How to Become an Electrical Engineer

If you are eager to learn how to become an electrical engineer, you landed at the right place. Having a career approach that makes you ask questions about how to enter into the territories of one of the fastest-growing and evolving fields helps you stand out for the years to come. Reason?

According to Indeed, the annual salary of an electrical engineer in the US is around  $104,886 per year, making it a promising career choice with a high return on your efforts and investment.

This blog post will help you discover how to become an electrical engineer by opting for the right academic and career choices to help you grow and shine in the industry.

How Long Does It Take To Become An Electrical Engineer?

Becoming an electrical engineer typically begins with earning a bachelor’s degree, typically taking around four years to complete. These programs provide a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for entry-level positions in the field. Some programs offer accelerated options that allow students to earn their degrees in as few as three years with the right time commitment.

A Path to Career Advancement

For those looking to advance their careers and take on higher-level positions and projects, the value of pursuing a master’s degree becomes apparent. These advanced degrees can take two to three years to complete but are a testament to the dedication and passion of those who choose to pursue them.

Boosting Your Credentials

Some may pursue licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) after graduation. This process involves passing two exams: 

• The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)
• Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams

The FE exam can typically be taken immediately after graduation, but the PE exam requires around four years of work experience. Pursuing licensure can extend the timeline by several years but significantly enhance career prospects and earning potential.

The Road to Becoming an Electrical Engineer

The journey to becoming an electrical engineer can vary in length depending on one’s aspirations and goals. For those seeking entry-level positions, the process typically takes about four years. 

Pursuing advanced degrees, specialized certifications, or licensure can extend the timeline to a decade or more. Each additional qualification obtained can open up new opportunities and increase the potential for career growth and advancement. 

6 Easy Steps to Become an Electrical Engineer

Here is a list of the steps that will guide you on how to become an electrical engineer:

1. Obtain a bachelor’s degree
2. Pass the exam and become an EIT
3. Consider pursuing a master’s degree
4. Benefit from internships and cooperative programs
5. Earn work experience 
6. Pass the PE electrical and power exam to acquire the PE license

1. Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree

To become an electrical engineer, you’ll need to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited college. Students with bachelor’s degrees in relevant subjects, such as physics, software, and electronic or mechanical engineering, may also be considered by some organizations.

You can specialize in one of the following areas within the fundamental overview of electrical engineering:

• Communications
• Computer Hardware
• Control Systems
• Power Systems

2. Pass the Exam and Become an EIT

After earning a bachelor’s degree, students can take the FE Electrical examination, which consists of 110 problems and lasts six hours. Though it is an optional step, taking and clearing the exam will assist you in landing a job in a growing firm or sector.

After passing the FE exam, you will be given the Engineer-in-training (EIT) title, which will help you obtain the PE license afterward.

Exploring this FE Exam resource is worthwhile if you want to advance your career as a professional electrical engineer.
Passing the exam is a key step in your engineering career. It is the first step towards becoming a licensed professional engineer and opens the doors to higher-level job opportunities.

3. Consider Pursuing a Master’s Degree

Even though a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering provides a solid foundation in engineering and equips candidates for entry-level positions, you can go the extra mile and acquire a master’s degree.

Pursuing a master’s degree will help you present yourself as a strong contender and can pave the way toward high-level roles that would otherwise be out of reach with only a bachelor’s degree.

4. Benefits From Internships and Cooperative Programs

Students wishing to become electrical engineers can benefit from cooperative programs available at several ABET-accredited institutions to acquire practical experience while pursuing their degrees.

These programs integrate classroom learning with on-the-job experience to teach candidates their corporations’ rules, regulations, and workflows.

Internships offer a comparable experience and are becoming increasingly popular. They can help students gain a thorough understanding of electrical engineering and earn significant experience before getting their foot into the workforce.

5. Earn Work Experience 

Look out for an entry-level electrical engineering role after fulfilling the academic and practical prerequisites for employment. You need at least four years of experience under a licensed Professional Engineer to acquire the PE license and become an electrical engineer. 

6. Pass the Exam to Acquire the PE License

Finally, becoming an electrical engineer requires taking and passing the PE Electrical and Power exam to earn the PE license. The PE license will help you enhance your abilities, expand your career, and attain reverence from your fellow employees.

In fact, most employers demand engineers to hold a PE license for several job positions, making them more worthy and stand out from other applicants.

What Does an Electrical Engineer Do?

Let’s now look at what electrical engineers do and what responsibilities and tasks form most of their typical workday.

Duties

• Equipment Repair: Assist Maintenance professionals with equipment repair.
• Documentation: Record in documents all electrical design changes and updates. Ensure documentation is upto date.
• Designing Electrical Systems: Design new electrical engineering and control systems. Work with the team to ensure a smooth roll-out.
• System Utilization and Performance: Perform with team staff and external professionals to supervise and enhance site electrical systems utilization.

Responsibilities

Troubleshooting And Resolving Issues: At times, specific issues arise relevant to areas of work for electrical engineers. This is where an electrical engineer gets to work in order to help identify, resolve, and ensure that an issue does not arise in the near future again.

Developing And Testing Prototypes: It is an integral part of the job of any electrical engineer to give a usable form to their ideas in the form of prototypes. Then these prototypes are put to the test by them to work on improvements and usability.

Conducting Research and Analysis: In order to be able to improve processes and different electrical components, it is imperative to conduct regular research and analysis to find out opportunities for the creation of new technologies.

Ensuring Compliance with Safety Standards and Regulations: It is critical in the field of electrical engineering to ensure compliance with not only safety but health standards as well as other different regulations. This is because some of the work electrical engineers perform or oversee can be hazardous to health and life if rules and guidelines are not followed.

