Job Descriptions: Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineers design, manage and implement a range of electrical systems in various sectors and environments.

Electrical Engineers are highly qualified professionals who have vast understanding of electrical engineering and its applications. Whether this is working on plans for electrical rigs in construction or planning power networks for transport lines, Electrical Engineers can be expected to turn their expertise to a range of situations.

The work of an Electrical Engineer can vary from planning and implementing to maintenance and improvement work. This also impacts on where they work with graduate Electrical Engineers potentially working on construction sites, in offices with designing software or testing on client's sites.

A career as an Electrical Engineer can be incredibly rewarding and see them work on some incredible manufacturing, construction or transport projects. The work that graduates who become Electrical Engineers undertake is varied but as they progress in their careers, they are likely to specialise. However, a general understanding is needed first and work may also include Electrical Engineers managing teams of similarly skilled individuals when working on larger projects.

Electrical Engineer Salaries

The average starting salary for a graduate Electrical Engineer is £25,753. This is an incredible starting salary for graduates in this field and is comparable with other similar Engineering careers like Civil Engineering or Chemical Engineering.

The high salary is also indicative of how in-demand graduate Electrical Engineers are. There is always a shortage of specially trained Engineers in this field and this is forcing companies to pay top dollar to recruit the fewer talented graduates into these jobs and schemes.

The Daily Duties of an Electrical Engineer

As mentioned before, the daily duties of a typical Electrical Engineer are so far from routine. The duties of an Electrical Engineer tend to vary company to company and even further than that, with some Electrical Engineers being based on-site, such as construction sites or transport developments, or Electrical Engineers being office based and being charged with developing designs and systems for companies. However, here are a few of the daily duties that graduates can expect to do if they pursue a career as an Electrical Engineer:

• Client consultation - As specialist professionals, Electrical Engineers are often required to conduct consultations with potential clients, such as construction firms or transport bodies. This will often require setting out budgets, timescales and statements of work. Electrical Engineers will be required to have a good understanding of building processes and its organisation as they develop their career.
• Developing designs - A major part of an Electrical Engineer's remit is to develop designs to satisfy the needs of clients and the needs of projects. It could be that graduate Electrical Engineers are working on power lines for a new train link or looking at setting up the electrical organisation for a new power line. This requires an in-depth understanding of technical aspects and potential environmental impacts.
• Implementing systems or products - Another major part of an Electrical Engineer's role is the implementation of the systems or products they have developed. This requires a systematic and versatile approach to ensure that either systems or products are established safely and successfully.
• On-site visits - On-site visits require Electrical Engineers to monitor the implementation of their work. On-site visits may require time to be spent away from home and for graduate Electrical Engineers to work with other professionals in construction or transport when working out of the office.
• Testing - Due to the important and potentially dangerous nature of the work Electrical Engineers are undertaking, testing is vital. Graduate Electrical Engineers need to make sure the work they are implementing is safe and will work, taking into account potential environmental impacts of weather and the longevity of their work.
• Project Management - Graduate Electrical Engineers can be expected to take leads on particular projects. This will require Electrical Engineers to develop skills like delegation and extensive planning to ensure the work they are being entrusted with is completed on time and on budget. Failing to do so can allow projects to go wrong and business to be damaged on behalf of their employers.

Electrical Engineering is a fantastic career for graduates to pursue. It does require specialist knowledge, usually in the shape of a degree, to enable them to pursue it. However the rewards are there for graduates with the know-how and the softer skills like project management and organisation to make a successful career.