Recent ELE Grad needs career advice!

First let me congratulate you on receiving your degree. In term of what you want to do, it's really up to you. What really interest you?? Do you like to work with your hand?? Or do you rather do problem solving with your mind??

I started out as an industrial maintenance electrician. I like working with my hand and I like troubleshooting equipment to see what went wrong. After I got my EE degree, I change job and now I work in the industrial as an electrical engineer helping electrician troubleshooting equipments. It's still kind of like what I used to do, but I use more of my knowledge from school, as well as my 15 years experience as an electrician.

One thing I can say is that an electrical engineer is more than just doing electronic and code. Sometime you just have to "market" yourself into a position on what you want to do, and then go from there. Maybe management is your thing. There are engineer manager out there, too. The possibilities are endless. The bottom line is: What do you want to do??

MidniteFighter

The path of an engineer starts as a project type engineer, as you have, and you get specialized in a niche, like FPGAs. Different engineering types do the same in their area. You can see if the company has another niche you can jump into, or you can get some administrative experience and move into management. From the company;s point of view, if you move into another niche, they must then replace you, so they will be resistant. With experience you may be able to manage the FPGA group, get out of direct work.

All you can do is try them. If they refuse, you may have to give notice.

Best thing to do is join a number of ELE forums like this and look around and you might find the niche you want to live in, assuming you want to be a niched man.

Be patient.

Back in high school we had a career guidance session that didn't really help us make a choice. What I did was to talk to other people about their jobs. It helped me decide that that I wanted to be an electronics service technician (nicer name than "TV/stereo technician").

Guess what? After working as a service technician for about two years, I requested a transfer to the sound engineering department. That happened because I self-studied on the subject and decided I liked it. I proved myself and got in.

Then I studied fire alarm and security systems. 'Got hired to do that too!

Then I studied digital electronics and got another job doing digital design and troubleshooting.

Today, I work in instrumentation and I've been at it for 22 years, longer than all the other jobs combined.

So, my advice is similar, talk to people about their jobs and make a decision. Once you're there, you might decide to stick with it or move on to something else. 'Point is, always do your best.

Ok, I am an EE P.Eng with BSC.

Graduated in 1978, My first job was for a large company and I stayed for 16 years. Variable speed drive systems. Started with analog controls with DC motors. That progressed over the years and now includes AC Flux vector drives. Analog has been replaced with programmable controls. Fact of life, there is now lots of coding to be done.

Operator interfaces were originally push buttons, pilot lights and relays for logic. It is all programmable touch screens and logic controllers now.

I started as a graduate engineer, 8 years later I was the engineering manager for the company in Canada.

Left the company in '94 and spent 2 years in purgatory with a consulting firm.

For the last 11 years (almost 12 now) I have owned my own firm specializing in variable speed drive systems with integration of programmable MMI's and interfaces to mill wide information systems.

So, bottom line is what do you want to do when you grow up? (I never wanted to grow up, Peter Pan has too much fun.)

You can be an "intrapreneur" within your existing company and make your future jobs within that framework (done that). Be an entrepreneur and start your own company (done that too).

Find a job that fascinates you. Power systems will become BIG in the next few years as us old farts retire. There is a huge generation gap about to open up. Check your utility companies, motor manufacturers, nuclear power companies, power transmission companies. From the sounds of it you have a bit of a knowledge gap in power, and that is not necessarily your fault but a lack of available courses in the universities. The boomers took all the jobs, so the universities dropped the courses since no one could get a job, now the boomers are about to retire

Unless you are unhappy where you are, consider sticking it out for a second year or what ever it takes to get your P.Eng. That is a powerful ticket.

Unless you go back to school, don't quit your job until you have your next one. It is easier to get another job when you are already employed. Unemployed becomes unemployable.

Starting your own company without background experience is bound for failure (statistically, unless you are born with the Luck of the Irish). With your own company you are looking for 6 new jobs every month. There is a lot of uncertainty, good times and bad. Count on making no money for 6 months to 1 year. If that scares you, don't do it.

