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I need someone with a degree in Electrical Engineering for a school project.

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ClubNinja:

--- Quote from: shardian on January 23, 2009, 07:56:45 am ---Lesson #2: cut your pay expectations in half right now. That way reality hurts less when you graduate. Bachelor degree barely gets you a starting gig.
--- End quote ---

The issue here is that more people nationally - and especially in areas of high growth in tech and science - are getting BS degrees.  The Bachelor's is becoming the new High School Diploma and it's hurting a lot of perfectly capable people.  At this point, you really need a Master's to be competative.  In a generation, who knows, you might need to finish up that PhD to achieve anything. 

Also, engineering salaries, even on an entry level, are wildly varied.  When I was interviewing after I finished school, there was a $30K difference between the top and bottom salaries I was offered.  All similar jobs.  It depends on your location, the company, the needs of the company at that specific time, and how your qualifications directly match that.  Unless your expectations are through the roof, there is no reason to cut then in HALF.

shardian:
It is a difficult situation when it comes to degrees. If you get a masters immediately following your bachelors, you will 'overeducate' yourself for alot of jobs that are borderline technician work. Besides, a master's degree is FAR less valuable than the EIT and PE certifications.

And even if you get a master's immediately, teh better paying jobs still require a minimum of 3 years specialized work experience.

In short, a teaching degree prepares you for work on the first day. An engineering degree just gives you a basic background to enable you to learn a job on the fly. I haven't seen an engineering job yet that has a description of "sit at desk and solve pointless equations all day."  ;)

P.S. If there is even a remote possibility you could end up in the construction business (like I did), take a few civil engineering classes as electives. I almost shat myself when I had a set of building construction plans set in front of me when I first started.  :laugh2: I had no clue what I was looking at.

ClubNinja:

--- Quote from: shardian on January 23, 2009, 12:46:57 pm ---It is a difficult situation when it comes to degrees. If you get a masters immediately following your bachelors, you will 'overeducate' yourself for alot of jobs that are borderline technician work. Besides, a master's degree is FAR less valuable than the EIT and PE certifications.

And even if you get a master's immediately, teh better paying jobs still require a minimum of 3 years specialized work experience.
--- End quote ---

I guess it depends on the kind of work you're looking to do.  Sure, there's technician work, but there's also research, design, and so on.  After getting a Master's, you should be in position to do any of those things, not just technician work. 

Also, unless your graduate work was a total joke, most good employers will recognize graduate research as specialized work experience.  Supplement your undergraduate experience with a good internship doing real work or research, and you should be in fine shape by time the job hunt comes around.

As an aside related to your other comment, I'd love to teach if it didn't pay in dust and lint  ;)

shardian:
Teacher's salary is good enough for a family to live on here in WV. Sure you won't drive a Mercede's or live in a giant house, but if you play your cards right it is more than enough.

I barely make more than a teacher anyways (base salary wise), and work a hell of alot more! The only thing holding me back is my overtime and side work.

ClubNinja:
A teacher's salary in MA is good enough for me to move my family into a cardboard box underneath a busy overpass.   

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