Running head: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE

CULTURE

Introduction
The profession of electrical engineering focuses on designing or improving any product or
structure that requires or produces electricity. The following information can give new students a
clearer picture of what it is like to work in this field. It is important for interested parties to make
an informed decision about planning for college to avoid the disadvantage of changing majors
half way through.
There are several important topics covered in the following report that will answer some of the
most asked and need to know information.

Methodology
Background: I have worked in the construction trades since high school, namely as an
electrician for nearly twenty years. My experiences working with engineers and designing some
of the aspects of the jobs I was in charge of was something that I really enjoyed doing.

Electronic: This report contains information from national web site to give a broader look at
the field. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Gov.

Print: The following source contains information to show new students what electrical
engineers do and various needs of mathematics and laboratory methods. Active and
Collaborative Learning in an Introductory Electrical and Computer Engineering Course.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE CULTURE

Empirical: An interview with Damon Hart, an electrical engineer and teacher has been
included for a personal insight into this field.
The results from these sources are broad and can reflect a national statistic, so local results can
vary.

Discussion
This section answers common questions and concerns about what its like to work in the field.

Compensation
Im sure one of the first things any one wants to know when considering a job is what the pay
rate is. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the annual median pay (meaning, half made
more, half made less) in 2012 was $89,630.00 or $43.09 per hour. However the job outlook from
now to 2022 is lower than average at 4% (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2014). Other
incentives to consider are benefits, according to Damon Hart they depend on the company.
(Damon Hart, personal communication, January 15, 2015). Most are pretty good and offer the
standard medical, dental, vision, 401k or pension, vacation and holiday pay. Bonuses can be
offered depending on a job to job basis. For instance if a job gets done early a percentage can be
offered (Damon Hart, personal communication, January 15, 2015).

Opportunities for Advancement

A student can look into an internship while working towards their bachelors. This will speed the
advancement inside the company if they continue their education further than the minimum
2

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE CULTURE

bachelors degree (BLS, 2014). According to Damon Hart other advancements come from the
types of certifications that have been achieved. (Damon Hart, personal communication, January
15, 2015). Some companies want a LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design)
certification. This is a widely used certification that improves energy efficiency in a project right
from the start of the design process (Damon Hart, personal communication, January 15, 2015).

Work Environment
The physical space that is occupied most of the time is an office. According to Damon Hart
(Damon Hart, personal communication, January 15, 2015) the atmosphere is generally business
professional; depending on the company it can be relaxed or more conservative. There is
generally a 60%-40% split of strict business vs comradery. Office comradery may include
parties, social functions and pranks in the office depending on the company. According to
Damon Hart the big fun in the office was a $300 home-made rubber band machine gun implying
a fun working environment. A good portion of the work done in the office is design such as
schematics (see figure in 1 in artifacts). This process starts with meeting clients at either their
location or your office to determine what is needed for the design. Observations at job sites may
also be required to solve design problems. The expected dress attire can change from job to job
as cliental and locations change. According to Damon Hart (personal communication, January
15, 2015) meetings with prestigious cliental will require a suit and tie for men and pants or dress
suit for women. Most day to day work can be done in business casual attire, meaning buttoned
up collared or polo shirts and kakis for men or knee length skirts, slacks and blouses for women.
Visits to construction sites can require the use of more suitable clothing for use in the often dirty
environments of new construction.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE CULTURE

Communication Preferences
All forms of communication skills are needed in this field as face to face contact is necessary to
accommodate clients and almost all communicating for jobs is done electronically using e-mail,
memos, reports and text messaging. According to an academic journal called Active and
Collaborative Learning in an Introductory Electrical and Computer Engineering Course written
by Sushma Kotru, Susan L. Burket, and David Jeff Jackson Skills needing the most improvement
by engineers are communication and formal design skills. They want to increase student
retention by actively engaging and aiding them in understanding by offering a more hands on
approach to learning. The authors call this a formal design approach. Their student survey
indicates that greater than 80% of first year students demonstrate understanding comparable to
more advanced students (Kotru, & Burket, & Jackson, 2010).

Safety Rules and Regulations

According to Damon Hart (personal communication, January 15, 2015) safety is a priority
especially because this field deals with electricity. All Engineers are required to become fluent in
different codes and regulations like NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) the NFPA creates
various publications like The NEC (National Electrical Code). Engineers are required to become
fluent in this code as well. Continuing education, which is a minimum of 16 hours in Utah, must
be completed every two years. There may also be requirements beyond these in other states you
do business in. Field work at dangerous construction sites require OSHA (Occupational Safety
and Health Administration) rules to be followed.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE CULTURE

Conclusion
To sum it all up the information compiled in this report will help anyone interested in a career in
Electrical Engineering to make an informed decision. If you take the time to read it in full you
will discover what may be appealing or cause for rejection in this field. My recommendation is
to consider these five points covered in my report to weigh this option against any others that
you may have.

Compensation: Does this fit your lifestyle needs?

Opportunities for advancement: Can you advance to a desired position?

Work Environment: Does this fit what you want?

Communication Preferences: Can you communicate effectively in this field?

Safety Rules and Regulations: Can you handle the responsibility of others safety?

Again these aspects are important to know if they fit your needs before steps are taken to
pursuing this career, you dont want to spend a lot of time and money only to find out that it is
not for you. Another similar option to this field is electronics engineering. The difference is
Electrical Engineers design electrical equipment like motors and power generating systems while
Electronics Engineers design electronic equipment like music players and GPS systems (BLS,
2014). I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this report. If you have any questions
regarding this content you may contact me at dpark3@bruinsmail.slcc.edu.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE CULTURE

Artifacts

Figure 1: This is a basic schematic designed for a motor control system.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: A LOOK INSIDE THE CORPERATE CULTURE

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014-15). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational
Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-andelectronics-engineers.htm
Kotru, S., Burkett, S. L., & Jackson, D. J. (2010). Active and Collaborative Learning in an
Introductory Electrical and Computer Engineering Course. Journal of general Education
vol. 59 Issue 4, 264-272.