Where Do Electrical Engineers Work? Work Environment & Industries

Electrical engineers can work in various settings, including:

• Research laboratories
• Manufacturing facilities
• Engineering services firms
• Federal government
• IT
• Manufacturing
• Telecommunications
• Aerospace

These professionals also work in industries that design and manufacture electronic and digital devices, including companies that produce navigational, electrical, and medical instruments and equipment. A significant number of electrical engineers work in the telecommunications industry.

4 Mistakes Electrical Engineers Make in Their First 5 Years Out of University

Here, we discussed 4 common career mistakes Electrical Engineers make in their first 5 years out of university. Avoid these mistakes and make your career successful.

Mistake #1: Overlooking Technical Skills by Not Pursuing Challenging Assignments

Whether you’ve picked the TI-36X-Pro, Cassio/HP, or any other eligible calculator, you should thoroughly practice all relevant functions and know your way around it. You must also know how to switch between the different modes quickly and efficiently to save time on the FE Electrical and PE Power Exam. 

Ideally, you should stick with the same one throughout your entire preparation period so that you understand the ins and outs of your FE calculator. 

Spend at least 30 – 45 minutes learning the basic functions of the calculator. We recommend Casio FX 115 because it is affordable and simple to use. A lot of students also use TI-36X Pro. Right away, the most important functions I can think of are rectangular–polar conversion, matrix, and binary-decimal-hex-octal conversions.

Note:
For More Pro Tips Like these, enroll in my FE Electrical Course. To get started, check out the FREE Webinar now!

Mistake #2: Underestimating the Value of Good Mentors

A mentor is someone with knowledge and experience in your field willing to share what they’ve learned. Although a good mentor is difficult to find, the right mentorship can be incredibly helpful and provide practical knowledge that usually takes years of experience to learn.

John Crosby once said, “A mentor is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”

Mistake #3: Putting off FE and PE Exams Due to Procrastination

One of the biggest regrets of students who take the FE and PE exams after many years in the workforce is that they wish they’d taken it right after university, back when all the knowledge was fresh in their minds. Although possible, taking the exams many years after is far more difficult as you must re-learn everything. Additionally, you receive the benefits of being licensed much earlier in your career. Given these reasons, it would be wise for you to get the FE and PE Exams out of the way as soon as possible.

Mistake #4: Not Having a Clear Vision of Where to Go With Their Career

“He who fails to plan plans to fail.” Not having a clear vision of where you want to take your career can lead to many regrets. If you don’t have a clear or even rough idea of where your career will be in the next few years, you might end up staying at a job too long or miss opportunities that would otherwise have helped you immensely. Many engineers cherish the younger years of their careers when traveling abroad and seeing the world, and if you can plan out your career, you may be able to determine if and when those opportunities will be right for you.

Career Advice for Electrical Engineering Graduates

Obtaining a degree in electronics and electrical engineering is a significant achievement. It opens the door to a prosperous and long-lasting job that can offer you the opportunity to create or improve technical wonders such as solar panels and windmill generators.

However, earning your degree is only one of the initial stages toward obtaining your first relevant professional position in the sector. Therefore, getting career advice for electrical engineering graduates is necessary.

1. Take the FE Exam

While a license as an entry-level electrical engineer is not necessary for the United States of America, you may take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam if you intend to advance your career.

The FE test is the first step in becoming a certified qualified engineer. Clearing the FE test is necessary before taking the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, which is the next exam required to become a professional engineer. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited university, you can sit for the FE exam.

2. Consider Taking Courses

After receiving your electrical engineering degree, you should enhance your education by completing extra electrical engineering coursework to differentiate yourself from the competition.

However, always keep your career objectives in mind. For example, if you want to be a part of creative programs and research, or if you want to teach electrical engineering, you should consider getting a doctorate.

A Master’s degree in electrical engineering, on the other hand, may be sufficient for leading other engineers on massive projects or taking on the PE exam with a better approach. You can also consider concentrating on a specialized field, such as network systems engineering.

Individual programs or diploma courses might also help you enhance your abilities further. Electrical engineers must also have strong writing, math, and communication skills, so taking classes on sites like Coursera or EdX is a promising idea.

3. Build a Network

Contact your school’s career advisers for electrical engineering careers guidance and ask if there are any particular employment possibilities for electrical engineers at firms where alums work. To get started in the field, look out for an internship. You may also use your school’s career advisory department’s help to develop and refine your  CV and enhance your interviewing skills.

Think about joining a professional network, such as your institution’s alum group or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), to interact with other electrical engineers in the sector. You may utilize these specialized networks to identify guides who can provide you with practical electrical engineering professional guidance or direct you to job opportunities.

4. Find an Entry-level Electrical Engineering Job

This may look like the obvious choice, but when it comes to electrical engineering careers, looking for a beginner-level job or position is the ultimate tip and guidance anyone can give you.

Explore alum groups, attend job fairs, and make job posting boards and websites your true friend. Glassdoor and Indeed should become your favorite sites. Also, experts recommend dropping off your resume to potential employers by hand to land an entry-level electrical engineering job.

So please do not be hesitant, be confident and go on and present yourself fiercely to companies for them to recognize and employ the potential you have genuinely.

Conclusion

Electrical engineering is shaping the world as we see it today into something more inclusive of upcoming digital, industrial, and computing technologies. It is impossible to oversee or undermine the potential of this promising field in the direction the world is going.

The roadmap we discuss on how to become an electrical engineer will help you pace up your journey towards becoming a licensed professional engineer.