Electrical Engineers

Electrical engineering careers usually offer many avenues for advancement. An engineer straight out of college will usually take a job as an entry-level electrical engineer and advance to higher positions after acquiring some job experience and technical skills. Electrical engineers with strong technical skills who show leadership ability and good communications skills may move into positions that involve supervising teams of engineers and making sure they are working efficiently. They can advance from these positions to that of chief engineer. The chief engineer usually oversees all electrical engineering projects and has authority over project managers and managing engineers.

Many companies provide structured programs to train new employees and prepare them for advancement. These programs usually rely heavily on formal training opportunities such as in-house development programs and seminars. Some companies also provide special programs through colleges, universities, and outside agencies. Electrical engineers usually advance from junior-level engineering positions to more senior-level positions through a series of positions. They may also specialize in a specific area of electrical engineering once they have acquired the necessary experience and skills.

Some engineers move into sales and managerial positions, with some engineers leaving the industry to seek top-level management positions with other types of firms. Some electrical engineers set up their own firms. Electrical engineers can also move into the academic field and become teachers at high schools or universities.

The key to advancing in the electrical engineering field is keeping pace with technological changes, which occur rapidly in this field. Electrical engineers will need to pursue additional training throughout their careers in order to stay up to date on new technologies and techniques.