Career Prospects in Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering is the study and application of electricity and electronics. It is an interesting branch of engineering because it involves the study of computers, electrical, electronics and communication. Electrical engineering primarily deals with the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

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The job profiles in the field of electrical and electronics engineering are as the following:

• Control and instrumentation engineer
• Electrical engineer
• Broadcast engineer
• Manufacturing systems engineer
• Systems analyst
• Electronics engineer
• IT consultant
• Systems developer
• Network engineer

In India, a fresher who has a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering can get the offer of salary started from 2.5 lakh per annum up to 5 lakh per annum.

In abroad, the average salary of electrical engineers is $68000 per annum.

Career Pros Details

• High Salaries
  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering graduates with obtaining some of the highest salaries in the country. Those graduates starting out in the electrical engineering field earned more than $60,000 per year on average. As a whole, electrical engineers earned an average yearly salary of almost $90,000 in May 2010.
   
• Wide Range of Career Opportunities
  Electrical engineers can choose to work in a variety of industries including telecommunications, computer, aerospace, and manufacturing industries. They can progress their career even further by specializing in specific areas.
   
• Job Flexibility
  You can easily change to a different field within electrical engineering. There is great fluidity within the different fields.

Career Cons Details

• Limited Employment Growth
  Job growth in the electrical engineering field from 2008 – 2018 is anticipated to be a mere 2%. The lack of explosive job growth is primarily a result of an overseas engineering competition.
   
• Ongoing Education Required
  As a result of evolving technology, electrical engineers have to consistently update their education. In order to advance, electrical engineers must gain licensure within specific fields, such as signal processing, solid-state electronics, or control systems. In fact, because some engineering fields are so similar, skills can easily transfer to other specialities.
   
• Risky Occupation
  Due to the nature of the job, electrical engineers risk personal injury. Such dangers include the possibility of electrical shock. Though electrical engineering offers desirable advantages, it also comes with personal risk and mild job security concerns. However, the advantages of a career in electrical engineering can certainly overcome the disadvantages for someone interested in the field.

1. Problem-Solving Skills

Regardless of their discipline, engineers are, at their core, problem solvers. This is particularly true in electrical engineering, where you are often required to think logically and apply a particular rule or concept to a problem in order to solve it.

This is easier said than done, of course, but there are numerous techniques that can improve your approach to problem-solving. It's pointless, after all, having all that expertise if you don't know how to troubleshoot issues or approach a new project in the right way.

2. Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is a broad skill that can be applied to a wide array of situations, but it's just as important in electrical engineering. Possessing the ability to approach things differently or take a different view to the norm can make a big difference when you are trying to achieve a certain goal with your project.

This includes analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the project or the problem in front of you and offering alternative solutions, approaches, and conclusions – all key aspects of critical thinking.

3. Basic Circuit Knowledge

Electrical design can become a very complex topic, especially where large installations are concerned (such as energy grids), or even within highly advanced pieces of small hardware, such as those used in smartphones. Therefore, if you're to have any hopes of getting to grips with it all, you need to first have a solid understanding of basic circuit design.

If you struggled with the fundamentals during your physics lessons in school, then you need to ask yourself if electrical engineering really interests you. Meanwhile, working on small (and safe!) projects at after-school clubs or in your own time can develop your knowledge and dexterity.

4. Enthusiasm for Learning

Although it's an essential and unavoidable step, having a degree is not the end of the educational road for an electrical engineer; in fact, it's just the beginning of your active learning journey.

Much of this is borne out of necessity. Electrical engineering is one of the fastest evolving and fiercely competitive engineering fields, so you'll need to be constantly up to date (particularly if you work in the product design and manufacturing sector). It's also a good quality to possess for your professional growth and development, too, with the ability to learn new things quickly being highly valued by top employers.

5. Communication Skills

There is barely a profession in the world where the ability to communicate isn't important, and electrical engineering is no different.

Whether it's understanding the needs and requirements of a client, working within project teams to develop or improve a piece of hardware, or working with other departments and stakeholders, communication skills are an essential part of the role.

 6. Organisational Skills

The ability to organise and manage your time is important for an electrical engineer, as much of your work will likely be time-sensitive or project-based, regardless of which area of engineering you specialize in.

It's not just in the workplace that these skills will come in handy, though. They will also prove invaluable during your studies, where you will be learning and comprehending complex topics on top of everything else that higher education demands. Being able to manage it all and stay on top – especially during exam season – will stand you in good stead.

7. Numerical Skills

A common issue for electrical engineering students is that their mathematical background is not strong enough. Therefore, it is important to focus on calculus at school, as well as taking as many maths-related electives as possible at university.

8. Creative Thinking Skills

Engineers are not just problem-solvers – they are pioneers. Whether it's on a grand scale or a simple one, the solutions they provide change the way we live; therefore, to be able to explore and implement such radical ideas, you need to be able to think outside the box.

This is especially true in the commercial sector, where electronics giants are constantly competing to develop new and exciting technologies; it's also an essential quality that top engineering schools look for in potential candidates. Remember: you can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you don't know how to be creative and explore new possibilities with it, then you're going to be left behind.

9. Work Ethic

A strong work ethic is another hugely important part of a successful engineer's makeup. 

 The typical workload for an electrical engineering student involves around four hours of additional work for every hour in class, a ratio that is also reflected in the workplace – particularly if you are working on a high-stakes, time-sensitive project. Therefore, you must be determined and willing to work until you find a solution to whatever technical problems you encounter in your role.

10. Programming Skills

Although the importance of coding is higher in some areas of electrical engineering than others, it's still a very useful skill to possess, particularly when working with low-level embedded systems or when analysing data.