[asilva]

Hi I am a new member and am seriously thinking about going to school to get an associates degree in computers and electronics technology. The question that i have is, will I be able to have a good job after graduating and is there a demand for grads w/ an associates degree? also what is starting pay?

Any help is great

 

[asilva]

anyone????????????

 

[ante1]

Hi,

I believe you shouldn’t get into something if you are not deeply interested and/or exited about it! If you will get a good job or not after graduation depends on your dedication and of curse where you live on our planet. The starting pay… don’t think too much about pay at this stage or as I said before; interest and dedication can get you anywhere!

 

[nanop]

Hi,

Here  is an excellent resource for anyone that is interested in electrical engineering as a career. Learn what electrical engineers do on a daily basis, where they work, how much they earn (their pay), and much more.
http://www.careercornerstone.org/engtech/engtech.htm

Ever been to this site http://www.careercornerstone.org it show info about many careers.

Don’t think too much about pay at this stage; have a job that ur interested in  and dedicated to   

 

[asilva]

I am deeply interested in electronics and was just wondering about various things that maybe some of you guys can clarify for me. I was wondering what type of pay would I be looking at as starting pay? what types of jobs other than the service industry would I be able to get, and also is this degree/school adequate for a good entry level position?
http://itt-tech.edu/campus/courses.cfm?prog_id=172
Please help me out it is truly greatly appreciated and thanks for the responses so far.

 

[asilva]

anyone?

 

[slackjack]

Career Opportunities
Graduates of this program may begin their careers in a variety of entry-level positions in various fields involving electronics engineering technology and computer engineering technology such as technician, electronics technician, field service representative, salesperson and computer technician.

To find out about more jobs opportunities with your degree, you can seek help from your guidance counselor at ITT Tech. It wont hurt to pay the department a visit before classes start and chat with someone.

I was wondering what type of pay would I be looking at as starting pay?

nanop  link:
http://www.careercornerstone.org/engtech/etearn.htm

 

[Theatronics]

My Cynical Point of view:
  What they are not saying is that Electronics Engineering is a very odd field.

I am an EE.    I have yet to use so much as a Multimeter in my role because Most of my job is managing projects and PLC code review.  I also Write code for desktops and manage a corporate Web site. I know a few other EE's who have similar roles.  I build projects and fix stuff on the side for my own enjoyment.

The days of an EE designing a new circuit or troubleshooting complex systems is long gone.  Most EE's who are still doing that stuff are working in niche markets where they also have some specialized training in some other discipline. 

If you are getting into "Electronics" I'd suggest you do it as a hobby because it's rewarding, challenging, and fun.  Plus it could lead you somewhere.  If you need an income, I'd suggest mixing your electronics education with something like medical or Aerodynamics.  People who have crossover skills get more money and are in demand. 

Diode jockeys are a dime a dozen now days.  A few years ago trade schools chunked out millions of Electronics Associates degrees and employers found that they could hire EE-jr's for peanuts.  As a result the 'Money' in EE moved to Corporate design labs, and project management.  Both are not very enjoyable and neither are entry level positions.  Be prepared to start off small and work up into a good paying job.

For the entry level jobs slackjack posted, a majority of them are:
Cable TV installer, Videogame/slot machine repair, Telephone equipment installer, Alarm Systems, PC bench tech(Swapping PCI cards and Hard drives) and Home entertainment system installers.

The best Tech jobs I know of right now are Lan system engineers.  Wireless and Business lan design is becoming a issue with small companies who need to move beyond the retail store switch gear and up into something more suitable for a large office.  Learn how to set up firewalls routers, ISDN, Frame Really, and every other communications system.  Then freelance for a while.  Sell yourself.  I have one friend who pulls in over 90K a year maintaining several businesses computer systems and Lans by himself. 

In the computer industry its all about certification.  Don't waste time on an associates unless you plan on continuing to get a bachelors some day.  Get certified in Cisco and Microsoft and you will find tons of work.

Just my 2 cents and 0.04ma worth.

Good Luck!!

-Mike

 

[nanop]

Hi Theatronics,

are you saying that having a careers in electrical/electronics engineering won't be much fun/enjoyable and the salaries are falling?

 

[slackjack]

The days of an EE designing a new circuit or troubleshooting complex systems is long gone.

me confused  ??? I thought that this was the best part of the job.

 

[Theatronics]

Project management is the best part of being an EE?

eeewwww.

No the best part of life is when someone says,
  "We need to change this design to add a new feature that everyone says
  can't be done.  We heard you were the best, can you do it?"

and you get to say, "Yes."

The second best part is when you get it to work and everyone thinks you are
some amazing super human guru with alien knowledge that mortal humans can
never possess. 

It's hard not to smile, All you did was follow some basic rules, draw on some experience and add a dash of creativity, yet from the outside looking in you get to be the hero.

I like that part of the job the most.

(I only get to do that OUTSIDE my day job because, Like I said, they don't pay well for that kind of work.)

-Mike

 

[Muhammad Abu Bakar]

Hello!

I am also an EE. I graduated 6 months back and immediately got a telecom job as  Management Trainee. I have great interest in electronics but can't do more than enjoying it as a hobby.

The days of an EE designing a new circuit or troubleshooting complex systems is long gone

I had never much of this kind of work in my country. But I never thought that you can't find a Design Job of your interest anywhere else :-[

 

[Theatronics]

In the US (My location) most consumer electronics are un-repairable.
Actually you COULD fix them except for 2 problems:
  1- The parts are usually very hard to find and sometimes can not be ordered in quantities less than 1000.
  2 - The cost of paying someone to troubleshoot and then repair something is usually higher than buying a new unit and tossing the old one out.

In the industrial sector there are different problems:
    1 - Large companies that build and design electronics rarely have an in-house electronics design department unless all they build are circuit boards.  Most often that work is outsourced.  As there are many countries where labor is cheaper and Circuit designs can be easily transmitted over the internet.  So there is not much demand for EE designers.
  2 - The few EE's that are designing circuits are working at a very high level and have years of experience with a special system or company. Getting those jobs is difficult at best.

All that remains are jobs where modules and equipment are connected together and configured.  While a knowledge of electronics is helpful in this role, It hardly requires the ability to calculate phase shift or EMF interference.  Most of the Tech schools (Some offer LESS than an associates degree!) provide 'Skilled' Tech workers who can learn to do much of this type work.  As a result the job of being an actual working electronics engineer if trapped between board level swapping and Outsourced designs.

In the end, Most EE's in the USA go into management and project work.  Many take up a hobby that lets them use what they learned such as Ham Radio or Robotics.

-Mike

 

[Cabwood]

Fifteen years ago I was fixing PCs with an oscilloscope, logic analyser and a solder station. Fantastic! These days one almost never gets to use more than a screwdriver. Hobby electronics seems to be the only place to use the knowledge I have.

So now I work with horses instead, which have an excellent track record - apparently the last major change they underwent was about 8 million years ago.

 

[Kuvvef]

Where you get it???

 

[ante1]

Hi Kuvvef,

Get what?

 

[Theatronics]

Does he mean the upgrade for the horses?
I think it can only be installed at the factory.

-Mike