So what's it really like...

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DavidA

DavidA

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Fresno, CA
I'm currently investigating electrical engineering as a future career for myself. However, after searching through the forums it sounds like electro-mechanical engineering would be more to my liking. I'm really just looking for some specific information about either field. What an average day is like, high points, low points, day to day frustrations. The kind of stuff they just don't cover in community college career brochures. Thanks for the info.
 
One of the great things about electrical engineering, is that you can do so many different things with a EE degree. Most of the EE's you find on this forum probably do consulting. I do. But more EE's probably get design jobs with large firms.

Even in the design jobs, the different fields vary greatly on what the engineers do. There is electronics, electro-mechanical, power engineering, software and computer engineering, telecommunications and radio/TV. The list goes on and on.

It is also entirely possible to switch fields after school.

If you finish school and find out you don't like engineering, then management type jobs are often available. Many engineers complete a Masters in Buisness Admin. right after getting their engineering degree, and never do engineering. (However, it sound very unlikely you wouldn't like engineering.)

I even heard of an insurance company that hired engineers straight out of school. They knew that engineers make it through a very tough college program, and therefore have to be fast learners. This company would put the engineers in a intensive 6 month program to teach them the insurance business. (Of course, the engineers were getting paid this whole time.)

BTW: although engineering jobs can be very different, the schools generally have two things in common. Lots of math, and a very tough fast paced program. Be prepared to study a lot, and even then you will find yourself very frustrated at times. But stick with college and engineering,it is worth it.

By the way: If you haven't already picked a school, the University of Illiniois consistently ranks in the top three electrical engineering colleges in the country.

Steve
 
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I have also been considering becoming an engineer I would like to consult and design but i am more into the electro mechanical area.. I have already designed PLC programs and automated wood fired boiler operations I have helped design and build several items to help reduce repetitive motion injuries..I like this type of work and find it rewarding..Yet as I search schools in the area they are not focused on the areas I want..I found one that has 2 years of you pick the focus and specialty areas and work toward your goal..I would like to know how you get your specialty areas picked out in school..I don't care about computer science or aero space neither one appeal to me..I want something that makes a difference in the life I am in..so tell us about the meetings, the legal areas, stuff like that..
 
I agree with Steve66...in my opinion, the whole Engineering degree thing is just to prove that you can take a beating for 4 years and survive. :grin: As a consultant, I would say I use about 5% of what I studied in school. That being said, it is still a fun career, and there is a never-ending list of new things and technology to learn. If you're going to be specifying it, you better know how it works (or more importantly, where to find the information on how it works, and apply it). If you choose to be a consultant, I can't think of any better source of information than this forum...so you've already found a big piece of the puzzle.
 
BSEE gives you many options in Manufacturing enviroment. I also have seen Engineers who work in other fileds, just like steve66 mentioned. Sale reps.for various products/Companies , maintenance supervisor/manager, controls, design eng etc. You have to decide what you like the most. Also, you have to understand the fact that your starting salary may not be as high as you like it to be, even after many years being in the same field, it will get to the point where you will hit the top salary range ( based on companies' policy or potential..). I think EEs do not get the respect they deserve compare to other types of engineers/ing. just like electrical trades; compare to other trades.As an EE, in a way, more you know in other fields more valuable/marketable you become. Not to under estimate computer programming, I still do not understand the salary gap; where a good programmer earns 6 digits without any problems, an EE has to work very hard to get there.
Remember, no matter what we do for living. It makes a big difference based on who we work with, where we work at and what kind of an attitude we have,or we deal with.
 
cschmid said:
I have also been considering becoming an engineer I would like to consult and design but i am more into the electro mechanical area.. I have already designed PLC programs and automated wood fired boiler operations I have helped design and build several items to help reduce repetitive motion injuries..I like this type of work and find it rewarding..Yet as I search schools in the area they are not focused on the areas I want..I found one that has 2 years of you pick the focus and specialty areas and work toward your goal..I would like to know how you get your specialty areas picked out in school..I don't care about computer science or aero space neither one appeal to me..I want something that makes a difference in the life I am in..so tell us about the meetings, the legal areas, stuff like that..
Click to expand...

