Sunday, January 15, 2012

What Does a Electrical Engineer Do?

An electrical engineer has many potential job functions but most work on designing products that are powered by or produce electricity. Sometimes, an electrical engineer will dedicate his or her time to a single electrical product. While there are millions of potential products an electrical engineer may work on, some examples include medical technology, cellular phones, handheld gaming systems, and airline navigation systems.

When beginning a project, an electrical engineer usually starts by figuring out the purpose of the product. He or she will then plan the circuitry and wiring of the electronic components. A prototype is generally built on which extensive tests are conducted in order to make sure the plans work as designed, and that all of the components work well together. An electrical engineer might also test broken products in order to find out where they went wrong and how the design can be altered to prevent its recurrence. He or she might be responsible for examining existing products that have no known or significant problems simply to uncover whether they can be improved.

Often working in a group with other engineers, an electrical engineer must be proficient in the use of a wide array of engineering and design software and a variety of laboratory equipment. He or she must also be able to provide detailed instructions for the manufacture and use of the final product. The engineer is often responsible for overseeing the installation of the product to ensure it is installed properly and safely.

In order to become an electrical engineer, one must have a thorough knowledge of engineering and technological concepts. He or she must be experienced in the use of computers and electronics, as well as have a strong background in mathematics, physics, design, production, and processing. The effective electrical engineer must also be able to troubleshoot problems, be effective at adapting to new situations as they arise, think critically about potential solutions to problems, and show great attention to detail.

In the United States, a bachelor's degree is usually the minimum education required for entering this field, but many electrical engineers also have master's or doctoral degrees. These degrees are typically in the fields of engineering, applied science, technology, science, or engineering management. Either degree must be accompanied by professional certification prior to practicing as an electrical engineer in the United States or Canada.

No comments:

Post a Comment