Why Grad School? (EE)

[Tritonetelephone]

I've been curious about this lately because my bf just graduated with his BSEE, and I've been helping him job search. He wants an entry level technical position, but it seems that 90% of the jobs available want a BS AND 5+ years experience. Experience seems much more important in the field than educational history (as long as you have a bachelor's). I was just wondering what sort of career goals you guys are pursuing that have led to your decision to attend grad school. What is different about the job market that you're interested in related to EE (or other engineering fields) that requires a MS or PhD?

Thanks!

[whitemud]

I'm surprised that your bf is having so much trouble. Did he not have any internships throughout college? Or is he looking for non-entry level jobs? If something asks for 5 years of experience, in my opinion, it is not entry-level. It's also possible that, though the description says "5 year of experience", they're really only listing the ideal (especially if it's listed as "entry-level").

As far as I know and have experienced, it is not-too-difficult to get an entry-level position for EE straight out of college. Most of my undergrad friends have received multiple offers, and a lot are going to work for companies that they had interned for during the summer.

As far as further education goes. Getting an MS in EE is seen as the best thing to do for someone who wants to work in industry. For 1-2 more years of education, you get a significant pay increase and an entry-level position that's slightly higher than those offered to BSEEs. Oftentimes, companies encourage those who they've hired with a BS to get their MS - offering tuition reimbursement and (in some cases) time off work to attend classes. They obligate that you stay with the company for a set amount of time after completing your MS. Because of these types of programs, I think the hiring potential for a person with a BS or an MS is about the same.

Now, getting a PhD in EE tends to close more doors than it opens. I have a feeling I'm going to hear the word "overqualified" far too much. However, it's necessary for anyone that wants to get involved in research. That is, working for a national lab or in academia. There are also R&D possibilities in industry, though those tend to be fewer - I think there's a lot of "company inbreeding" that tends to happen there. On a personal level, I'm motivated to get a PhD because I know I want to do research and I know I don't want an entry-level BS position. (Unlike my friends, I did not enjoy my internships.)

Hope this helped a little. And, anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I'm only judging from my personal experience.

[Tritonetelephone]

Thank you - that was exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for!

Yeah, he didn't do any internships when he was in school. He was working full time in retail, going to school full time, and paying for everything himself. But he regrets not having one now. If he doesn't find anything in the next few months, he might re-enroll in school, just to be eligible for a co-op or something.