I Love new Tax and Duty!!!!!!!!

I am 36 years old and considering pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, specialising in Mechatronics, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, in Germany as an international student. If I receive an offer from a university of applied sciences, I may take out a student loan to finance my education.

My biggest concern is whether I will face age discrimination when looking for an engineering job after graduating at around 40, and how significantly it could affect my chances of finding employment.

I have been considering this career change for some time because I have struggled to progress in my current career and have been working in the same position for the past 11 years. I see engineering as an opportunity to start a new career, develop practical technical skills, and improve my long-term prospects. However, I am also aware of the financial risks involved in taking out a student loan and the uncertainty of securing a job after graduation.

If transitioning into engineering does not work out, my backup plan is to pursue an online Bachelor’s degree in Data Science and AI from IIT Guwahati (IITG) through Coursera while continuing to work full-time. Since IITG is a reputed institution and the programme is relatively affordable, I hope that earning this degree could strengthen my qualifications and improve my chances of career advancement in my current field.

Given my age, professional background, financial situation, and career goals, which path would be the more sensible choice: pursuing an engineering degree in Germany or studying Data Science and AI online while continuing to work in the UAE? (I am more inclined towards doing an engineering degree)

THANK YOU for taking the time to read!

SMD Design

Hi!

Just hoping to gather additional opinions on this, especially from anyone working in semiconductor R&D, materials science, etc.

I am an EE aiming for a career in semiconductors, specifically neuromorphic computing / brain hardware. Electrochemistry is ofc vital in this space, but what specific steps should I take as an undergrad ASAP (technical electives? projects? + I am currently working on my Python).

Thanks so much!! Any feedback is much much appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I am a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, and I just received a job offer for a Utility Engineer position at an EV battery cell manufacturing plant.

I’m trying to figure out if this role is a good fit for my background and interests. During school, I didn't focus too heavily on one specific area, but the field I felt most comfortable and familiar with was power systems. On the flip side, I had a pretty difficult time navigating the electronics and software/programming sides of the curriculum.

My concern is whether a Utility Engineer role in a manufacturing setting is actually relevant to an electrical engineering path. From what I understand, utility engineering in standard manufacturing tends to lean heavily toward the mechanical side (handling HVAC systems, chilled water loops, dry room environmental controls, etc.). However, since this is a battery cell plant, I know there will be a massive electrical infrastructure, including huge in-house substations, switchgears, and complex power distribution networks.

Additionally, I have zero co-op or internship experience, so I am not very familiar with how day-to-day operations work in industry. My current understanding is that a factory that is already running smoothly doesn't tend to have major engineering "problems" to solve and mostly just needs routine maintenance. Is this true, and is this role still a good way to actually learn, build a engineering career, and get valuable experience? Is facilities/utility engineering in this sector a good career choice for the future?

For those with experience in the manufacturing or EV sectors:

Does an electrical utility engineer in this type of plant actually get to work hands-on with the high-voltage power systems and substations?

Or does the day-to-day work still end up being mostly mechanical and HVAC-focused?

Would this be a solid starting point for someone looking to build a career in power engineering, while trying to avoid heavy coding and electronics?

Given my lack of co-op experience, will a running plant provide enough deep learning opportunities, or will it just be basic maintenance monitoring?

I would love to hear your insights or any experiences you've had with facilities/utility engineering in the EV or battery space. Thanks!

I have a second interview coming up for GE Vernova's Field Engineer Training program. The job will have me traveling to Power plants all over the US. What is the training like? Is the job very hands on, or is it mainly supervising technicians and making sure maintenance and installation work goes as planned? Any responses are appreciated.

Hey guys, I’m a freshman finance student thinking about switching to EE next semester. I think I do find finance and economics interesting but I would just like to learn about how phones and electronics work. I’ve wanted to go into engineering for a while but I’ve always been worried about the difficulty of it. One reason I chose Finance when applying to college rather than engineering is because I thought I wanted to have time going out partying and clubbing. I did do some parting and clubbing thus far, yes it was fun but at the same time it wasn’t all that to be honest. Like, I enjoy it but not as much as I expected, I’d like to do it maybe once every week or two but not more often than that. Also, I am somewhat introverted and have social anxiety and I fear that would cause issues in a finance career.

Another reason I was scared of doing engineering was because I did really poorly in high school calculus. I’ve been taking business calc this year and I’m doing pretty decent so I’m less scared of calculus. I do have issues with time management and managing stress though. Also, I do value free time, I’d ideally like at least an hour or two of free time for myself each day.

