Industry
Sectors
These are several key
industry sectors that employ electrical engineers, computer engineers and
computer scientists. Among them:
 Telecommunications
Telecommunications is a prime growth area for electrical and electronics
engineers. Growth is spurred by deregulation, which draws more players to
the field. The number of employers is expanding in such services as:
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Local-area networks, both
radio and wired within buildings and campuses
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Wire and optical links to
homes and businesses
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Satellite communications in
unwired countries
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Satellite communications
for mobile telephone users everywhere
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Satellite, microwave, and
fiber-optic trunks for intercity traffic
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Databases ranging from
internet sites to collections of specialized technical information
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For more information:
Energy and Electric Power
Power engineers deal with energy generation by a variety of methods --
turbine, hydro, fuel cell, solar, geothermal, and wind, for example. They
also deal with electrical power distribution from source to consumer and
within factories, offices, hospitals, laboratories, and they design
electric motors and batteries. In industry, power engineers are employed
wherever electrical energy is used to manufacture or produce an end
product -- petrochemicals, pulp, paper, textiles, metals, and rubber, for
example. They are needed to design electrical distribution systems and
instrumentation and control systems for the safe, effective, efficient
operation of the production facilities. As the average age of the
engineers in this job area approaches the mid-to-late forties, companies
will begin to hire young engineers in large numbers. Jobs in these
industries should be plentiful.
Computers
The computer industry serves many industry sectors, including aerospace,
transportation, construction, telecommunications, power, medicine, and
automated manufacturing. The industry is strong and growing, in part
because of the desire of corporate America to reduce its dependence on
large, expensive centralized systems based on mainframes, and instead to
opt for more flexible architectures like client/server networks, or
private "intranets" based on Internet technology, separated by a
protective firewall to maintain local security for proprietary materials.
Even more compelling, individuals and companies alike have embraced the
World Wide Web as an information source, communication medium, and market
for goods, creating a seemingly insatiable demand for advanced software,
high-speed modems, and more powerful PCs. Many employers in the computer
industry find it difficult to fill the positions created by growth. Demand
is especially strong for those whose knowledge and skills integrate
hardware and software, as hardware/software codesign gains in popularity.
For more information visit:
Semiconductors
The chief enabling technology at the heart of the electronic components
booming computer industry is semiconductor technology, in particular the
development and manufacture of integrated circuits. As integrated circuits
companies strive to search for faster and more powerful chips, they seek
engineers to investigate new materials and improved packaging -- engineers
who can handle the challenge of competitive pressure and ever-shorter
development time. Manufacturers of microprocessors and memory chips for
example, continuously improve existing products and introduce new ones to
beat the competition and meet customers' expectations of ever-higher
performance. Semiconductor products include not just digital ICs but also
analog chips, mixed-signal (analog and digital) integrated circuits, and
radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits. Another important sector deals
with power semiconductor devices for power control in manufacturing,
transportation, and electrical distribution. For more information, visit:
Aerospace
Electrical and electronics engineers in the aerospace field design and
develop electronics and power equipment for aircraft, helicopters, and
spacecraft. Displays, controls, communications, and navigation are
important aspects of the field, as are simulators for training and
development. Military systems for land, sea, and air also come under the
aerospace category. Defense and aerospace companies still employ hundreds
of thousands of engineers, even though the aerospace industry has faced
some hard times in recent years. Prospects in the two major branches of
the industry are looking brighter. Commercial airlines are regaining
profitability, and R&D for defense and space exploration will continue at
more sustainable and appropriate levels, given changes in world politics
and limited tax dollars. While defense systems are not a major priority
for the United States anymore, interest in space exploration and travel is
reviving, and new satellites are needed to meet swelling demand for global
communications. For more information, visit:
Bioengineering
This wide-ranging field, alternatively referred to as biomedical
engineering, was created some 30 years ago by the merging interests of
engineering and the biological /medical sciences. Some of the
representative bioengineering activities include the design of diagnostic
and therapeutic devices for clinical use, the design of prosthetic
devices, the development of biologically compatible materials, and the
application of state-of-the-art technology to biological research. This
field has grown tremendously since its inception; now more than 100
universities offer training programs that are funded by hundreds of
millions of dollars from government and private sectors.
Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary field with employers in many
sectors. Bioengineers work with other health care professionals as members
of a team. The biomedical engineer must learn to think of biology in new
ways in order to develop new tools for diagnosing disease and to repair or
replace diseased organs. Many of the major advances in this field now seem
almost commonplace: pacemakers, blood analyzers, cochlear implants,
medical imaging, lasers, prosthetic implants, and life support systems are
just a few of the results of the team efforts of biomedical engineers and
health professionals.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing technology has become more important in recent years as
global economic reality has forced companies to reevaluate basic
manufacturing techniques in order to remain competitive. In pursuit of
increased productivity, companies have introduced such innovations as
just-in-time parts supply, six-sigma quality goals, statistical process
control, and robotic assembly cells. Even small companies have transformed
their ad hoc approach to process development into rigidly controlled and
monitored systems, well understood in terms of mathematical models, where
the effects of random events can be quickly detected and corrected. Thus
there is a widespread application of the manufacturing sciences in the
workplace today, from automation on the production line to management
techniques to environmentally friendly methods of manufacturing. For more
information, visit:
Services and Other Professions
Many electrical and computer engineers and computer scientists find that
their technical background makes them well suited for a variety of work in
other industries. For example, the service industry has become a major
employer of engineers and computer professionals. Some find work that
directly corresponds to their professional training. The entertainment
industry hires engineers for a variety of projects; Disney, for example,
recruits imagineers to develop amusement parks, while Pixar hires computer
scientists/engineers to help create animated films. The banking and
finance industry has many computer-related positions that need engineers
to manage rapid-trading activities. Many organizations use the talents of
computer professionals to create, store, and transmit data and to create
and manage systems for operation. Although individually these industries
do not employ a large number of engineers, in combination they add up to a
large whole. Engineering majors can thus look to industries where they can
apply their technical knowledge and skills in fields that may not be
high-tech in themselves.
Education and Research
Many electrical engineers, computer engineers, and computer scientists
interact with educational and research institutions or industrial labs.
Some go straight into college and university teaching and research after
completing their PhD degrees. Others, including those with master's
degrees, may teach on a part-time basis while holding a full-time job with
another organization or as an independent consultant. Still others teach
for corporate universities instituted by companies such as Motorola,
Intel, and Bellcore. Opportunities also abound in continuing professional
education, such as short courses designed to update engineers. Taught by
faculty as well as consultants with industry experience, these courses are
offered to employees on site as well as off site. Engineers with expertise
in timely subjects can also give papers and publish articles and books
that bring them recognition and put them in line for consulting work
Transportation and Automotive
This industry spans many areas. Transportation can include railroads,
shipbuilding, and traffic management. What these disparate areas have in
common is that employers rely on increased use of electronics merged with
other engineering disciplines. It includes electronics for internal and
external communication, navigation, failure detection, and displays of
many types. Many vehicles are directed and accelerated by fault-tolerant
electronics. Electric power is generated and distributed within most
vehicles. Ships are wired like small cities for power and information.
Once the domain of mechanical and civil engineering, transportation and
automotive areas have many job opportunities for electrical engineers from
various technical specialties, including communications, computers, and
control systems.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by
IEEE and the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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