What does electrical engineering entail?
Electrical engineering (Check out 7 low-key Firms where Electrical Engineers can work in Nigeria deals with the research about electrical components, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. The field of electrical engineering emerged as a profession with the discovery of electricity and electrical appliances.
Electrical engineering has various sub-disciplines which a person can choose to specialize in, they include computer engineering, systems engineering, power engineering, telecommunications, radio-frequency engineering, signal processing, instrumentation, photovoltaic cells, electronics, and optics, and photonics. Many of these fields of the electrical engineering profession inculcate the curriculum of other engineering fields such as mechanical and mechatronics engineering.
Most Electrical engineers hold a University or Institute of Technology degree in electrical engineering or electronic engineering. They may also possess other certifications and licenses, for example in Nigeria, the Council for the Registration of Engineers in Nigeria is the body charged with licensing all professional engineers in Nigeria
Since electrical engineers work in several industries, some skills are required to be a successful electrical engineer. Electrical engineers must be able to think critically, analyze situations and make reasonable decisions. They must also possess a good command of math and physics.
Top 5 courses that electrical engineers do in the university
- ENG 216 – Engineering Mathematics I
- ENG 217 – Strength of Materials
- ENG 321 – Engineering Mathematics IV
- EEE 513 – Digital Signal Processing
- EEE 521 – Electrical Services Design
(Note that the course codes might be different for your school)
Is Electrical Engineering difficult?
No/Yes. If you have a good command of mathematics and you can solve long equations with little or no errors, if you have good analytical skills and can give attention to many details, then go for electrical engineering. However, if you possess none of the above, then do yourself a favor and look for another course.
Studying engineering entails lots of hard work, you will spend most of your time in school doing practicals and going for field trips to companies.
You will also spend a lot of funds on purchasing practical materials. However, if you have a passion for electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism, then electrical engineering is a nice choice for you. If you’re studying the course just because of the name or because of family influence, you may be disappointed and get frustrated along the way.
How can I become a successful electrical engineer?
To become a successful electrical engineer, there are many steps you must take right from your time at school. The following tips will help you become a better and successful electrical engineer;
- Make good friends: it is said and agreed that ‘network is net worth’. Creating helpful networks starts in school. Make friends with people who can positively impact your life.
- Gain relevant experience: The world is increasingly becoming a skill-based economy. People employ you based on what you can offer to them. for a starter, during your holidays, apply to companies and serve them for free or paid service as an intern. This will greatly open up more opportunities for you in the future.
- Learn Digital software: since most electrical engineers spend their time planning designs for proposals, learning how to use software such as AutoCAD electrical will set you apart from others in the job market.
- Be Hardworking: No one needs to tell you that nothing comes for free in Life. All the successful people we admire today worked very hard to reach the point they are. As an aspiring electrical engineer, make hard work part of your life.
Are electrical engineers happy?
Job satisfaction entails ‘doing what you love doing for work’. Job satisfaction has recently become an important issue when it comes to career choice about 60% of the world’s workforce are not happy or satisfied with their job.
However, job satisfaction for electrical engineers is much better. According to PayScale, 3.9 out of 5 electrical engineers are satisfied with their jobs.
Author
Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.