Switching from Telecom to Electric Power Engineering

[inuit]

Folks,
I have worked in telecom for about 15yrs with 3 EE degrees. I want to switch to Electrical Power Engineering with a focus on residential/industrial/commercial electrical design/consulting. Does any one have an idea of the best route to achieve this in terms of training/education? Getting a P.Eng. is not the issue. I am already working on that. It is getting into power engineering that I cannot figure out.

 

[supadupachalupa]

Inuit,

I currently work as a electrical design/consultant and I think getting a P.E. is a good first step. In terms of training/education, definitely pick up a copy of the 2008 NEC and the Handbook of Practical Electrical Design by McPartland. Also get a free subscription to EC&M magazine as they have very useful articles and will help in familiarizing you with the NEC.

That'll give you a baseline of appropriate education for the field but like anything else, you'll realize you need to continue learning about things as you go on in this industry. This field is extremely broad so there are many different things to learn, i.e. lighting & illumination, communications, protective relaying, etc.

If it's possible, you should try to get your hands on sets of electrical drawings for different projects. This will give you a flavor of the product that you will need to provide in this career. And a far as getting into the industry, check with local architects and electrical contractors for electrical consultants they often use. your area.

Hope the info helps. Good luck!

Dennis

 

[shamsdebout]

I transitioned from Telecom as well, I was working as an RF engineer. Did you happen to do any inbuilding design of RF systems? If so then you can present that as a skill-set when you interview with a company. You mentioned 3 EE degrees, so you have BS,MS and PHD? The only way I know how to learn is to just go in and learn the hardway, it was very frustrating and challenging for me but I am making it. As was suggested getting a copy of the codebook is very important.

 

[dpc]

You can forget residential - there are very few EEs doing any residential work.

I would try contacting some local electrical contractors to see what opportunities they might have.


For education, look for local classes on the National Elecrical Code - local electrical inspectors often hold classes periodically.

 

[inuit]

Thanks a lot folks. You have been very helpful. Yes.. I have PhD in EE but I think it is time for me to get out of telecom R&D. I lost my job at Nortel a couple of months ago. There seems to be more jobs in Electrical power than other areas of EE and I really want to be self-dependent too. Any additional suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[alehman]

Maybe your telecom inside knowledge can help you find a position with a firm that provides consulting engineering services to the telecom industry.

Alan
----
"It’s always fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

 

[Eleceng01]

inuit, it has been my experience that the power engineering jobs have mostly been in the electric utility industry and not the residential or industrial. It might be different for others, but it is what I am seeing. Most utilities did not hire for a number of years and now face massive losses of engineering staff to retirement.

I recently worked with an aviation EE who switched to become a protection and controls engineer at a utility. I wouldd believe that your education would help in the controls and SCADA arena and utilities are looking for people who can do that.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[xxjohnh]

Since you say P Eng you may be in Canada. So you need to learn about CSA and the Canadian codes. You mention
residential/industrial/commercial electrical design/consulting. It seems you just need to learn lighting and power, the special systems part, which is paging, security systems and telcom should be easy for you. Starting out the main requirement is to be good at CAD.
Get a job doing it and study while you are working.

 

[ykee]

Meet with some consulting engineers, and see if they will give you a shot. You know the basic theory, you'll learn details as you go along. Consulting engineers are usually interested in people with a lot of experience -- despite the fact that you've got a different background, perhaps you have applicable skills such as project management.

There are a fair number of code courses around -- check your local community college, CSA training course, EPIC.

You may find that your skills would also allow you to work in the building automation field. These are control systems for buildings, and you might find your skills more applicable there.

 

[cranky108]

Also there are a number of telco-power ground issues out there that people on either side don't know how to handle. Someone with both back grounds would be useful.

If you focus on the commonialties, then that could be a winner.

Or specilise on communications inside power applications, which there is a need for.

 

[electricpete]

All I can offer is moral support. This is a tough time to be out of work as unfortunately millions are finding out.

If you want a job before the end of the downturn, I wouldn't think construction is an expanding field. Perhaps something related to increased government spending that is creating some growth areas.

Or specialize on communications inside power applications, which there is a need for.

Good point. Isn't that part of the fabled smart-grid?

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[BJC]

Find a contractor that does design -build. Many do telcom-data work as well as all of the above. Get a PE to do serious build.

 

[rimazraneemrazanne]

Like Inuit, I would like to break into the power industry and don't know exactly how to go about it. I have BSEE and MSEE but no experience in the field and some dated experience (out side of the US) in maintenance and repair of electric/electronic equipment. I continously seek knowledge and have recently obtained a power system certificate but seem to get no response when applying for utility and related jobs. Suggestions are appreciated for where to find a starter job when I am not a recent graduate and have no experience. Areas of interest include substation engineering (automation & Integration, upgrades, grounding), protective relaying, distribution and transmission projects (analysis, design), Energy Management Systems.
Thanks.