So what's it really like...

[BigDon]

Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Studying Electrical Engineering takes a lot of discipline, as some of the posters mentioned, but if you're focused, you can get through it. I worked in electronics manufacturing for new industrial and medical products before moving to the construction industry.

Some of the good parts of the career:
* Designing products and seeing them go to market.
* Solving problems that at first seemed very difficult.
* Getting patents approved.

Some of the downsides:
* Salary is lower than expected, especially when considering the hours you put in.
* The threat of out-sourcing/layoffs is very high in manufacturing. (Three of my former companies are out of business.)
* PE Licensing is unnecessary in manufacturing, which may have lead to the stagnant wages, but that's another issue.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

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..

But the problem is that over 50% of the engineers currently working in this field are expected to retire in the next 5 years or so.
Don

 

[chris kennedy]

But the problem is that over 50% of the engineers currently working in this field are expected to retire in the next 5 years or so.
Don

I would like to read the source of that info. Do you have a link?

 

[cschmid]

Yes that is good info but how many engineers are looking for work..I feel since I have already got 5 yrs of college it should not be that hard and it should be something I can do as I grow old..

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Chris,
I was off a bit, this study says about 40% will be eligible to retire by 2009. Other studies that I have read use the 50% figure. Most have been published by the utilties or their associations.
Don

 

[WDeanN]

Chris,
I was off a bit, this study says about 40% will be eligible to retire by 2009. Other studies that I have read use the 50% figure.

Don,
That's good news for me. I should have my PE by then. I was beginning to think I was getting too specialized. I didn't really want to get into power systems, but $$ can change my mind.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

WDeanN,

I didn't really want to get into power systems, but $$ can change my mind.

That seems to be one of the issues of getting people to go into power engineering....it remains one of the lower paying engineering fields, but a looming shortage should improve this if we don't either export the work or import engineers from other areas of the world.
Don