Outside Work
I'll be honest, life tends to win out for me in the work/life balance. Here's some of the things that I do in my spare time
The Lab
The Lab (AKA My basement) is a great little flexible and general workspace. The prized piece of equipment is my CO2 laser. It can cut and engrave many different materials. I also have a 3D printer, my own 4 channel 70MHz Oscilloscope (keysight DSOX1204G) and hand soldering equipment that matches what I have at work.
Some Examples
All of these are personal projects, so I would be happy to answer any questions about them.
Dungeons & Dragons, and Board games
I know what you're thinking, why would I put D&D on a resume website? Because almost every job ad I've looked at has "ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team" as one of the requirements. Nothing embodies that quite like D&D.
I have also noticed that reading and interpreting rules for table top games bears an amazing resemblance to interpreting standards. You are looking for the same key words (e.g. may vs shall) and figuring out how they apply to what your goals are.
I have also over the last few years, really began to enjoy co-operative board games as opposed to competitive. It's a great way to get to know people and learn how to work with a diverse group.
I have been volunteering at Loose Moose Theatre for over 10 years now. I have been on stage as an improvisor and an MC, backstage as a scenographer, and in the tech booth running lights.
I have also helped with the production side for the kids shows; building props and sets, including over 20 different props for Cinderella in Space. I have also designed lights for shows, and even helped as a fight choreographer. My versatility at the theatre is shown by the fact that I get some of the most unusual credits including "Thump tuning specialist", "Science Officer LED PHD", and I am also one of the founders of "Hancock and Hancock's Wand Fabrication and Emporium".
I've also applied some of my electronics skills, including hacking together a power supply when the lighting board went down, and replacing a SSR on the dimmer pack when one of the lights shorted and popped the 40A relay.