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Maybe it's because I went to an engineering school in NYC, but many of the EEs I know went into finance, consulting or law. I would say the main reason they didn't stick in engineering wasn't because there weren't EE jobs, but because the EE degree was in high demand in industries that paid a lot more than engineering.
The few EE jobs I see over-specify job requirements so vastly that they are really saying don't bother applying. They list stuff so specific to a program they bought and you must list exact experience with that one software package too, plus maybe 8 others, or don't apply.
The thing I see, is you did not keep up with the changes in this country, and that EE jobs, also are working with computers. You apparently want to do it the old way you were taught, and have not taken any classes, or workshops to stay current and able to fill the EE jobs of today. No one uses slide rules any more. The newer EE graduates do not even know what they are.
Today, accountants and book keepers for mid to larger companies, not only have to be able to know accounting practices, but how to use that knowledge along with working with certain computer programs to do the work they used to do by hand, and with spread sheets.
Today, auto mechanics at dealers have to be able to work with electronic systems, and computerized test equipment. The days of just twisting wrenches are over. 60+ years ago I worked in auto mechanic field, and was pretty good at it. I found I could make a lot more money in business and sales, and left it behind. For years I was very capable to keep my cars running and did my own work on our cars. Today, I only lift the hood to check the fluid levels, and belts before taking a trip.
Today, it does not matter what professional field you are in, you have to be prepared to work with computers and computerized systems. If you can't, you are out of the business.
As Mr. Zero above says, most of the EE graduates he knows, have moved into other fields that pay more because their EE degree was in high demand and paid a lot more in other industries where they could also use their EE training.
Today it does not matter what field you are in, you are going to required to be able to work with computer programs usable in your field, or there are no jobs. Remember even fast food restaurant employees have to work with computer operated equipment today.
Experts tell us, that over 50% of the jobs people will be working at in 2025, have not even been invented yet. That is how fast things are changing. If you have not kept up with the changes in EE, you are not going to find a job as an EE.
OP: get into Telecom work. A lot of postings will be for software people for phones, but if you want some challenging EE work look into working for a company that owns the internet's backbone: AT&T, Level 3, Centurylink, Sprint, Google (their fiber division), etc. That's where the real money is in that type of field.
The thing I see, is you did not keep up with the changes in this country, and that EE jobs, also are working with computers. You apparently want to do it the old way you were taught, and have not taken any classes, or workshops to stay current and able to fill the EE jobs of today. No one uses slide rules any more. The newer EE graduates do not even know what they are.
Today, accountants and book keepers for mid to larger companies, not only have to be able to know accounting practices, but how to use that knowledge along with working with certain computer programs to do the work they used to do by hand, and with spread sheets.
Today, auto mechanics at dealers have to be able to work with electronic systems, and computerized test equipment. The days of just twisting wrenches are over. 60+ years ago I worked in auto mechanic field, and was pretty good at it. I found I could make a lot more money in business and sales, and left it behind. For years I was very capable to keep my cars running and did my own work on our cars. Today, I only lift the hood to check the fluid levels, and belts before taking a trip.
Today, it does not matter what professional field you are in, you have to be prepared to work with computers and computerized systems. If you can't, you are out of the business.
As Mr. Zero above says, most of the EE graduates he knows, have moved into other fields that pay more because their EE degree was in high demand and paid a lot more in other industries where they could also use their EE training.
Today it does not matter what field you are in, you are going to required to be able to work with computer programs usable in your field, or there are no jobs. Remember even fast food restaurant employees have to work with computer operated equipment today.
Experts tell us, that over 50% of the jobs people will be working at in 2025, have not even been invented yet. That is how fast things are changing. If you have not kept up with the changes in EE, you are not going to find a job as an EE.
So, in a nutshell, you are saying that an electrical engineering degree retains value today, just not in finding a good job as an electrical engineer. Is this correct?
In some areas of electrical engineering I can only turn up job hits in areas of California and Boston. Hardly any other place in the USA lists any position at all.
I was going to say that in my area, there are plenty of EE jobs. I would see something that interests me and want to apply until I see they are looking for an EE.
But i'm in Boston, and as you said, it's a hotbed for EE's and ME's as well.
i think analog communications (discrete <-> continuous transforms/dsb radio telecom/snr signal analysis/...) and digital communications (which bleeds into computer engineering) will remain active for the foreseeable future but like most things engineering it wont be customer facing:
avionics/akamai/emc/lockheed/boeing/university lab research centers/...
I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering, always worked as an engineer. Most of career in biomedical engineering, medical instruments, medical imaging, lab automation systems for research, also as a LabVIEW programmer for test engineering applications, manufacturing, production systems, etc. Worked with tons of electrical engineers, biomedical engineers, etc. I graduated with huge numbers of EE's as it was a real popular degree 30 years ago.
