I left electrical engr career for web career. How do I switch back ? 2

[canadaengineeringjob]

I trained and educated as an electrical engineer. However, during the dot.com boom, I switched to programming and finally settled for web programming. At the moment, I am considering going back to electrical engineering career. I have been in programming and web development for 9 years.
Please
I need advice on how to make a smooth transition.

 

[IRstuff]

I think you need to be realistic and recognize that a "smooth" transition, by which, presumably, you mean a strict lateral transfer, is probably out of the cards. You are probably going to find only jobs that are appropriate to and recompensing at the level you were at 9 years ago.

If you can find some EE work at your current company, you might be able to have a less abrupt transition in a few years.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[xwb]

Is it electrical or electronic engineering? 9 years of electrical is easier to catch up than 9 years of electronic. You probably need to find out what sort of tools they are using now.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Is it electrical or electronic engineering? 9 years of electrical is easier to catch up than 9 years of electronic.

Depends on your definition, then. Electrical engineer usually means a well-rounded sparky who understands the basics of everything from microprocessor architecture to semiconductors (not just how to hook up an oven to 220V, like an "electrical" repair man). Electronics engineer often means more of a shop tech repair kind of guy. If those definitions hold true, I would think the Electrical Engineer would be able to run up through the ranks much more quickly as he relies more on theory for design and the Electronics engineer tends to rely more on experience (I'm generalizing, of course).

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[IRstuff]

Oh, we had a nuch different definition back when I was in college. Electrical took power classes; Electronic took IC design classes.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Region-specific, maybe? In my area (time?), the Electronic Engineers were the ones who didn't have (or want) the chops to handle the theory, they were more attuned to practical solutions. We need both types, and I'm somewhere in the middle.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[IRstuff]

Perhaps, it was a West Coast school...

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Ah, I'm an East coaster...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[IRstuff]

And, I suppose, it was more a matter of relative levels of theory and practicality.

We got communications theory (2-D Fourier Transforms and the like), circuit design (Ebers-Moll, etc), but EVERYONE got AMa95 Intro to Complex Variables. All in all, I only got 2 lab classes in EE.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MacGyverS2000]

My BS (University of Florida) was more hands-on, my MS (Purdue) was more theory.

At UF, we did everything from semiconductors (using Chih-Tang Sah's lab notebook (he worked with Shockley back in the day), a HUGE mistake to try and teach ANY undergrad class with) to microprocessor architecture, to microelectronics. I also took a string of mechanical classes like thermodynamics, two semesters of statics/dynamics, and some holography/optics stuff on the side. Some really fun stuff, and some really scary stuff.

At Purdue, lots of intense math... probabilistic methods/statistics, analog/digital communications theory, etc. Even took a cool class in hyperspectral imaging (where I learned that as dimension increases, the data in a Gaussian profile actually resides more and more in the tails rather than the center). As fun as some of the classes were, it made me realize a PhD was nowhere in my near future ;-)

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[mcgyvr]

A BS/MS in EE and you make blinky leds for the honduh ricers?

 

[MacGyverS2000]

That's a side business, along with laser engraving/cutting. Right now I'm doing contract work for a major medical device company writing firmware for some of their newer projects. My prior experience ranges everywhere from embedded wavelet-based video codecs for parallel processors to digital communications compression algorithms, so don't let the LEDs fool you ;-)

Oh, and with a race-ready S2000 and a 370Z sport roadster in the driveway, I am one of those ricers...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[PHovnanian]

canadaengineeringjob, what sort of licensing or ongoing education does your desired position require?

I'm guessing you are in Canada, so rules may differ from those down here. If you've allowed your PE license to expire or not kept current with education requirements, that might limit your potential job opportunities. Check with your licensing authorities on recertification requirements.

 

[automatic2]

trained and educated is one thing. Work experience is another.

In western Canada (Sask and Alberta), the oilpatch is recalling thier workforce in a large way, including thier engineering staff, so there is hope. But unless you can put together an attractive resume, you'll have lots of competition.

 

[kontiki99]

I like the idea of transiting with a credential. For example, get a masters in EE.