Electrical and electronic engineering

Electrical and electronic engineering are relatively new engineering fields and are about the technology of electricity.

Electrical and electronics engineers make everyday things, such as turning on a light switch or using your smartphone, possible.

They work on a wide range of components from tiny microchips to power station generators.

Return to jobs list

Your next steps

If you have questions about your plans, talk to a member of our team.

Book a careers appointment

Working in the aerospace industry

Ian Stothers, Chief Technical Officer at Ultra Electronics, talks about the changes taking place in the aerospace industry and what that means for graduates.

He talks about the skills and qualities that graduates will need to successfully navigate a changing workplace.

Innovation in the automotive industry

Gary Colwill, Engineering Manager at Pektron, talks about the electronic innovations within the car industry and what he would want to ask at an interview.

He talks about the exposure a graduate would gain by working for a small to medium-sized business.

What do electrical and electronic engineers do?

As an electrical engineer you will be responsible for designing, developing and maintaining electrical systems. You may well work in multidisciplinary project teams with individuals from other specialist areas.

Electronics engineers work with components or systems such as capacitors, diodes, resistors or transistors.

Prospects - electrical engineer job profile

Prospects - electronic engineer job profile

A degree in electrical or electronic engineering will allow you to apply for roles as a graduate electrical or electronic engineer. The qualification will also provide you with the education base to work towards Incorporated Engineer (BEng) or Chartered Engineer (Meng) status through the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), which can be a good way of demonstrating and accrediting your professional competence as an engineer once you start in the workplace.

TargetJobs - becoming a chartered engineer after starting a graduate jobs

Who employs electrical and electronic engineers?

As an electrical or electronic engineering there are a number of employment sectors which you could consider.

Aerospace (Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Meggitt Plc, Airbus)
Automotive (companies such as JLR, Ford, Renault)
Communications (Babcock, ATOS, Imagination Technologies)
Construction and the building industry (Babcock, Hoare Lea, Arcadis, Kier)
Defence (Leonardo, Ultra Electronics, Babcock, MBDA)
Electronics industry (Tioga, SMS electronics, TT Electronics)
Engineering consultancy (Arup, Aecom, WSP)
Power distribution and energy (Eon, SSE, Severn Trent, Western Power Distribution, Siemens)
Rail (Network Rail, Colas Rail, Northern, Transport for London)

Find out where Nottingham graduates work

Where do I look for graduate and internship vacancies?

Start your job and internship search on MyCareer - we advertise hundreds of engineering roles including graduate positions, year-long placements and internships.

MyCareer - vacancies targeted at University of Nottingham students and graduates

Speculative applications

For smaller companies or more specialist roles, a speculative approach may be useful. Research companies (rather than jobs) that you are interested in joining and consider how you could network with these organisations. You could send your CV and a covering letter speculatively, follow the company on LinkedIn or even approach someone on LinkedIn and ask for advice.

Spotlight On: Recruitment of Engineers

We invited four engineering recruiters to talk to you about their recruitment processes and provide tips on how to make a good impression. They also provided an insight into what life is like working in their sector.

Speakers:

Holly Kite, Early Careers Talent Recruiter, PA Consulting
Lauren Scott, Talent Acquisition Partner, CAT
Aled James, Senior Mechanical Engineer, DCA Design
Atul Ranjan, Technical Lead, Orano

Alumni: Email us to gain access to the webinar

How do I increase my chances of success during the recruitment process?

An important part of increasing your employability for any sector of work is developing your commercial awareness. This means having a good understanding of the industry as a whole, key employers, trends and developments.

Commercial awareness is particularly important during the recruitment process as companies will expect you have knowledge and understanding in this area. Specific questions may be asked or you can impress them by weaving your understanding of the company or sector into your answers.

Find out more about commercial awareness

For the electrical or electronic engineering, good sources of commercial awareness information include the following. Use the news tab to explore developments.

Engineering UK report 2020

The Institution of Engineering and Technology

Careers and Employability Service

University of Nottingham
Portland Building, Level D
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD