Starting Off as an Electrical Engineer: Roles and Responsibilities

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the roles and responsibilities of new graduates in the field of Electrical Engineering. Participants explore various career paths, including hands-on electrical work, software-related tasks, and theoretical design work, as well as the experiences of those starting their careers.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the roles available to new graduates depend significantly on the specific area of electrical engineering they choose to pursue.
  • One participant mentions the possibility of engaging in hands-on electrical work, maintenance, servicing, or development.
  • Others propose that software-based roles, such as programming, PLC control, and networking, are also common paths.
  • Theoretical work, including design, is highlighted as another potential focus for new graduates.
  • A participant shares their personal experience of working with a private engineering firm, noting that their current tasks involve updating old drawings in AutoCAD, which they find uninteresting.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there are multiple pathways within electrical engineering, but there is no consensus on which path is most common or desirable for new graduates. The discussion reflects a range of experiences and opinions without resolving the best approach.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the broad nature of electrical engineering roles and the personal preferences of participants, which may influence their perspectives on what constitutes a fulfilling job in the field.

Larrytsai
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Hey guys,

I was wondering after you graduate with a bachelors in Electrical Engineering, what do you do in the field starting off in general. Do you just test software, design...?
 
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bump, interested as well!
 
Can anyone respond to this pls?
I'm interested as well.
 
Btw @OP; you should have been more specific in the title of your thread.
 
It depends what area of electrical you want to be involved in, its so broad.
Do you want hands on electrical work, ie the maintenance/servicing/development side of things?
Do you want software based electrical as in programming/plc control/networking?
Do you want theoretical work like design?

The list goes on dude, but in my personal opinion i love the hands on stuff, I am an electrical engineer but more than half a mechanical engineer :)
 
Larrytsai said:
Hey guys,

I was wondering after you graduate with a bachelors in Electrical Engineering, what do you do in the field starting off in general. Do you just test software, design...?

I'm still and undergrad, but I recently started working with a private engineering firm that does consulting work for substations and such and all I've been doing is basically updating old drawings in AutoCAD.

It's extremely boring and I'm kinda hoping it will get better, but who knows. From what I've heard this is typical of EIT's.
 

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