Slashdot Mirror
The Future Of EE Majors?
adebater asks: "With all of the recent layoffs in the EE field, including today's announcement of Motorola's 4000 person layoff, what does the future hold for graduating EE majors? I am about to graduate, and I was wondering if there was any chance I might have job stability, or even a job. I was wondering what /. people would tell the newly graduating CS and EE majors and what their immediate futures held in store for them." Yes, the market is slowing down. But you must realize that this is only a temporary situation. It may get worse before it gets better but it WILL get better (barring a catastrophe that sends us back into the Stone Age). Hang in there.
I'm an EE, I got my BSEE in '91, and my MSEE in '97 (while I was working full time). When I graduated in '91, the economy was in a downturn that really affected my chances for a job- I had two separate interviews (on-site) that said, "we had jobs when we did the on campus interview, but since then, we don't." I was a good student, good GPA, but I was being picky. I decided to concentrate on doing the things that I enjoyed, those things that I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. I took a job that was for less pay than many of my peers (at a government research lab), but I had the opportunity to learn much more than I would have if I had gone into private industry right away. Now, I'm in demand. I have a broad set of skills that companies like, and I get to do cool shit.
If you got into engineering for the money, I feel sorry for you, you'll never feel fufilled. I don't know of any engineers that are going hungry, and only anecdotal evidence of a few that drive Ferraris. You may not be able to pull down the big bucks now, but, in truth, straight out of school, most engineers don't know their ass from a hole in the ground, and they shouldn't be making the big bucks until they can prove their worth to their company. When you graduate, you've only completed the basics for an engineering job, it will take you years more effort to become a truly great engineer. Engineering is all about getting things done with the resources available. School gave you the tools to do the job, but only real life experience will give you the practice at using those tools. You will spend the rest of your engineering career honing your skills. Right now is the time to find an experienced engineer (and technician) to work with, so you can learn to use those tools with precision, style, and creativity. There are plenty of those types of jobs available now, though they may not be as glamorous. Don't be cocky, approach every opportunity with an open mind and a willingness to listen and to learn.
There are many, many students out there that have great things on their transcripts, but have no passion for engineering. Find stuff that makes you say "Wow." In that way you will excel. Interviewers notice that, many of them will be engineers that have been on the other side of the table.
As to stability, there is no guarantee of employment with any job. If you develop indespensable skills, you will be less likely to be fired, and better able to get a new position when you want it. Right now RF and analog positions are in demand because most schools are churning out engineers that are heavily digital-oriented, and ignoring the analog portion. ('Cept for DSP.) But speeds are getting so high that analog and digital are blurring into one. There are other examples out there. The best RF engineers I know are all nearing retirement age. When they are gone, so is their knowledge. You have the opportunity to mold yourself into what is in demand, not now, but 10 years from now.