Day In The Life
 Working as an engineer
is much different than training to be an engineer. Unlike school, there is
no typical day. The matrix of your job function, interactions with
coworkers, type of industry, and the culture of your company will govern
your job satisfaction, and it is important that you fully understand the
parameters.
 Working
in Teams
In the working world it is the success of the
team that counts. The team itself may be formal with a designated leader
and everyone with defined roles, or loosely constructed and informal in
nature. The team may be made up of several people or just you and one
other person. Often, teams draw from several departments in an
organization. You will encounter colleagues of diverse backgrounds,
temperaments, and levels of ability and education. It is up to you to work
successfully in the group. Tips:
- Do not be
afraid to ask questions, especially those that help you define
your responsibilities.
- Solicit
feedback informally on progress checks, deadlines, and changes in
procedures or priorities.
- Be thorough but
don't lose pace with the project by getting lost in details.
- Voice your
ideas but develop sensitivity to when to press your point and when
to let it go.
- Be receptive to
criticism, even if not given in a constructive manner.
- Keep a cool
head during disagreements. It will do more for you and your
reputation than an angry response.
- Check with the
team leader to determine if you can contribute more when your
share of the project is completed.
There are four growth steps needed to become an effective leader:
- Learning to
assess one's own behavior and to give and receive feedback.
- Assessing the
behaviors of other team members and the team as a whole.
- Providing team
leadership to enhance team effectiveness and satisfaction.
- Learning to
assign tasks to teams, select team members, and facilitate team
activities.
What
Do Engineers Do?
 In the United States, there are more than two million engineers. More than
25% of engineering jobs are in electrical engineering. Other engineers
include mechanical, civil, industrial, aeronautical, chemical, materials,
nuclear, petroleum, mining, and others. Most engineers specialize in a
branch, such as electrical and electronic engineering. They further
specialize in a discipline within a branch, such as controls systems, and
in an application area, such as medical, computer, missile guidance, and
power distribution. All engineers have in common the work they do:
applying scientific knowledge to solve technical problems and develop
products and services that benefit society. Engineering work is by its
very nature interdisciplinary, often bringing together engineers with
diverse expertise in not only electronics and power engineering, but also
in mechanics, chemistry, physics, mathematics, materials sciences, and
many other areas. The basic functions of engineering are defined by the
sequencing of engineering work: research, design and development, testing,
manufacturing, construction, service and maintenance, and management.
Engineers also apply their expertise in non-engineering jobs such as
purchasing, sales, law, human resources, education, and consulting.
Research
Research jobs often involve starting with an idea or a need. Theories are
formulated, tested and prototyped. Jobs in research can be found at
universities, national laboratories as well as private institutions and
corporations.
 Design
and Development
In design and development, the results of research are applied to
practical problems. The term, development, refers to the early stages of a
project. Design refers more to the later stages of a project when the
basic methodology is established. In some companies, research and
development are combined.
Testing
and Evaluation
Testing and evaluation can take place in the lab or in the field, often
working with equipment, software, systems and the end users. Those who
test are not the designers.
Application
/ Manufacturing
Jobs oriented towards the mass production of the product or delivery of
the service. Although usually not directly in charge of production
personnel, engineers are responsible for solving problems associated with
the manufacturing process.
 Maintenance
/ Service
Engineering and technical jobs concerned with operations- maintaining and
making modifications to hardware and systems.
Management
Management jobs often require elements of leadership, planning,
coordination, supervision; working with staff, budgets and administration.
Other
Functions
Sales engineers sell technical solutions to clients. Customer service reps
solve critical problems that occur in the field. Engineers serve on
marketing teams and some have gone from engineering to a career in human
resources.
Types
of Engineering Responsibilities
The IEEE Career Path Survey provides a glimpse into the types of
responsibility reported by electrical engineers. They include:
-
Engineering w/o supervisory
responsibility, 29%
-
Project management, 21%
-
Departmental management,
16%
-
Corporate, division or
plant management, 9%
-
Other, 9%
-
Engineering staff support,
8%
Levels
of Engineering Responsibilities
The U.S. Department of Labor, the agency responsible for the
administration and enforcement of federal statutes covering the workplace,
has categorized engineering jobs in nine levels. These rankings have
equivalents to government and academic ratings.
Click here to read descriptions of the
nine rankings.
Note: Most resources in this section are provided by
IEEE and the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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