NICE Conference Keynote called: Working Together to Widen Cyber Security Career Path Through Experiential Learning 

A YouTube link to Helen Patton’s talk is here: https://youtu.be/YZIzuRiir5o

From about minutes 12-27 in her talk, she accurately offers the reality-check gap analysis that adjacent skill building will get you to the 90 yard line, but will not get you hired. We need to be honest here about this gap. It is not about a credential but a different ability:

Can you take the theory, recognize the reality of the problem in front of you. and do the translation? 

Even then – plan on the following timeline as you build proof of competency and discover where you can best contribute:

• Years 1-3: Generalist Apprentice, Rotating for Breadth 
• Years 3-5: Specialist Traveler
• Years 6-10: Generalist Expert

None of this is going to happen overnight, and it is disingenuous to claim otherwise. Her ideal job description would have these parts:

• Know a technical area well 
• Demonstrate the ability to apply classroom learning to the applied context at hand

• Don’t be horrible to work with, ie. the hard Soft or Power Skills
• Have access to diverse talent; walk the talk of inclusive leadership

The distributed ham radio community is already set up to mentor and coach at scale in a welcoming community that is all about applied experiential learning and right-size challenges. Everyone has a role to play. 

As we face an uncertain and changing world, the ham community is ideally suited to be one of the best feeder pathways for in-demand careers requiring spectrum aware candidates. There’s even a major grant to consider for future collaboration: (Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) cybersecurity education and workforce development: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIST/bulletins/399a44a

It’s an exciting time to be in ham radio, helping shape the future. 

Thank you for all you are already doing. Thank you for supporting the ARRL mission.

I look forward to seeing you at the Skywarn Training tonight, during this weekend’s NE-QSO party, and at Field Day. 

And if you are in Newport, RI this Saturday,  I’m supporting Jane’s Walk Newport to share some of the ways ham radio helps build community:

Surfing the Airwaves from Newport County

https://www.centeraquidneck.com/airwaves

73, Nancy Austin, KC1NEK

Rhode Island Section Manager

30 April 2024

Welcome to your RI Section Newsletter for April 30, 2024