EE Engineering Major: Micro-electronics or Power Electronics?

[carvinrose]

Hi,

I am doing EEE at Adelaide University in Australia. I want to major in Micro-electronics. But all of my friends say it is better to major in Power Electronics as the mining industry is booming all over the world. Apparently it looks easier to get a job in mining. But i want to major in micro electronics.I had a brief talk with Dr. Neil Weste about this. He suggested me to do whatever i am comfortable with.What are the possible job opportunity in this field? Is it really a limited field? Can i still manage a job in different field?

Thanks

 

[berkeman]

Hi,

I am doing EEE at Adelaide University in Australia. I want to major in Micro-electronics. But all of my friends say it is better to major in Power Electronics as the mining industry is booming all over the world. Apparently it looks easier to get a job in mining. But i want to major in micro electronics.I had a brief talk with Dr. Neil Weste about this. He suggested me to do whatever i am comfortable with.What are the possible job opportunity in this field? Is it really a limited field? Can i still manage a job in different field?

Thanks

At least in the US, power electronics is a much smaller field than general electronics. If the job market is different in Australia, then what you are being told may well be true. Are you thinking of staying there, or might you travel for your first few job positions?

Communications is certainly a growing field, as is embedded computing. Power electronics is a small part of each of those fields, for example.

 

[davidrit]

I'm in the US and don't know anything about the job market in Australia but I wouldn't necessarily go with the "hot" job area at the moment. Getting your first job is certainly a consideration but even by the time you graduate things may change significantly and they certainly will before your career is over.

I think it's important you follow your interests and passions as much as practical. If you like what you do and are good at it you will have a better chance of finding work than if you are in the hot area and detest it.
Considering how mobile you are willing to be is definitely good advice. Some specialties are needed everywhere and others tend to be concentrated geographically (including microelectronics)

 

[noumed]

Power is certainly more stable than any other fields, at least as far as I've seen so far. Your professor is right however, do whatever you're comfortable with. You can definitely work at other fields, the fact that you have a degree when you graduate basically tells people that you're teachable. Most likely your future employer will have you go through some sort of rigorous training period before you start doing anything significant in the company.

Of course, all of the above doesn't apply if you're a genius. =P

 

[carvinrose]

Thanks guys. Much appreciated. So i am going to do some advanced micro electronics course then.

Cheers