What do Electrical Engineers Do?

An electrical engineer is someone who designs and develops new electrical equipment, solves problems and tests equipment. They work with all kinds of electronic devices, from the smallest pocket devices to large supercomputers.

Graduates with electrical engineering degrees can choose from careers in a wide range of engineering industries. Here’s what you could do in each.

Aerospace industry
Automotive industry
Chemical industry
Construction industry
Defense industry
Electronics industry
Fast moving consumer goods industry
Marine industry
Materials and metals industry
Oil and gas industry
Pharmaceuticals industry
Power generation industry
Rail industry
Telecoms

Electrical engineers usually work in a lab, an office, a mine or in industrial plants. An electrical engineer usually can pursue a technical career in any industry. They usually supervise computer programmers, electricians, scientists and other engineers. A typical work week is composed of 40 hours although there might be some overtime to meet deadlines.

An electrical engineer also spends a lot of time doing project management, such as meeting with clients, determining budgets and preparing project schedules. Engineering projects usually require written documentation, so strong writing and communication skills are important.