What Jobs Can an Associate's in Electrical Engineering Land in Texas Oil Fields?

[brojas7]

I just received my associate's, well the actual name of the degree is associate of science concentration in electrical engineering. I live near the oil fields in Texas and was wondering what type of jobs I can look for. I know there isn't a lot of jobs and I do plan on going for my bachelors but I want to go while working in a related field. I guess I really need help in what the names of these type of jobs are since I really can't find anything when running a search in eagle ford shale website or the indeed.com website

 

[brojas7]

Anyone?

 

[sophiecentaur]

It is always a problem to decide what future one wants - you really can't know too much about a career until you're already launched on it. Speaking as an ex-teacher in the UK, I can say that careers advice in schools is pretty sparse these days and they seem to advise students to do courses that appeal to them rather than to aim at particular jobs early on in their education. Also, companies don't need to make the effort to attract young people like they used to, so they don't do the rounds of the Universities like in the past.
Perhaps you could find the sort of job that you like and then aim your final qualification to suit you for it (i.e. the other way round). From what you write, I would guess you are not obliged to continue along the specific degree course. Google "careers opportunities in x,y,z", to get an idea of what it's like in different fields of work. You could approach likely organisations and ask about internships / work experience places.

 

[berkeman]

I just received my associate's, well the actual name of the degree is associate of science concentration in electrical engineering. I live near the oil fields in Texas and was wondering what type of jobs I can look for. I know there isn't a lot of jobs and I do plan on going for my bachelors but I want to go while working in a related field. I guess I really need help in what the names of these type of jobs are since I really can't find anything when running a search in eagle ford shale website or the indeed.com website

In the companies I have worked for over the years, folks with 2-year degrees worked as engineering technicians, helping to build and test the circuits that the EEs had designed. So good soldering and reworking skills are essential, as well as working with other kinds of electronic assemblies (cables, enclosures, power supplies, etc.). And the more valuable technicians are comfortable using measurement equipment like oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, impedance analyzers, and other test equipment.

Were many of those topics included in your 2-year degree? You might also want to build up a couple electronics kit projects, to practice your soldering and assembling skills.

 

[brojas7]

In the companies I have worked for over the years, folks with 2-year degrees worked as engineering technicians, helping to build and test the circuits that the EEs had designed. So good soldering and reworking skills are essential, as well as working with other kinds of electronic assemblies (cables, enclosures, power supplies, etc.). And the more valuable technicians are comfortable using measurement equipment like oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, impedance analyzers, and other test equipment.

Were many of those topics included in your 2-year degree? You might also want to build up a couple electronics kit projects, to practice your soldering and assembling skills.

We did use oscilliscopes and evaluated circuits but as far as soldering and actually building circuits, we didn't have any hands on with them. The college I went to was barely getting a lot of those tools in the last semester I was there. I looked online for soldering stations as an attempt at finding a hobby to better my skills and they aren't too expensive. Any ideas on projects that involves soldering and building circuits that I can Iinclude in my resume? I'm using my phone so I am sorry for any errors.
But basically I am looking for positions titled engineering technician?

 

[berkeman]

We did use oscilliscopes and evaluated circuits but as far as soldering and actually building circuits, we didn't have any hands on with them. The college I went to was barely getting a lot of those tools in the last semester I was there. I looked online for soldering stations as an attempt at finding a hobby to better my skills and they aren't too expensive. Any ideas on projects that involves soldering and building circuits that I can Iinclude in my resume? I'm using my phone so I am sorry for any errors.
But basically I am looking for positions titled engineering technician?

Yes, at least in my experience in the US, you would be looking for an electronics engineering technician position.

As for projects, I would Google electronics kit projects, and pick a couple that interest you. The best projects are those that you can use in your hobbies or other fun pursuits, like low-power FM transmitters or hobby power supplies, etc.

More advanced DIY projects that will make you much more valuable and desirable to employers would involve microcontroller (uC) kits and eval boards. If you can show that you have made a project with a PIC or Xilinx or Rapsberry Pi evaluation board, that will be a very large factor in your favor when interviewing as an electronics technician.