I want to do electrical engineering but I’m just scared that it’ll be too difficult even though I find it to be a “cooler” thing to study. I wonder if I’m overly anxious and should just study engineering since I feel more compelled to.

I want to have a career in either FPGAs or circuitry design, I’m much more strongly leaning towards circuitry.

Im already taking or planning to take Analog, Power, RF, and all of the Embedded systems and VLSI courses at my school. What else is there for me to take?

I don’t want to take an easy course because I want relevant skills, I don’t want to take a grad course because my schools graduate offerings merely repeat UG and it is a waste to de facto retake a course that I passed.

I tried to copy the design that Simon Fraser University had up on their website as closely as I could with my materials. I used aluminum foil for the little metal prongs, copper wire and (I think) a ferrite magnet. I use a AA alkaline battery as well. Even when I pressed the prongs against the terminals of the battery the motor doesn't spin. Does anyone know why this is happening? I am new to engineering so any tips?

Im a call center and we use poly headsets where the volume control is away from the ear piece and is powered by plugging the USB c to a computer. My coworker said that her volume control was heating up and was causing for the ear pieces to heat up... honestly, I feel like she's lying so she can avoid taking calls. Can that volume part cause shorts to heat up... is the draw of electricity even enough given that there is no battery on it, processor, nano cell etc. The exact model is in the picture.

Hey guys, as a fellow Electrical Engineering student in Europe, I am seeking some information about the market, as this year I need to choose between an internship in Microelectronics or Power Systems.

I prefer Microelectronics, but I don't want to specialize in a field that is TOO competitive or less in demand. I know for a fact that Power Systems is one of the most in-demand industries, using my country as an example.

In Portugal, the market is roughly 50% Power Systems and only about 10% Microelectronics, but working in another country is always an option.

Thank you!

I’m a Junior ECE student and reached the technical interview stage at Meta, which is 2 45-min interviews with engineers: one with a Senior Engineer (I believe) and the other with an Engineering Manager. My interviews are this week.

I was wondering if anybody knows what kinds of questions they’ll ask? I tried my best to brush up on communication protocols but I’m not sure how much the interview will emphasize technical knowledge versus discussing my projects and leadership. Also, will the manager ask different questions from the senior engineer?

Also, do they ask any coding questions? My recruiter said the technical interviews “typically cover a combination of hardware concepts and coding problems,” but the job description doesn’t list anything coding-related under the Required Qualifications, only Preferred. (2 people have looked at it and told me they don’t think they will make me code).

One year ago I was working as fpga developer. My usualy work involved writing verilog designs and testbenches and Some python.

I lost my job one year ago. I found job after one year. I was not doing any work for an entire year.

When I was laid off there was no ai. But it is everywhere now. I don’t know how it is used in our industry. I am very nervous and worried I won’t be able to catch up or cope. I will be the dinosaur in the team.

I have only used ai as a substitute for google.

If you work in fpga development field in corporate setting -
could you please share how you use ai in your daily work.
Are there any ai skills I can pick up in a week or so before I start ?

Thank you

Unleash Your Inner Investigator

Robson Forensic is looking for an experienced Electrical Engineer - Electric Utilities P.E.

This role asks you to bring your same set of skills to a different challenge: determining why an incident occurred. You will work alongside nationally respected experts on casework that is consequential to industry and society, and you will keep learning for the rest of your career.

I'd be happy to answer any questions about our company or this role. For additional information, go to robsonforensic.com/careers

Hey engineers! I'm working on designing my own custom drone electronics from the ground up for a class, and I'm trying to figure out the correct steps to go from a schematic to a working PCB. I've been learning electronics and embedded systems through Arduino projects, tutorials on YouTube, and I've started designing my own PCB in EasyEDA. I'm now looking for advice from people with experience in PCB design, embedded systems, and drone flight controllers.

My end goal is to build a custom drone that automatically levels itself and connects to my Radiomaster Pocket ERLS controller. I want to understand the engineering behind the electronics and be able to make similar projects in the future. I've attached pictures of what I've completed so far. I’m assuming that there are a few errors, and sorry for my little mess.

Feedback on any of the following would be appreciated!
What should my next steps be from this stage of the design?

Are there any major mistakes or design considerations I should fix before continuing with the PCB.

What should I verify in my schematic and PCB layout before ordering a board?

