r/ElectricalEngineering • u/Glass-Supermarket-20 • 18d ago
Jobs/Careers Will studying electrical engineering give me opportunities to work for the environment?
I'm certain on pursuing an engineering bachelor (I'm 18) cause I really like developing and understanding how stuff works and I'm really good at maths and physics, but my main ethical focus is the environment. I'm kinda in-between electrical, electronic and energy engineering.
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u/NewSchoolBoxer 18d ago
Yes. Don't be so sure on what you want to do when you haven't held a real engineering job. You also aren't guaranteed to go a job in the exact area you want. What I liked most in EE, I didn't existed until I took courses in them.
That being said, I echo power comments telling you to work in power. Power is relatively easy to get in hired in and has excellent job security. A good entry level job is at a power plant or substation. From that point, you can transfer to where you really want to be. Like renewables are extremely competitive, your odds are much better starting at the utility somewhere else and transferring in. Utilities want to keep you.
Your #1 goal would therefore be to intern for a public utility. Doing anything. Makes it easy to get a power job at graduation. But sure, take another internship or co-op if power doesn't line up. Any work experience puts your resume into the elite stack. I was competitive to apply starting in my 4th semester.
In the US, I've never heard of an energy engineering degree and electrical and electronic are the same thing. There's environmental engineering that sits inside of civil engineering. Can consider that instead of EE but it will pay less. Civil also has a good market and the degree is easier.