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what jobs should i look forward to if i were to study electrical engineering

I'm questioning my career path and want to know what i might be doing for the rest of my life
#career #electrical-engineering

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Todd’s Answer

Chidera,

"Electrical engineering" is a broad field with so many paths that it defies clear boundaries. Many in EE (electrical engineering) are employed by utilities where they work with the generation and distribution of electricity. With a global push for renewable energy, there are many areas of pursuit within this realm. Other EE's are involved with computers, consumer electronics, controls, manufacturing, and so on. Only about 10% of engineers do what I do which is consulting. Thus, I help in the design and construction of buildings.

My work has allowed me to travel to nearly every state in America. During one single month a few years back, I got to see the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Gulf of Mexico. I've been deep inside some of the most amazing structures in existence that few people get to experience including the Hoover Dam. I've met so many fascinating people and heard such amazing stories! Without knowing what field of EE you think you might aim for, I don't know what else to talk with you about. You may wish to join IEEE soon if you pursue any career in EE as that membership will give you access to networking opportunities where you can spend time talking to others well along in their EE careers. That might give you a chance to visit with working engineers and find a field of endeavor that calls out to you. Once you have an idea of what sparks your interest, then you can find out more details on what exactly life is like on a day-to-day basis for those engineers.
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Rachael’s Answer

I am not an electrical engineer, but have worked with many. Every electronic device that you see around you from your iPhone to your refrigerator have likely been touched by an electrical engineer. There are circuit boards within all of these devices that must be designed by electrical engineers to perform a specific function. There is also "firmware" (software programs downloaded onto a chip on the board) written by electrical engineers (or programmers) that make the device function as desired. That new refrigerator that you bought likely has an iPhone app that goes with it to control the freezer temperature and alert you when the door is open. There are sensors in the refrigerator that report that information back to the firmware running on the device. That firmware knows how to send messages across Wi-Fi to your iPhone for notifications. All of this is electrical engineering! The programming or firmware development side of this is called "embedded programming"... the code is "embedded" in the chip. In the automotive industry, embedded programmers are in high demand. There are many modules on vehicles that need to talk to each other and those modules are programmed by embedded programmers... usually electrical engineers.
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Christopher’s Answer

Chidera,

That short question surely can cause an eruption of answers. As an Electrical Engineer, we concern ourselves with the electron. And let me tell you why our field is so broad and vast. If an electron moves, then the following will/can result:

  1. Amperage (Electricity)
  2. Heat/Cooling
  3. Magnetism
  4. Light (Fiber Optics, Holography)

With the above mentioned items, you unleash opportunities in high speed communications (RF, optical),

computer system design/interconnections, Data Center design, Power distribution/storage (AC, DC, from solar to wind to hydro-electric), computer chip design, laser design/implementation (DWDM, PON et al),  communication systems design (terrestrial, trans-oceanic and wireless) and so many more.  So you have a great many choices in terms of jobs...but before the 'job' quest, you may want to arouse your passions via exposure to the facets on EE in locally available STEM programs both at your school and on college campuses. After said exposure (and make sure you grab an EE and chat with him/her as well), you may just find that you'll have great clarity in your career direction and be drawn to your first opportunity with excitement. I hope you will join the ranks, we could use great 'question askers' like yourself :)
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