What Careers Do Electrical Engineers Pursue?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the career paths typically pursued by Electrical Engineers (EEs) after obtaining their bachelor's degree. Participants explore the types of jobs available, the relevance of circuit analysis in their careers, and personal experiences related to the profession.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that EEs typically work in radioelectronics and that circuit analysis is a significant part of their careers.
  • Others argue that many EEs do not work in traditional engineering roles, with some describing their peers as having desk jobs that do not involve engineering tasks.
  • A participant with extensive experience expresses a belief that many engineers end up as "paper pushers," emphasizing the importance of practical fieldwork.
  • Concerns are raised by a prospective EE student about the job market and whether they should consider switching majors.
  • One participant shares a personal account of their father's varied career, highlighting the potential for EEs to engage in diverse roles, including teaching and entrepreneurship.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of engineering jobs for EEs, with some asserting that circuit work is central, while others indicate that many engineers do not engage in engineering tasks. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the typical career trajectory of EEs.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about job roles and experiences are based on personal anecdotes, which may not represent the broader field. There is also uncertainty regarding the impact of educational background and personal interests on career satisfaction.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering a career in electrical engineering, current students in engineering programs, and those interested in the job market for engineering graduates.

Naeem
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Q. What do most Electrical Engineers do typically in the real world? i.e what kinds of jobs do they hold?

What kind of jobs can EE major's do with a bachelor's degree?

Do they deal with circuits all the time in their careers?

Answers, ideas or criticisms appreciated.
 
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A bachelors degree in Engineering is considered a professional degree (as long as its accredited by ABET - more info on www.abet.org if your program and school is accredited). Normally EE's deal with radioelectronics, particularly anywhere electricity and magnetism is involved. The future outlook is very good, as you can imagine all the computers are designed by EE's and CompEs. Analyzing circuits is an integral part of an EE, and yes, you'll be doing it for most of your career
 
Most EE's and CompE's I knew don't do EE. The same is true for a lot of engineering professions though. Granted I went to only decent state school.
 
Out of the 9 engineers that I am acquainted with, 2 are actually working as engineers. 1 EE who works extensively with AutoCAD and is involved with circuit design, the other is a ME, again extensive use of AutoCAD. The others have desk jobs and are basically paper pushers in large companies.
 
What EE Engieers Do

Hello, I don't know about others but I am an EE, have BE(EE), MS(Telecom), SEMC(WE) and a considerable experience of working for some years n i hate to say it but i agree engineers genrally r paper pushers but then these papers are really importnat like designs, improvements etc. But for practical purposes u have to be working in the field and not on a desk to get a real taste of the EE.

Regards
Ess ESS
 
come on guys don't scare me. i am just going to start EE this coming September, 2005. should i switch to ...? Thank you, Mika
 
No major is going to guarantee you a well-paying job that you enjoy every second. You should do what you interests you and not what will give you a that "comfortable" lifestyle.
 
My dad's an EE and after grad school he went off to work for General Electric in Schenectady NY (don't quite remember doing what). Then he started teaching at Union as a prof then at Carnegie-Mellon. A few years after CMU he started his own company that designs software for EE people (such as "Maxwell" if anyone's curious) and left teaching to go do that. Now that's probably a much wider range than most people accomplish, but it's a pretty good look at some things EEs are known to do.
 

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