<p>what does the job outlook look like for electrical engineers in california? say you have a bachelors in EE. </p>
<p>i keep on hearing all of this stuff about how the economy is bad and we are going through bad times yada yada yada. but are EE grads immune to all of this because technology keeps on getting more advanced?</p>
<p>hope so...and I hope the economy will get better in 2013 (when i graduate)</p>
<p>You're fine any engineering major.</p>
<p>Engineering graduates, in general, have many opportunities, even in "this" economy.</p>
<p>However, dont go into school thinking EE is immune. While it is unlikely that EE's will struggle to find work (at least in the near future), one thing that we should learn from the dear lesson Wall Street learned is that nothing is immune.</p>
<p>Our economy is going to be very, very different in a few years time. While we hope it's going to be for the better, unfortunaley, hope alone is not going to make a difference.</p>
<p>Wasn't the dot com bust not too long ago? I know a few EE's who had planned on entering the computer field but were unable to find a job, so they ended up switching to a non-EE related career.</p>
<p>Nothing is "immune" but the outlook is generally good.</p>
<p>My husband...an EE...says there is a huge shortage of EEs entering the field. He is an EE designer with a power specialty. Whenever there is an opening for an EE in his company, they have a lot of trouble filling it. This is on the East Coast...not CA.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My husband...an EE...says there is a huge shortage of EEs entering the field. He is an EE designer with a power specialty. Whenever there is an opening for an EE in his company, they have a lot of trouble filling it. This is on the East Coast...not CA.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Is he saying there's a huge shortage of EE's in general? or a huge shortage of power EE's. For whatever reason, not that many people are interested in power EE (at least that's what it seems to me).</p>
<p>Yeah I also agree with Ken 285 and that not a lot of people want to specialize in power. Most people like me want to specialize in electronics engineering like designing and building new cell phones, GPS systems, computers, etc. Also, I was wondering if it was possible to make 100K or higher 3-4 years after graduating with a Bachelors assuming you go on to pursue a Masters?</p>
<p>My husband is an EE design engineer...he does buildings...everything that is electrical about them...from lighting design to solar design to power to the wheres and whats of the power and lighting...and phones and computer lines, etc. He is not an electronics EE...he is a designer for buildings. There is a huge shortage of folks going into his field of EE.</p>
<p>UCLA doesn't even have Power option...I wonder what schools have that options nowadays?</p>
<p>My husband learned most of what he learned about power ON THE JOB. He makes a great salary but it is based on his expertise, not on his degrees. He has designed a huge variety of facilities ranging from things as small as a renovation of a small building to large processing facilities the size of three or four football fields. He's done hospitals, theaters, schools, outdoor lighting, stadiums, you name it. He has worked with both private and government agencies. He has a ton of experience and THAT is what he is paid for. I asked him how likely it was for an engineer with 3-4 years of experience to earn $100K and he said...not likely...no matter WHAT degree they have. They just wouldn't have the experience to command that type of salary in most cases. In the design field, a PE is also necessary for those who want to command a higher salary...and I think you have to have more than 3 years of experience to take the PE exam.</p>
<p>To be honest Thumper, that is how any career is. Your first job will depend highly on the degree but beyond that it all comes from your experience. And the way to get experience is to work for a company that will allow you to expand and branch out into different areas. That, in my opinion, is the most ideal setting for an engineer to start in.</p>
<p>So after about how many years of experience do you think an EE can get 100K or more? Also, I want to go into management and may pursue an MBA after I graduate. Would this increase my likelihood of getting a good paying job as the manager of some company? I would like to earn 100K sometime in my lifetime and I am wondering how long it will take if I become an EE that specializes in electronic devices.</p>
<p>my dad is a director of engineering in a company in CA. he says that getting a job is much more difficult than before because interviews are taken seriously. if a person needs a green card, he or she will probably be discarded because of the additional costs. but since this applies to people outside the US who apply to small companies, big firms such as Qualcomm might be a bit immune to this practice. still, there's always a possibility.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So after about how many years of experience do you think an EE can get 100K or more? Also, I want to go into management and may pursue an MBA after I graduate. Would this increase my likelihood of getting a good paying job as the manager of some company? I would like to earn 100K sometime in my lifetime and I am wondering how long it will take if I become an EE that specializes in electronic devices.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Getting an MBA is basically the first step to going into management. People who plan to be engineers their whole life do not get MBA's. People who plan to move into management get MBA's. You might spend 10+ years as an EE before getting near 100k. If you into management you might start out around near 100k.</p>
<p>
[quote]
UCLA doesn't even have Power option...I wonder what schools have that options nowadays?
[/quote]
It seems like too much of a specialization for a uni to offer that option. However, if one were interested in it they should focus heavily on analog design.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My husband learned most of what he learned about power ON THE JOB.
[/quote]
This is true for most engineering fields and certainly for EE. When one graduates with an EE they have what amounts to a general degree in the subject. Once they get hired for a particular area they'll start to learn and focus in that area and there are many different areas for an EE to go into. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Getting an MBA is basically the first step to going into management. People who plan to be engineers their whole life do not get MBA's. People who plan to move into management get MBA's.
[/quote]
In engineering many of the managers don't hold MBAs. They typically have an engineering degree, some practical experience as an engineer for some number of years, then eventually may become a first-line engineering manager if they have an interest in it, demonstrate leadership potential, and are recognized by management for it. Depending on how well they do and how well they're recognized, they may move up the management ranks to become directors, senior directors, and higher. They'll typically take a number of management courses as they progress but they don't need an MBA. Some companies may have different requirements for their management positions.</p>
<p>Well of course one doesn't need an MBA to go into management but what I meant was those SEEKING to one day go into management that an MBA would be a logical first step.</p>
<br>
<p>Do you want to manage engineering projects? If so...get some experience WORKING on those type of engineering projects. Yes, there are some fine managers out there without a lot of experience...but my DH says the best managers are those who have experience in the field FIRST...then move into managing. He has worked where the managers did NOT have engineering experience and as an engineer, he found it abuntantly annoying that these MBAs without experience were trying to tell him how to do a design job...having NEVER done so themselves. They didn't have any vision of the scope of the job but they were good paper pushers. </p>
<br> [QUOTE=""]
<blockquote> <p>So after about how many years of experience do you think an EE can get 100K or more?>></p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>So are you going into the engineering field because you LIKE engineering tasks...or are you going into the field because you want to earn $100K a year. It will take you a while to reach that threshold of earnings.</p>
<p>Says my local expert: "Management is the route to $100K for a BSEE; be a "rock star" (as an engineer) in a hot specialty area (e.g. RF design, others) and seek out more and more info and accountability."</p>
<p>Oh my "expert" fully agrees that there is more money in engineering management. He just thinks that a MBA isn't going to get you there as fast as a LOT of very relevant engineering work experience and a demonstrated ability to work with and manage projects and people. A MBA will give you a degree...not the experience.</p>