A Career in Electronics Engineering; What Is Involved

Electronics is a popular career chosen by many graduates in the UK as due to the growth of high technology industries and the need for constantly updated technology, employment opportunities can be more common than in other engineering disciplines and provide challenging and rewarding careers.
Electronics engineering often does cover a wide range of activities and job roles but it is primarily involved in the design, development, construction, service and repair of electronic circuits and systems. Electronics engineers can be employed in a wide range of manufacturing companies and also in consultancies and service companies, plus academic and research organisations.
There are different levels involved in working in electronics and different entry requirements. At the lower end of the scale a more 'hands on' role is required such as assembly of circuit boards, testing and repair. Sometimes school leavers are hired for apprenticeships or college leavers with HND, NVQ or City and Guilds qualifications. Salaries are often relatively low paid and the work can be repetitive. Starting a career at this level can sometimes lead to opportunities for employer sponsored further study and with opportunities for career progression and training. Many engineers starting their careers will be graduates and a lot of these will hold Masters degrees or a PhD if they are specialising in a particular field. Graduates will often undertake work experience as part of their study and commence their career on graduation in a graduate trainee position, often for the first year, while they learn about the company, their products and transferring their skills from an academic to an industrial environment. Many under graduates starting electronics engineering degree courses will have a keen interest in electronics gained from personal interests, they will enjoy solving problems, will be innovative, inquisitive, able to work to strict and often demanding schedules, be prepared to sometimes work long and unsociable hours and enjoy working as a team member.
Although duties can vary depending on the employer and the products and systems worked on, typically electronics engineers will be working on the development of new or improving existing products and systems. Often working as a member of a project team, sometimes working closely with other disciplines of engineers such as electrical, mechanical, software and hardware engineers. Sometimes they will be dealing directly with customers, both internal and exte
al, identifying their requirements and proposing and developing appropriate solutions to meet the cost and functionality needs. Electronics engineers can often be found working on defined projects to strict time scales, this will include the initial brief for a concept, writing specifications, selecting appropriate materials, preparing and testing theories, design and build of prototypes, constantly reviewing and updated designs and processes to meet requirements for costs and functionality, design and development and taking these designs to manufacture and implementation.
Career opportunities for talented and innovative electronics engineers can be better than in some other areas of engineering. With the ever increasing pace of technical developments and constant need for new technology, companies are keen to recruit and retain the best engineers to drive their companies forward by developing original and marketable products and systems. Engineers who can prove their ability in leading projects may get the chance to move into management positions with opportunities to obtai
Chartered Engineer status and considerably higher earning opportunities. Many experienced engineers will work freelance, working on specific short term projects and contracts with higher earnings but without job security and sometimes setting up their own company to provide either consultancy services or to develop and manufacture their own products. The need to keep up to date with new technology and the fast pace of this ever changing industry is essential to keep a career moving forward.