Electrical/Electronic engineering job outlook

Rule # one: Be self reliant and entrepreneurial. Besides, what makes you think an accountant's or a general surgeon's job can't be outsourced? Nothing is sacred anymore. After all, wasn't it us who initially got the ball rolling that ultimately facilitated and nurtured the climate to outsourcing in the first place?

Rule # two: Don't take anything the government publishes as factual. They can only tell you what happened--that is if there data is any good, if you use their forecasts, do so at your own peril!

First determine what you would like to do, then look for opportunities throughout the entire industry segment. Look through the trade journals--great place to start. If things look a little bleak, that should tell you something.

If you want to work in this country and don't have a MSEE or a PhD in EE, don't even bother looking for Comp HW jobs.

Most EE jobs here will be in communications and power. Consumer Electronics...? The Asians have that sewed up...and they can have it as there isn't that much money in it.

If you play guitar and appreciate tube amps...there are a lot of opportunities there. Think you have what it takes to create the next Marshall, Soldano, or Mesa? Or develop a new effect?

If you are in good physical shape and are not afraid to get your hands a little dirty, hang around and see what journeyman linemen will be making around 2011.

The key thing to remember is whatever it is you do, find a niche and be good at whatever it is your are doing...better than any of your competitors.

Degrees and stellar GPAs today doesn't mean squat these days...it is what you do in the real world that makes a difference and it will certainly reflect that in how you are compensated.

Igor

This is the bootom line. The salary matters far less (particularly when the difference is If you want to work in this country and don't have a MSEE or a PhD in

I don't buy this at all. I "only" have a BSEE and have held several comp hardware jobs (same employer) for >30 years. Likely half the folks around had only a BS when hired. Many have earned advanced degrees since, though. AFAIC, a MSEE is a useless degree, only needed as a milestone on the way to a PhD.

Oh, my!

Doing what you like doing is key here.

That's always been true. The a degree from the right school and a high GPA (school i smore important, IME) get the foot in the door though.

So what you are saying the entire harware job market has remained static over the past 30 years? This might come as a surprise, but there have been a "few" changes since then--especially from 2000 onward. I'm not saying you can't get a hardware job with just a BSEE, but most people with limited experience will have to cough up a MSEE or Ph.D if they want to make decent money at it going in--if they can get in. A lot of employers are simply expecting more from home grown engineers and have been subtly raising the bar. I.e. Education: BSEE/MSEE or MSEE or PhD...plus X years of experience . Or...the job will require you to have additional skills perhaps programming in C, Java, or some other development platform, OR they may require that you manage x number of employee or any combination in varying degrees of the above. The point is you will see more of the "BSEE/MSEE" popping up in the future and eventually MSEE.

When there is an abundant supply of good EEs, I agree wholeheartedly.

I didn't say that at all. Perhaps you missed "Likely half the folks around had only a BS when hired." They aren't all grey- beards.

That's not the way it is here. There are more far more non-PhDs than PhDs. There is still more of a need for worker-bees than drones. PhDs don't make good worker-bees. Sure, the architects are mostly PhD types, but there is far more to hardware development than architecture.

Of course. Anyone who stops learning is dead-meat. Nothing has changed, except perhaps the rate of change. No one said a BS degree was the end of the line. After the first job, experience means more than a degree; whatever degree.

I'm not buying it. There aren't many open jobs these days because its easier to retain employees than train new. The ones I see hired are all BS types, but they're also ones who have been coops so hit the deck "trained".

I'm not convinced the supply of "good engineers" is all that abundant. Engineers, yes.

Yep, and you just concluded your own argument in agreement.

1.) Your right, there aren't that many jobs. 2.) Of course it is FAR MORE cost effective to retain employees 3.) "I'm not convinced the supply of "good engineers" is all that abundant. Engineers, yes."

Apply laws of supply and demand, diminishing marginal utility and the substitution effects of HB1 alternative hires.

item #3 tells you why managment are raising the the bar. Either you have experience or a more advanced degree. It is all about training/productivity curves and the bottom line. This is still an employers' market. ...And yes there are still some jobs out there for BSEE types...and BSEETs, and AASEETs. But the primary issue of the original poster was the dollar amount returned per education opportunity costs.

Oh, and your right about discrepencies in qualifications. Yes, it does vary geographically and sometimes even within the same company in different markets.

^^^^ You're, BTW Perhaps there aren't *many*, but an MSEE is next to useless and a PhD isn't much better.

I certainly don't see this. I don't ebelieve we have any H1Bs in the group. ...too expensive in the long run. Off-shoreing to the third world didn't work out too well either.

IME, an advanced degree isnt' useful except for about 5-10% of the jobs. That is, there are at least 10BSEEs hired for every PhD. MSs command a bit more $$, but there are few of them.

Of course it is. ...always has been.

Other than a *very* few years, it always has been. With a $.25M/yr at stake employers have to be pickey. They'd better get a return on that investment.

Which is the BSEE, of that choice. BSEET is a useless degree, not much better than an AA. Shouldn't be, but is.

Of course. I've move the family twice, once out of college and again when my son was in high school, a decade or so ago. We live more than a thousand miles from the rest of the family (will likely return as soon as I decide to retire). One goes where the work is. My father did the same, an EE also (ended up as an EE prof).