I keep hearing that there is a shortage of good analog designers, because most people are doing digital design.

On the other hand, with things becoming increasingly digital, is there going to be less demand for analog work as the digital portion becomes relatively larger? Maybe just a few A/D D/A converters and power stages?

Also, with analog design, what would happen when things like graphene transistors and carbon nanotubes come into play? Wouldn't a lot of what you learned become obsolete?

Only stupid HR weenies (sorry, redundant) don't realize that biasing a transconductance amplifier works pretty much the same way for plasma fets and MOSFETs.

Similar problems exist for all specialties; gatekeepers don't know how to compare experience with trailing edge technologies to experience with leading edge technologies. ... so they don't. You have to help them understand how your own KSAs apply to the buzzwords they are seeking.

... assuming you can even get an audience with a gatekeeper, much less a decision maker. The whole recruitment industry is broken that way.

From another perspective, if your clock rate is fast enough, everything is analog.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

Digital is only for low power applications. Have you ever seen a 1 MW digital 1?
Of corse not. For real power you need sine waves. For which I believe is analog.

And analog just sounds better (Pun intended).

Most good analog engineers have years of experience.
Years of experience also require you be older.
Most companies don't want to hire older engineers.
Therefore - there is a shortage of analog engineers.

But from what I understand, most companies also don't want to hire inexperienced analog engineers (i.e. people with 2+ years of industry experience).

It really comes down to they don't want to pay for experence.

If they don't want to pay, there won't be as many people willing to go into that field.

If there aren't many people willing to go into a field there is a shortage.

So there is a shortage of analog engineers just like there is a shortage of good paying jobs for good analog engineers.

Is something (like your university) forcing you to choose one or the other? What would it take to become competent at both?