Many people are much happier working for a large firm, 9-5, regular holidays, with co-workers you like, and then go have a beer on Friday. If that is the case, put in your time, party in the evening, get a girl/boy friend, take up some hobbies, and do a bang up job for your employer. Most jobs are just that, a job to be done. (Do you eat to live, or live to eat?)

I am rambling...................

If you enjoy your co-workers, friends and family, and have outside activities any job is bearable. Have you taken up other activities or are you still bound to the university study type grind? ( I took up rock climbing, flying, camping, scouts, wife, 5 kids, and now ballroom dancing - competition level!).

If you want a job you live and breath for that is a rare treat, but friends and family and extra-curricular activities usually take a hit.

Hello....Sir...

Is there anyone that can help me get a job there....I am here in the Philippines...

Is that possible? I am an ECE but I hate to work here in the Philippine Government.

No career advancement and no better opportunities. I wish to get there, anywhere in the US to use my knowledge and learn more new things... i am interested in everything specially about IT Hardware & software and about Cars.... I am a third class mechanic also.....Thanks...

Perhaps you need to reconsider why you hate the job.

Most engineering jobs are not glamorous. They are long hours of hard work, with minimal advancement if you stay technical only. Some people are very happy with the technical routine, others are not.

If the problem is the group of people you are working with then always start by trying to figure out why, then how to change that. It can be everything from your attitude adjustment, or deciding the people you are with are fundamentally not your type, then look for a transfer within your company to finding a new job.

Immigration can begin by doing a google search of the countries you are interested and down loading the forms and applications. You do not usually need third party to fill out the forms, it just takes time and care. It takes years to get approval and is a long term plan.

Dear sir,

Please tell me , What is the correct way of writing BSc Engineering degree at the end of the name?

Is it BScEng or B.Sc.Eng or BSc(ENG) .....?

In my over 30 years as an EE, I have done everything from electronic work yes we even wrote code 30 years ago, teaching, and Power Engineering. Power pays best. I work trouble shooting industrial circuits every day usually a motor circuit or a motor operated valve of some type. Right now I am working on a re-wind project for a 22kv 1332 MVA generator. Teaching is most psychologically rewarding. Don't let yourself be pigeon holed. try everything. You are young and have plenty of time to find the area you most enjoy.

Do you like the engineering aspect of your job?

From my experience, engineers of different backgrounds can easily transition into different fields of engineering. My first response is to tell you to check out Mechatronics. Basically, it is an integration of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Basic application - auto braking systems. Mechanical brakes are electronically controlled to enhance vehicle safety (ABS, ESC, EBD). Another obvious discipline is robotics.

Of course you may find another discipline suits you better. My point is to explore any feasible possibility and don't get discouraged it may take a bit to find your niche. You may even decide to go back to school and get a graduate degree!

A Blind Person asked " Can there be anything worse than losing your sight?"

Great Man Replied "Yes, loosing your Vision"

Over my long career, as a principal power engineer with a major global manufacturer of electric utility products, I have concluded that no one is an engineer right out of college. One goes to college, studies, collects a degree then goes out into the world and learns how to be an engineer. The degree only gets you through the door, the rest is up to you.

You now have a foundation on which to build and, as others have mentioned, ultimately you will have to decide on your long term objectives. If it is job satisfaction and all the other things that go with it, then engineering is the right choice. If it is money, power, prestige, job security, etc., you've chosen the wrong field and should be considering business or law.

Assuming you chose engineering for a reason, if you aren't already a member, I would recommend joining the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and, since you mentioned Power Engineering, also the IEEE Power Engineering Society (PES) to begin building your network and exposing you to the various disciplines and opportunities. I cannot overstress the importance of networking and mentoring; particulary at this stage of your career.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

Knowledge never goes waste.

Do one job well

Make varieties of Transformers -all capacities/Specs.

Keep learning/Self-improving.

Never Stop being an analytical Engieer

At the service to Humanity