It sounds like, you like the controls side. If so, the best controls guys I know have mechanical engineering degrees. You have to understand the process before you can control it.

Electrical, unfortunately in most schools has become 90% focused on electronics. e.g. high tech (yuk). IMO, that field is dead. Most is being off-shored, and here in the US it requires you to constantly stay on top of the latest technology, therefore your always competing with the new guys cause they know the most current stuff.

Electrical power, unfortunately there are very few schools left that have a dedicated power program. Consequently, there is a huge shortage of engineers. The going rate, straight out of school, with no experience, is around $52k. Look at the course work for the program, see what is mandatory, and see what the electives are. That will give a good idea on what you will learn. For power, I 'll have to plug Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. For 15 years the engineering school has been rated as one of the highest/best in the country.:grin:
 
I worked for 10 years as an electrician before finally making it back to school to get my degree. I figure it will be another 10 before I make back the money I lost, in terms of time off the job, the lower pay I had to take an work as an intern (part time) when my other full time job disappeared, as well as money paid for college. The pay differential in not that much different (yet) (I've been out of school for 3 years) from what I could have made with overtime, etc.

To find a company that will appreciate your previous experience may take some time, and that will have to be taken into account as well. It took me a year to find a company that really looked at that, and didn't want to send me travelling all around the country to leave 2 kids and a wife behind. I wanted to get into machine controls, but ended up in power systems.

I don't get to spend nearly as much time in the field as I would like, but that was up to me. I could have taken one of the other jobs. Now I spend most of my time staring at a computer screen or sitting in meetings. I'd love to have the opportunity to strap my tools on and fix something. Of course, now I'm also on the other side of the fence, and although some of the electricians know of my past experience and union background, they would still file a complaint in a heartbeat if I so much as used a screwdriver to open a panel door.

But hey, in the long run I'll be ahead, and I won't be on a roof installing an a/c unit in the middle of summer when I'm 60.

(I really do enjoy my job, but it's not all that I expected / hoped for.) Just something else to think about before making the jump.
 
... my advice

... my advice

I suggest doing the Community College inexpensive route for the first 2 years, then finishing up at a 4-year school, preferably one that offers CO-OP opportunities.
I finished at Rochester Institute of Technology, where it took 3 years to finish the last 2 academic years - but I was able to try 3 different types of EE employment through the CO-OP program.
I learned very quickly that I didn't like the defense industry. I settled into plant engineering, which I thoroughly enjoyed. From there I went into Power Systems, from which I've transitioned into Critical Power Systems.
There's loads of opportunity and diversity within the EE curriculum.
But like the last post stated, be prepared to take a financial bump if you're gainfully employed.
Long term this is probably an easier profession to grow old with. I too spend allot of time in front of a computer screen, but in the critical power world of data centers and such, there's commissioning work that puts us in the field.

(edited because I didn't answer the question of "what's it really like?")

I'm really happy with my career choice. The pay is very good, and there's plenty of opportunity for side-hustle. Much of that satisfaction has to do with the company and people you work with - but generally speaking, I enjoy the work.

Good Luck
JM
 
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I am a recent EE graduate, may 2007. It is going to be a tough gruelling 4 to 6 years. Kiss the weekend goodbye. As an EE, more will be expected of you compared to the other branches, I am speaking from experience. If your reading to dive into the program, here are three classes that can sink you
( linear system or Signal and Systems, Electromagnetic fields and waves, Stochatical modeling random signals and process). This is were dreams are made or broken.

Make friends also, you by yourself won't be able to pick up everything. Form a study group of about 3-5 guys or gals.
 
