Knowledge Threshold from Hobbyist to Professional

[John R Retired]

In contrast with a student who goes to a trade school or junior college to formally study electronics for a 2 year degree.

A vague threshold but is there a dividing line (i.e. "electronics theory knowledge") between someone who gaining self taught skills tinkers around building miscellaneous electronics projects and gizmos for hobby fun or repair in the garage compared to a hobbyist who knows electronics theory so well he or she could get a job in a legit company as a electronics tech or engineering tech with no degree?
I believe some Hams who build their own gear (don't buy it off the shelf) could fall into either category although there are
lesser skill levels. Maybe too vague or a hard question to ask or answer, I don't know. Someone who starts from no knowledge as
a hobbyist but eventually reaches a substantial level of electronics skills and knowledge (self taught) beyond a hobbyist.
Is there a breakthrough level or threshold from hobbyist into professional level? (self taught).

 

[Delta Prime]

You looking at one brother!
I tinkered around building electronics with breadboards learning the components as it went along and I realize how much I didn't know so I decided to get a formal education but I'm just starting out it's fun as hell and I get paid for it.
I work for and attend classes a technical institute here in California. Trying to help others with anonymity and blowing off steam is why I'm here. But really I don't think anyone can answer that everyone is different. Perhaps portions of your query.
I love RF it had always fascinated me as a child. Now not so much.
For terrestrial communication anyway.

 

[Minder]

There was one guy that did not even have any real formal education, apart from Sunday School, he apprenticed as a bookbinder and would read avidly especially anything about electrical & electronics.
His avid interest and experiments eventually gave us the Electric motor, and now his name is written into Electrical history.
You may have heard of him?, Michael Faraday!

 

[kellys_eye]

It's pointless and unnecessary. You either learn what you need to know to achieve a particular task or you exceed that knowledge and 'turn it down' a bit and still do it, banking the extra experience for when it is required.

What that knowledge is and what qualifications are necessary to achieve it are entirely down to the individual and not something anyone else can pontificate upon. We don't (and can't) live in 'your' mind.

This is going to turn into another one of those endless threads where we never get to an answer that satisfies the OP no matter how we phrase it.

 

[Minder]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
Albert Einstein

IOW, the ability to 'Conceptualize'

 

[Delta Prime]

Don't confuse education with intelligence.
It's about effort.
Learn as you go it'll all come to you.
Action creates momentum, that's how change occurs and you will become a better person than you were yesterday.
Be decisive right or wrong make a decision.
The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision.
-Delta Prime

 

[AnalogKid]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
Albert Einstein

IOW, the ability to 'Conceptualize'

Ah, but relying on imagination is not a viable long-term strategy. What happens when a problem comes up and you can't imagine a solution? With no forcibly-broad (Why do I have to learn xxx?) foundation, how do you fare?

Both Einstein and Edison were hampered by their outstanding imaginations. Edison is famous for trying over 200 (*not* 2000) different materials for the light bulb filament. Rarely explained is that he had to because he knew nothing about electricity or metallurgy. He said "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" because that was all he knew, and all he could imagine. He had no other tools in the belt. He did know a lot about money, which is why he passed on tungsten as a filament because it lasted too long.

Einstein famously "warred" with Neils Bohr over quantum mechanics because large chunks of it are counter-intuitive, and Einstein literally couldn't wrap his head around it. His Nobel Prize was for the photoelectric effect; not Relativity, because the rest of the physics world passed him by.

But don't take my word for it . . .

He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.

- Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)

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