Entry-Level Electrical Engineer: Required Education, Licenses, and Experience in 2024

Hello all!

So I have been tasked by an employment counselor to conduct an informational interview with an electrical engineer.  Finding an electrical engineer who is currently working and willing to take time to conduct this interview has been awkward and to no avail.  So this is why I have come to EEWeb.  I am hoping to tap into a larger pool, more quickly and efficiently, of professionals with the experience and knowledge.

I am currently attending university and majoring in Electrical Engineering.  I have 4 semesters left to complete. 

As the question title states, I am conducting research on entry-level employment qualifications, in the field of electrical engineering, that employers are currently demanding. 

The types of information I am looking for are:

-Required education?

-Required licenses?

-Required years of experience?

Essentially, any information answering the above questions will provide me with enough information.  Any extra information you care to provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading my post and thank you in advance for providing any information if you choose to do so.

Best,

Justin

P.S.  In order to keep a clean flow of information, I will refrain from responding to posts so others and I may access the information more efficiently.  I will respond once a week for the next two weeks. I have to provide this information, at that point, to my counselor.

I am sure others will contribute, but a degree in electrical engineering from any established university should be sufficient to land an entry-level position. Passing the FE exam will help as well, especially if you are attending a school that is not a well known or established engineering school, or have a lower GPA. In my opinion, recent EE graduates should at least have a fundamental understanding of: analyzing and designing DC and AC circuits for specific applications, semi-conductors and transistors and their application to digital systems, hardware description languages, microelectronics, basic programming, and electromagnetic fields. Of course, a solid background in math and physics is necessary to succeed in most of the aforementioned classes. Recent graduates should also have completed a few lengthy design projects to simulate what they will do in the workforce. Internships, co-ops, and research experience can be very beneficial as well.

For more modern/cutting edge/competitive entry-level positions you should take additional classes (or focus hobbies) in the area(s) which interest you most. Being fluent in a desirable programming language, or extensive extra-curricular design experience will set you apart from other applicants.

Advanced data transmission and processing is gravitating toward the quantum scale, so taking advanced physics classes (modern physics, quantum mechanics, optics/photonics) would be invaluable.

AI theory is closely related to modern algebra and group theory, so any advanced algebra classes would help if you wanted to pursue a career in AI.

Business classes would also help as you advance in your career, but initially may not provide as much benefit to your resume as other classes or skills.

If you provide more detail as to what you are interested in doing it may help other people as they respond. An entry-level position designing toasters pays the bills, and some people are happy doing it, but if you want to start at a more competitive company you should consider taking more classes than the bare minimum, developing desirable skills, or gaining more experience than necessary for graduation. You can never be overeducated!