An electrical engineer is an engineer that deals with and develops electrical systems. An electrical engineer has the ability to work in various areas that involve electricity; cities powers grids, computer technology, and even car repair. If you want to become an electrical engineer you will need a college degree. You must also be predisposition to creative and inventive thought processes. The average starting salary for an electrical engineer is around forty thousand dollars a year.
To begin your electrical engineer training you must enroll in an electrical engineer training program at an accredited university or trade school. Most colleges have a list of things you have to complete before enrolling in an engineering program. Some of these things might include learning assessments, remedial courses to refresh any subjects you may be having difficulty with, or courses that are pre requisites to the beginning engineering courses. Pre requisites are course materials that must be completed to a certain degree of satisfaction before being accepted into a degree program. For engineering these will probably include several math and science courses.
When accepted you will then be required to take course work relating to and only to electrical engineer training. The course work includes but is not limited to, computer programming, electrical circuits, engine/machinery technologies, calculus, integrated circuits, and maybe robotics or power systems and communication systems. It is very important to know that any electrical engineer training will be based heavily on math and physics.
Typically in the course of completing electrical training you will be required to participate in some form of internship or apprenticeship. This is to ensure you have learned all the things you need in order to do the job. During the course of an internship you will be required to shadow an experience electrical engineer as well as perform tasks that would be expected for your job description. It has been found that on the job training helps to better prepare the student for situations that cannot be simulated in a class setting.
It is important to realize that many employers will require a master’s degree or higher before employing you in a lead engineer position. After completing your degree there is a licensing process to complete as well. This is a three part process. During the course of your master’s degree you will often complete the first requirement which is to take and pass the Initial Fundamentals of Engineering exam. This will qualify you as an engineer in training. You have to hold this position for no less than two years during which you will gain on the job knowledge that will prepare you for your final licensing exam.
This exam is called the Principles and Practice of Engineering. After completing this exam you will be considered a fully licensed engineer. While it is a long process the benefits of receiving proper electrical engineer training far outweigh the costs. Often you can even short cut the process by completing a few courses ahead of time while you are enrolled in High school.