Today I hardly see a job in the wide area field of EE outside a few in DoD companies who remain as the only employer of EE's and other engineers seems like. Many of my classmates and former co-workers have gone off to IT, in fact almost 100%. Not a single classmate from 30 years ago shows anything connected to electrical engineering as current work on LinkedIn profiles. A few co-workers from one job still work as engineers, but it is few and far between.
I did some job searches, hardly a single job in most areas of EE or closely related. A few that we would have called base entry type jobs, more for beginners or new hires are found. In some areas of electrical engineering I can only turn up job hits in areas of California and Boston. Hardly any other place in the USA lists any position at all.
The few EE jobs I see over-specify job requirements so vastly that they are really saying don't bother applying. They list stuff so specific to a program they bought and you must list exact experience with that one software package too, plus maybe 8 others, or don't apply. They might also list areas so wide that it was formerly ten guys sounds like, something like "we are consolidating our work and increasing efficiency, apply if you want to die from over-work". That is all that is out there, outside again California and a bit thinner but some still in Boston.
Looks dead to me, outside DoD. DoD will always hire and we need some DoD in USA. We would not be the same country without that. Most of the rest of the former employers of EE's seem long gone. Plants that hired as many as 25,000 EE's and techs are all moved outside USA and one I did work for is long gone. Research positions in EE have disappeared, making them the most gone or dead EE jobs. Of course my area is R&D. Companies seem not willing to spend on engineering departments unless they can make a buck quickly, then looks like some just let the whole team go at that point basically not looking for new products to develop. Not much out there.
Electrical Engineers are badly needed in the automotive industry, specially in powertrain (for hybrids/electrical) and engine controls. Companies like GM and Ford have a hard time atracting EE partly because EE are more atracted to other type of industries. Considering cars now are moving computers I wish more EE's would keep this in mind.
There is stark difference between using a computer as an enabling tool, and worshiping the all-mighty computer as the totality of all worthy knowledge. Carpenters must be skilled in wielding a hammer, but one presumes that few carpenters would call themselves hammer-engineers.
It's true that computers are relentlessly automating rote tasks, and any task where an "effective procedure" can be implemented. Even so, it's a disservice to STEM and to our intellectual culture to so venerate computers are the only emergent pinnacle for technical work.
From my perch, I don't see a shortage of EE jobs per se, as EE has been amongst the more thriving of the classical engineering disciplines (as compared to mechanical, aerospace, naval, and civil; it's perhaps second only to chemical and petroleum). But I do see abeyance of classical EE jobs, in favor of software and signal-processing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtrader
The thing I see, is you did not keep up with the changes in this country, and that EE jobs, also are working with computers. You apparently want to do it the old way you were taught, and have not taken any classes, or workshops to stay current and able to fill the EE jobs of today. No one uses slide rules any more. ...
Some of my colleagues (aerospace engineers) are of oldtrader's generation (one fellow started during the first Eisenhower administration, and was already quite experienced by the time that Sputnik roiled the American consciousness and spurred so much emphasis on STEM), and they still use sliderules. Given the clampdown on computer network security, software restrictions and the like, often a sliderule is faster. Can't get a Matlab license installed? That's why we still have handbooks with integral-tables and special-functions.
There is stark difference between using a computer as an enabling tool, and worshiping the all-mighty computer as the totality of all worthy knowledge. Carpenters must be skilled in wielding a hammer, but one presumes that few carpenters would call themselves hammer-engineers.
It's true that computers are relentlessly automating rote tasks, and any task where an "effective procedure" can be implemented. Even so, it's a disservice to STEM and to our intellectual culture to so venerate computers are the only emergent pinnacle for technical work.
From my perch, I don't see a shortage of EE jobs per se, as EE has been amongst the more thriving of the classical engineering disciplines (as compared to mechanical, aerospace, naval, and civil; it's perhaps second only to chemical and petroleum). But I do see abeyance of classical EE jobs, in favor of software and signal-processing.
Some of my colleagues (aerospace engineers) are of oldtrader's generation (one fellow started during the first Eisenhower administration, and was already quite experienced by the time that Sputnik roiled the American consciousness and spurred so much emphasis on STEM), and they still use sliderules. Given the clampdown on computer network security, software restrictions and the like, often a sliderule is faster. Can't get a Matlab license installed? That's why we still have handbooks with integral-tables and special-functions.
I graduated 50 years ago and could always program. Yes I could and probably still can use a slide rule but I doubt I have in 40 years. Computers are simply the tools of the trade.
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