Electricity is
ubiquitous from your personal cellular to large transportation
systems such as the subway or planes. Since its invention,
electricity has made our life much easier and convenient. But
electricity would be only an energy source without people
creating and maintaining equipments or applications using it.
Electrical engineers are the people who create, improve and
maintain electronic devices and equipments. Because of the
ubiquity of electricity, electrical engineers can be found in
any industrial branches of the economy and may work on as many
different products as cars, robots, cell phone systems, or
lighting and wiring systems in buildings. Indeed, whether you
take a look at the personal electronic, plane or automotive
industry electrical engineers play a core role designing the
circuits and electronics parts, testing designs and improving
them.
As the field of work for
electrical engineers is wide, there is a common distinction made
between an electrical engineer and an electronic engineer.
Electrical engineers typically deal with large-scale electrical
systems such as power transmission and motor control, whereas
electronic engineers typically deal with the study of
small-scale electronic systems such as computers and integrated
circuits
How to become an electrical
engineer? If you want to embrace a career as an electrical
engineer, you are generally required to graduate from college in
engineering. Just like any other engineering career, you will
need to have excellent grade in mathematics and science to study
in an engineering schools. Being a science-oriented student is
not enough, you will be required to have good skills in English,
social studies, and computers. Most recruiters also expect their
engineers to be creative, curious, logical, detail-oriented and
good team-workers.
In the U.S., there were about
299,000 electrical engineers and electronics engineers in 2004.
Most of them worked for companies manufacturing medical device,
communications equipment, or electronics. Despite varying
greatly from one sector to another, electrical engineers earn in
average $67,340. Besides prospects for electrical engineers are
very good since jobs are expected to grow about as fast as the
average for all occupations through 2014.
