Electrical engineers solve problems by using their knowledge of circuits and electronics, as well as their passion for building systems and solutions, to make various aspects of daily life more efficient. They not only understand and work with electricity, but also electromagnetism, electronics, telecommunications, and signal processing.

Before talking about what a professional does in this area, let's see what his discipline is about:

What is electrical engineering?

It deals with the design, construction and maintenance of control systems, machinery and equipment. Some issues of electrical engineering also have to do with civil engineering.

Electrical engineering also often includes electronic engineering. The first focuses on the large-scale production and distribution of electrical energy, while the second deals with smaller electronic circuits, such as those in computers and other modern technologies.

What does an electrical engineer do?

An electrical engineer works with electrical systems and products, from research and design to installation and delivery, always with a focus on safety, sustainability, and profitability. This professional can work in transportation, IT, manufacturing, construction, and telecommunications.

His responsibilities include preparing project specifications, research, creating test procedures, making reports, and interpreting data. There are also some sub-disciplines like microelectronics, signal processing, power, control, instrumentation, and computational engineering.

Skills of a successful electrical engineer

In addition to needing a bachelor's degree, which typically lasts four to five years, an electrical engineer must be up-to-date on industry practices. His communication must also be very good, since he is in constant contact with architects and specialists from other areas.

An electrical engineer can apply his talents in:

• Communication systems: specifically, radio, television and telephony technologies, as well as more complicated ones such as laser and wireless transmission.
• Computers – Digital Systems, Microprocessors, and Hardware Design and Manufacturing.
• Integrated Circuits and Solid-State Devices – Refers to products for industries such as video games, home appliances, and navigation systems.
• Robotics – focus on Artificial Intelligence, robotic arm design, etc.
• Electrical supply systems: focus on the design of electrical networks, maintenance of transformers, and ways to make energy consumption more efficient.

An electrical engineer needs to have excellent technical knowledge as well as the ability to operate equipment. Business knowledge is also important. The role may also include extensive travel and visits for meetings and inspections to ensure systems meet all standards. The supervision of electrical maintenance is also part of their tasks.

Where can an electrical engineer work?

An electrical engineer can work in the aerospace, automotive, chemical, electronics, manufacturing, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, electrical, railway, telecommunications, and construction industries. Of course, teaching is a possibility.

famous electrical engineers

Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla is probably the most famous of them all. As a student at the Granz Polytechnic in Austria, Tesla passed nearly twice as many exams as he was required to take. The design of the alternating current power distribution system is the most widely used today.

American Lynn Conway, a graduate of MIT and Columbia University, is recognized for her contributions to Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) design, which resulted in the creation of the electronic design automation industry.

Austrian Claire F. Gmachl is a professor of electrical engineering at Princeton University. Her work on the development of the quantum cascade laser precedes her.

Rudolf E. Kalman was a Hungarian-born American electrical engineer who invented the Kalman filter, a mathematical algorithm used extensively in signal processing, control and navigation systems.

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