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Two posts now that fly in the face of equality within the field:

{Moderator's Note: There's only one now. The other, being offensive in nature, has been deleted.}

"Make friends also, you by yourself won't be able to pick up everything. Form a study group of about 3-5 guys"

What, no women in engineering smart enough? I agree a group is a good idea, but we had two women in our group that were smart, funny, cute, and liked to drink beer. Better then hanging around with a bunch of pocket protector geeks.
 
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... gotta comment

... gotta comment

To electriciangirl:
{Moderator's Note: I am deleting this part, since it no longer applies. It refers to a reply to a comment that, being offensive in nature, has been deleted.}

To 72.5kV, I didn't take your "guys" comment as sexist. I took it as sex-neutral, and just read right through it. No sweat.... But next time jump into the frey and defend your remark, rather than just editing it out! And BTW, I totally agree with your course demons.. Linear Sytems was mine!
JM
 
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NOTE TO ALL MEMBERS, and in particular to several that recently contributed to this thread.

I have exercised my privileges and (as I see it) my duties as a Moderator, to delete one particularly offensive comment and to edit several posts that included replies to that comment. Call this ?censorship,? if you like. But this is a privately owned, even if publically accessible, Forum, and I am acting in accordance with what I understand to be the owner?s wishes.

We will keep the tone of this Forum polite, we will treat each other in a professional manner, and we will respect each other as fellow professionals. No remarks that offer insult to another member will be tolerated.
 
No sweat Charlie. "Censorship," by definition can only be done by the government, not private citizens. There is no expectation of free speech on a private board. Keep up the good work.

P.S. There were sizzling hot Engineering co-eds where I graduated from.
 
DavidA said:
I'm currently investigating electrical engineering as a future career for myself. However, after searching through the forums it sounds like electro-mechanical engineering would be more to my liking. I'm really just looking for some specific information about either field. What an average day is like, high points, low points, day to day frustrations. The kind of stuff they just don't cover in community college career brochures. Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...

I'm currently a senior in EE at the University of Cincinnati. We're a co-op school with a 5 year program, and over the past 4 years I've spent a total of six quarters (18 months) working full time at three different jobs. I've tried to focus on electromechanical topics as much as I could in classes and on co-op.

My first co-op job was working for a small company of 8-10 people here in Cincinnati. They describe themselves as a mechantronics consulting firm, where they apply modeling and signal processing to solve some mechanical problem, usually a dynamics/vibration issue. I loved working there and only left to get my feet wet in some other areas of engineering so I had a wide exposure. Take a look at www.sdltd.com to see some of their projects.

Time for bed - I'll post again tomorrow.

Jeremy
 
I was think there was an issue due to our deteriorating distribution system and our growing energy needs but the field is small due to the small numbers of companies actual in the distribution system..
 
I?m semi up the creak and would like some advice.

I went to a community collage and got my Business Administration and Science. I ended up as a machine operator building transmission sub assemblies. Some how the tossed me in technical.

Through work I have been to Japan 4 times in 3 years doing specialized training on for new machines that we were getting and to learn the computer systems that control everything. 34 hours a week I?m behind the control panels with my laptop and a USB cable checking the programs and trouble shouting. 14 hours a week I?m sitting in meetings.

Every time I finish a round of classes at VT they end up sending me to take more classes. There counselors hate me because the classes don?t work together towards a degree. I wish I had my EE but at the rate I?m going I will never get it. Right now I?m at $25an hour with the best benefits package that I can find.

Dose it sound like I?m under paid? I have nothing to base it off of.

Have I worked my self into a corner in the job market where I?m stuck where I?m at?

Should I quite taking the mix of classes there sending me to and go for my EE part time? They will pay for almost any class I take.
 
Daughter did the engineer route, did to much time in front of a computer and is now head first, and loving every minute of her work, with LEED certification and Green projects. Engineering opened the doors for her.

Having good genetics didn't hurt either...yes I know...her Mother.
 
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