Electrical Engineers
"I think we'd die within just two months" — that was the answer 75% of people gave in a survey conducted by a group of researchers to find out what people thought would happen if electricity disappeared from the world. Can you imagine what life would be like without electricity? Yes, that's right — you'd be living in total darkness. You wouldn't be able to charge your phone or computer once the battery died. Every device in your home — the TV, the fridge, the washing machine, the air conditioners — would become nothing more than useless lumps of metal. Streets and roads would go dark, traffic lights would stop working, and drivers of cars and buses wouldn't dare drive under those conditions. And of course, most hospitals would stop functioning too, and most medical devices and equipment would go dead. If electricity is the foundation of everything in our lives, how is it produced? How does it reach homes, factories, schools, and hospitals? Who designs the systems that carry electricity through electronic and electrical devices? Who designs and develops the electrical systems that so many devices, equipment, machines, cars, trains, ships, and planes depend on? The answer to all of this is: electrical engineers. They're responsible for all of these things, and across the decades, electrical engineers have always been the foundation of the progress and prosperity of nations.
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Confer with engineers, customers, or others to discuss existing or potential engineering projects or products.
- Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.
- Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.
- Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.
- Perform detailed calculations to compute and establish manufacturing, construction, or installation standards or specifications.
- Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects.
- Prepare specifications for purchases of materials or equipment.
- Supervise or train project team members, as necessary.
- Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.
- Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.
- Assist in developing capital project programs for new equipment or major repairs.
- Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects.
- Estimate labor, material, or construction costs for budget preparation purposes.
- Investigate customer or public complaints to determine the nature and extent of problems.
- Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.