Electrical Engineering Jobs: 7 major career options after BTech in ECE, EEE

By Chandrashekara S. Adiga & Sampath Kumar

Being one of the oldest fields of engineering, electrical engineering has undergone continuous developments with regards to the application area. The conventional DC and AC electrical machines have paved the way for miniature, table-top, auto-controlled machines. The modern power system incorporates recent technologies like artificial intelligence in automation. The training that a modern electrical engineer undergoes enables them to work in a wide range of fields.

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An electrical engineer in Manipal Institute of Technology, for instance, will undergo courses on data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, power electronics, solid-state controls and other, along with the conventional courses. They will be trained to debug the problems in the first phase of engineering itself when theoretical knowledge of the systems is imparted. In the second phase, the electrical engineering student will be exposed to practical systems under the supervision of a teacher, where they will be provided with sufficient knowledge about the system. The third phase is knowledge development where the candidate will have to find the root cause and search for the solution of a problem that is provided to them. In the last and final phase, the engineering candidate will undergo a major project where they have to formulate the problem and find the solution. With all the above training, an electrical engineer will be ready to face the industry of any type.

The following are some of the fields that offer engineering jobs to BTechs in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) and Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE).

Power industry

An electrical engineer can find a career in the electricity production units like, power system operators, state and central electricity boards. The role of the electrical engineer in these fields include design and commissioning of power supply systems, maintenance and repair of electrical power systems. In the current scenario, all industries require electrical engineers. The present-day industries rely on the quality and quantity of electricity supplied. They are required to ensure continuous power supply along with higher reliability levels. The industries will maintain an alternate power supply, which will be maintained by the electrical engineer. The role of an electrical engineer is to monitor and maintain both the continuity and quality of the power supply.

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Electronics

As electrical engineers are also trained in electronics, they are suitable for a career in electronic hardware and controller design fields as well.

Computer engineering

Electrical engineers also have the knowledge of computer science. They are capable of developing computer hardware and smart devices. There are several fields of computer science in which they can use their talents like cyber security, machine intelligence and designing electronic digital electronic systems.

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Communication industry

Electrical engineers can pursue a flourishing career in the communication field as they can design wireless networks with electronic devices. They can also create systems and products. Maintenance of equipment is also done by them.

Biomedical engineering

Electrical engineers can also enter biomedical engineering that allows them to create and transform products like medical equipment and implants.

Armed forces

An electrical engineer can enter any of the three armed forces. The recent technologies used in armed forces require skilled designers and operators of signal processing, target aiming, radar control, navigation systems, etc.

Microelectronics, nanotechnolgoy

Several branches have evolved from the basic electrical engineering branch, including electronics, communication, instrumentation, biomedical and media technology. An electrical engineer can try to get a master’s degree in any of these specialisations to find a different career opportunity. Microelectronics is one such field. If mechanical engineering knowledge is added to it, it opens up a new field known as the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). Both of these fields are expected to produce thousands of jobs in India in near future due to recent government policy changes. Similarly, the scope in nanotechnology and telecommunication fields are also increasing rapidly both in India and abroad.

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Lastly, engineers have the ability to innovate. An electrical engineer can also think of a start-up venture with an innovative idea or product. With numerous schemes of the union and state governments, the resources, investments and sponsorships have become easily accessible. Finally, some part-time jobs that an electrical engineer can get include online teaching, content writing, network marketing, and freelance skills. From microchips in machines to complex robot projects, all of that is the work of an electrical engineer. The career opportunities and job possibilities after electrical engineering are limitless.

Dr. Chandrashekara S. Adiga is from the department of electrical and electronics engineering and Dr. Sampath Kumar, from the department of electronics and communication engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).