Is there anything you'd recommend for learning proper PCB design, power management, and flight-controller hardware other than what I’ve done already?

Is there anything I should simulate, test, or verify before assembling the physical board and how would I do that?

I'm still learning, so constructive criticism is very welcome! I'd rather catch design problems now than discover them after ordering the PCB. Feel free to ask questions if there is something that is not clear.
Thanks!

1. employment?

2. Job prospects? (due to AI)

heard in the states it's different but in canada the job market is quite bad

Hey guys, I am currently a senior in HS and I am very interested in becoming an electrical engineer. That being said I dont have the best grades, I have a 26 act and around a 4.1 weighted gpa because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life in the past and did not take school seriously. If im passionate about becoming an EE do you guys think its still possible? Did any EEs in here have bad high school grades?

edit: thank you to everyone replying and giving me confidence!

ECE= Electronics And communications Engineering

I think i really like the idea of these following subfields:

Controls

RF and signals and antennas and EM

Circuits

Electronics

And i usually dont get very excited over the electrical part i find it less romantic ?

So which major is better considering i like these fields ?

Thank you ;)

Hello, Im an informatics engineer, I mainly work with firmware and industrial automation, my background is mostly in software, but I did take electronics and hardware electives, I honestly find the hardware/electronic part of my job to be way more interesting than the software, Im considering getting a masters in ECE, would the learning curve be too steep? How realistic is it to study circuit/control theory on my own?
Sorry if my English isn’t the best

Hi everyone,

I'm a recent BTech graduate in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from India, currently working as an Associate Software Engineer at a small technology company.

My actual work involves hands-on full-stack and AI application development on Government projects. I get practical implementation experience and responsibility beyond basic training or support work, which I consider valuable early in my career.

However, my monthly take-home pay is roughly ₹20k - ₹30k, and I'm uncertain about the long-term salary growth, mentorship and career progression available in my current role.

Since my degree is in EEE, I'm also considering whether to commit to software engineering and AI or actively pursue entry-level opportunities in electrical engineering, embedded systems or industrial automation.

I don't want to leave my current job without another offer, but I also don't want to spend years in a role that limits my growth also i am interested in EEE Core.

I'd appreciate honest advice from people who have faced a similar decision.

1. Would you stay for another 6–12 months to build practical experience, or start actively switching now?

2. How much value do recruiters place on hands-on project ownership at a small company compared with company brand, mentorship and compensation?

3. Given my EEE background and current software experience, would you focus on building a software career or continue exploring core engineering roles?

4. What specific signs would tell you that staying is worthwhile versus that it's time to move on?

I'm not looking for reassurance. I'd genuinely appreciate practical advice based on your experience, especially from people who have made similar career decisions.

Any EEE related openings in your Company would be helpful.

Thanks.

Ello

I am a US Freshman EE student at small priv school (on full scholarship luckily). We only have FSAE but I got rejected sadly and now idk how I will get experience. Teaching myself CAD currently.

Since I got rejected from my schools only comp team FSAE I was wondering if I should start a competition team (either Lunar Rovers, Sub Challenge maybe Solar but it costs so much and I want to compete not js reach out to sponsors).

Thought my sister (who graduated college not same one tho) said it isnt a good idea as I am not the most social person nor do I have many friends who would join and I should just focus on studies.

Also if someone says "Focus on studying" I have too much time on my hands currently and want to learn real shit.

Anyways what do I do? I could try again for FSAE next yr (no guarantee I will get or start comp team or smth else). If I start team I wouldn't compete this yr as I would just make an MVP and prob try to get funding

Im find this after i wanna buy esp and eink screan and from nowhere from 20usd it cost 35$ what the 13$ is EU duty... we need do something with this...

Pls if u from EU sing it!

https://www.openpetition.eu/petition/statistik/save-european-hardware-innovation#petition-main

I came across a weird circuit on a single phase induction motor today. See the picture. The motor is rated for 21W at 230VAC 50Hz.

I get one capacitor as a phase shift capacitor but why two capacitors.
R1 is also understandable as bleed resistor. The only hint I see is the difference in capacitance (2.2uF on C1 vs 0.68uF on C2).
Does anyone have an idea why you would choose such a circuit?

The unit called 'Engineering in Practice' is taught awfully at my University. Lecturer just reads the PowerPoint and can't even make any complete notes. Does anyone have any good textbook reccomendations which explained it well to them? This unit's all about uncertainty in measurements and statistics and supposed to accompany your labs.