Job situation after graduating

[Kurupt]

I am currently an Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology student and right now i have to choose what option (major) i want to go into. I'm thinking of doing the embedded systems option but i'm not to sure on the job situation in this section of the electronics industry. I'm from Vancouver, BC and from what i've heard there aren't too companies in the embedded systems field around here.

I've spoken to recent graduates and they tell me its hard to find jobs in the embedded systems field or anything to do with them. They told me that they do more testing than anything else at the jobs that they have or had. I've been recommeded to go into the industrial power option because there are alot of jobs available after i graduate, but i don't like the industial power stuff we've done so far.

I just wanted to know what the job situation is with the whole embedded systems industry. What are my chances of finding a job (here in Vancouver and elsewhere) with a diploma of technology. Should I get a degree??? Will i be able to get a job in the US??? Should i do the industrial power option??? HELP please, i can't make up my mind.

 

[stevez]

When I was just out of school an experienced professional (on the board at a large university) sat next to me on a long plane ride. As I complained about not having the chance to use what I learned in school (mechanical engineering with a job as a mechanical engineer) on the job. He spent some time explaining how the goal of the curriculum was to teach me how to think and that given the breadth of the subject it would be impossible to teach someone how to do everything that might be required of a mechanical engineer (or any other discipline). Many years have passed since that conversation and I've learned that many (maybe most) people with a given degree do not end up doing just what they thought they were trained to do. In some cases these people are happy and satisfied - they are doing what they like to do. In other cases they couldn't find a job in their field so they took what they could find. The whole point of this paragraph is to suggest that you should not limit your career possibilities to just your degree.

Examples that come to mind:

My wife's good friend trained as a dental assistant and eventually became business manager for a large dental practice.

One of the kids I coached in soccer is the area sales representative for a large drug company with his biology degree. He didn't plan on doing that but loves it.

My son's good friend, EE grad is a project manager for a large petroleum
pipeline company. He loves the work even though he does no engineering at all.

A good friend is the service manager for a large building automation/alarm system company, having been a professional firefighter then electrician, then refrigeration mechanic.

The kid who grew up across the street finished mechanical engineering last year and wanted to do graduate work in the bio/medical field. He landed a job at a medium sized manufacturing company and they've adjusted his assignment so that he does health, safety and environmental work - he loves it because it has the content (bio/medical) that he was looking for.

There are lots of choices out there though in general it's safe to say that jobs are hard to find. Regional economy is quite variable so your willingness to pick up and relocate may impact your ability to land that first job.

 

[samcheetah]

very nice reply stevez!!!!!

i agree with you. i have seen a number of organizations where people are doing the same job but have different qualifications. i have seen alot of students who leave my country for USA and UK and there they dont get engineering jobs. the only solution is an IT related job. so until there are engineering jobs available one has to do something to make a living. and it doesnt hurt to do something other than an engineering job.

actually an engineer is taught problem solving skills throughout his years of study. be it an engineering project or something else.

one day we were discussing this topic with our teacher and a student said that we should only study what is included in our course scheme and then we should only take jobs related to engineering. before this discussion we went on an industrial visit to a locomotive factory. the student said that we didnt gain any knowledge from the locomotive factory visit because most of the work there is related to mechanical engineering while we are electrical engineering students.

in reply to this the teacher told him his own story. he said that after doing his bachelors in EE he was employed in a power plant. there the readings were taken manually and written on a register. he learned VB and developed an application that would take the readings and add the data in a database. then after some years he went to Australia. in those days there werent any engineering jobs in Australia so he had two options. one was to do nothing and leave his skills to rust. the second option was to go for a CS job. so he took the second option and applied for a CS related job. there his previous knowledge of VB helped him in getting the job.

the moral of the story is that never think that XYZ is related to mechanical engineering or chemical engineering and never think that you wouldnt take any non-EE job.

but still then i hope that you get a good job that will satisfy you. but keep in mind the ground realities and dont deny them

 

[jbeng]

One of the kids I coached in soccer is the area sales representative for a large drug company with his biology degree. He didn't plan on doing that but loves it.

And he likely makes big money doing it (might be part of why he loves it!). The son of a friend of mine does the same thing, brings home six figures in his second year on the job ... :shock:
Of course, I've also known EE's who couldn't engineer thier way out of a paper sack who made $35K (at the time) to start, too. But I digress ...
JB

 

[Kurupt]

Thanks guys. I'm just really confused right now of which option to choose and they're pressuring us into making our decision in such a short time. I have to let my program head know by next week. I can't make up my mind. I guess i'll just think about it a little more and make my decision when the time comes.