My name is Prince Miller, and I believe that technology is a necessary, though ever-changing, part of most people’s lives, and the path it takes can have a huge impact on the future of humankind. This is why during my career as a City Tech student, I have chosen Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering Technology as my major. My interest in Engineering in general developed in high school, and was amplified by the fact that engineering happens to encompass my two strongest subjects, math and physics. The goal of the Electrical Engineering major is to prepare students for careers as electronic technicians, which may include a wide range of different careers, such as an electrician, IT specialist, or communications engineer, which was among the highest paid of all engineers in 2014 (IEEE par. 2). I am still unsure which type of Electrical Engineering career I will pursue, but I have the strongest interest in devices and programming out of all the available fields. As I will explain devices and programming is the best career for me because it fuels my creativity. In the following, I will discuss what Electrical Engineering is, its career opportunities, my falling into the field, my growing interest in Electrical Engineering, and finally, my future goals in the field.

Before discussing why this is my chosen field, I would like to first explain what Electrical Engineering is. Electrical Engineering is a field of study that leads to many career paths. With this degree, I could be an electrician, monitoring and testing the design of a power system for a whole building or area; or an information analyst, programming away behind a computer screen; or even a telecommunications consultant, administrating a network for the use of many. I have not yet made my final decision between a degree in Electrical Engineering or Telecommunications Engineering Technology, but both fields have similar course requirements for the first few years. In the upperclassmen semesters, the disparities between the major curriculums becomes much more concrete. Though both majors have a heavy math and physics influence, Electrical Engineering Technology is focused on power, circuits, and machines, whereas Telecommunications Engineering Technology focuses more heavily on signals, networks, transmissions, and anything else involving communication between two devices.

Graduating with a Bachelor’s (BS) Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology would signify that I have gained “knowledge in power systems, controls, microcontrollers, sensors and instrumentation, as well as the growing area of mechatronics” (City Tech 245), according to the 2015-16 City Tech College Catalog. Anyone holding this degree is qualified for work as an electrical technologist. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, the varying electrical technologists on average made about $89,000 a year in 2012 (United States par. 13). However, since then, salary numbers have risen for some fields of electrical technology. Energy and power engineers earned $116,000 on average in 2014, while systems and devices engineers earned a hefty $143,000 on average in the same year, according to the 2015 IEEE-USA Salary and Benefits Survey (IEEE par. 6-7). A degree Telecommunications Engineering Technology would open some separate, yet similar, doors. The aforementioned City Tech College Catalog informs us that earning the Bachelor’s (BS) degree in this field would require “advanced study in data communications, coding, computer systems, probability and statistics, satellite transmission, fiber-optic communications, traffic control, economics, programming, network management, regulatory and legal issues and advanced mathematics” (City Tech 250). This degree, like its Electrical Engineering counterpart, qualifies graduates for many different careers. In 2014, signals and applications technologists earned over $141,000, while communications technologists earned $150,000 on average that same year, making them the highest earning of all those in the electrical and information technology (IEEE par. 6-7).

I was thrust into Engineering in high school during my sophomore year. As students, we had been asked to choose major courses of study, and I picked Law and Society as my first choice, neglecting to manage the order in which the other available majors were listed. I did not get in to the Law and Society major, but I was accepted into the second major on my list: Mechanical Engineering. At first, I was severely disappointed, because I hadn’t put much thought at all into Engineering, and presumed it to be boring. However, when I looked at the classes I would have to take, and the projects I would have to complete, I became more and more interested. Then, when I actually got to take Calculus and Physics in my junior year, I was engrossed by the idea of becoming an engineer. Then, in my senior year, things changed. The Mechanical Engineering class fused with the Electrical Engineering class, and we were all of a sudden asked to accomplish tasks and design projects that would require both groups working together. While we worked, I noticed we had to bang away with hammers, shave pieces of metal to precise dimensions, and other tedious things of that sort, while the kids from the Electrical Engineering major sat at their computers and programmed robots, designed circuit boards, and developed entirely new programs using code languages they learned. I immediately knew I would prefer the Electrical path, because I saw more possibility and potential in it. I would much rather learn how to design software, hardware, and programs for technology than to learn the most efficient ways of assembling things, so when I arrived at City Tech, I changed my major path to Electrical Engineering, although I still take Mechanical Engineering classes to bolster my qualifications and expertise.

For me personally, Engineering as a whole is an amazing outlet for creativity and curiosity. Engineering is the primary reason humans have been able to make it this far, especially with respect to the advancements we have been able to make as a species. For the past three hundred years, engineering has been improving the quality of life for people at an amazing rate. Without Electrical Engineering, we would have no power to light or run our businesses or cities. Without Civil Engineering, we would have no parks, bridges, sewage system, or highways. Without mechanical and aerospace engineers, we would have no cars, trucks, planes, jets, spaceships, or any other vehicles to transport ourselves and our possessions freely, meaning we would never have achieved flight or space travel. Without Communications Engineers, we would have no cell phones, laptops, or any other communicating or transmitting device. Without Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, we would not have access to the wide variety of medicine we have today, which has undoubtedly saved millions, if not billions, of human lives. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more types of engineers, and many more inventions and innovations that each have come up with. For this reason, I am very excited to begin my career as an engineer. When I am an engineer I will have both the freedom and qualification to add to this list of innovations, which I plan to do. In this way, I will be able to help the next generation of humanity, as the former generations of engineers have helped me. I will also gain answers to personal questions I have about how and why certain machines work.

I believe my future as an engineer is very bright. As I read in the European Journal of Engineering Education, “Engineers are expected to be experts in their field” (Keltikangas 87). I have accepted that this will be very challenging, both as a career and a hobby, but if it was easy, it would not be fun. I plan to join the IEEE, or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, while I am still enrolled here at City Tech. I also have begun to complete some of the entry level certifications for Cisco, to bolster my experience and credentials as a network administrator. When I finish the intermediate ones, I will be able to apply for an internship and gain experience in the field. From there, my career will only advance, until I ultimately have created my own network or software.

Works Cited

Keltikangas, Kirsti and Miia Martinsuo. “Professional Socialization of Electrical Engineers in University Education.” European Journal of Engineering Education. 34.1 (Mar 2009): 87-95. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov 2015

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). “Median Income of     Electrotechnology, IT Professionals Rises to $130,000 for Largest Gain in Past Five Years, IEEE-USA Salary Survey Reveals.” 1 Sept 2015. Web. 4 Nov 2015.

New York City College Catalog 2015-2016 (City Tech). New York: New York City College of Technology, 2015. Print.

United States. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Electrical and Electronics Engineers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Washington: Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 Jan 2014. Web. 4 Nov 2015.