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ELECTRONICS OR MECHANICAL??

  • 31-07-2012 1:35pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 269 ✭✭


    Whats the best area to get into in your opinions people? Where's the money, where are the jobs, where lies the future?! Thanks in advance


Comments

  • Posts: 7,499 ✭✭✭[Deleted User]


    China


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 markfoley04


    I'm a mech engineer, working for 2 years aged 25. Job availability is similar in both fields. I would highly recommend going with mechanical. Simply due to the type of people that I have come across working in different places. Mech lads seem to be all quite normal. THe odd academic here and there but generally good. Where as with electronic or electrical they all seem quite strange. Genuinely they all do, whether it be the electricians on site, the electrical draughtsmen or the electrical/electronic engineers themselves.
    Just my personal opinion.
    Mech is far broader wheter you are looking at pumps, tanks, pipes, valves or something completely different its always interesting. With electrical you will spend most of your times wondering where you will run a cable or looking at electrical drawings covered in wires.
    Also take note of the difference between electrical and electronic, there is a difference, look it up.

    Hope I was of help. I took my time deciding and I'm glad I did.
    Civil engineering is interesting too, although if you go with that, alot of civil engineers find themselves as quantity surveyors, boring.


  • Registered Users Posts: 269 ✭✭TopOfTheRight


    I'm a mech engineer, working for 2 years aged 25. Job availability is similar in both fields. I would highly recommend going with mechanical. Simply due to the type of people that I have come across working in different places. Mech lads seem to be all quite normal. THe odd academic here and there but generally good. Where as with electronic or electrical they all seem quite strange. Genuinely they all do, whether it be the electricians on site, the electrical draughtsmen or the electrical/electronic engineers themselves.
    Just my personal opinion.
    Mech is far broader wheter you are looking at pumps, tanks, pipes, valves or something completely different its always interesting. With electrical you will spend most of your times wondering where you will run a cable or looking at electrical drawings covered in wires.
    Also take note of the difference between electrical and electronic, there is a difference, look it up.

    Hope I was of help. I took my time deciding and I'm glad I did.
    Civil engineering is interesting too, although if you go with that, alot of civil engineers find themselves as quantity surveyors, boring.


    Thanks, yeah its electronics i'm looking at not electrical. I would consider myself more of an all rounder, as you said many in the electronics area would be serious techies, maybe my versatility would benefit me while competing with guys like this for jobs?! I have a huge interest in design but also in programming so its a bit of a mixed bag for me


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭langdang


    Genuinely they all do, whether it be the electricians on site, the electrical draughtsmen or the electrical/electronic engineers themselves.
    Just my personal opinion.
    I'd say you haven't met many electronic engineers on-site!
    Not that that invalidates your observation ;):o

    OP - from my experience, electronic engineering is full of hundreds of little niches. If you get too specific in one area you may find that you are of no use to any other company in Ireland. Well you are, but they won't want to pay you as if you are!

    Electrical is more general. I had / have an interest in mechanical, but I don't know enough to say if it's difficult to move around between different areas.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 markfoley04


    We have 5 electronic engineers and about 8 electrical engineers on site. 3 Civil And alot of mechanical. So I'm giving my opinion having worked with alot of different people across the board. Granted I was very lucky to get the job. There have been 10's of new plant operators taken on in last few months, 1200 people went for 16 jobs. and 10 of the lads taken on as basic operators have engineering degrees, mech and E/I.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭langdang


    We have 5 electronic engineers ... on site. ...There have been 10's of new plant operators taken on in last few months, 1200 people went for 16 jobs. and 10 of the lads taken on as basic operators have engineering degrees, mech and E/I.
    What are the electronic engineers working at? Out of interest like, not as an argument - I've met far more electronics engineers and I'd agree with your impression in general! Be interesting to know what options there are out there. Worked on sites myself before but never as anything that would actually make use of an electronic engineering degree.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,217 ✭✭✭deandean


    Mechanical Engineering = A bit of 'Jack of all trades'

    Electronic Engineering = very specialised.

    But it's 70% the man (woman) and 30% the discipline: if you're good and have the right attitude, you'll do ok.

    I'd look at electrical engineering over electronic, looking at the up-coming work load in IRL, but that's me.

    Best of luck!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,207 ✭✭✭longhalloween


    I would be thinking electronic engineering. Nearly every week there's an announcement in the paper about some company looking for electronic engineers.

    With most tech companies in Ireland expanding in the next few years electronic seems the way to go for jobs, and you have multi-nationals like Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Google and Cisco to choose from as well.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18 markfoley04


    langdang wrote: »
    What are the electronic engineers working at? Out of interest like, not as an argument - I've met far more electronics engineers and I'd agree with your impression in general! Be interesting to know what options there are out there. Worked on sites myself before but never as anything that would actually make use of an electronic engineering degree.

    They work with PLCs on control systems, valve actuation, pump start ups etc. THey have the signal sent back to the DCS where they design and monitor the DCS interfaces ...... i think ha


  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Mysterylady


    I studied both electrical/electronic eng in college and have been employed since I left college in 2007. Did you think of a mechatronic eng course, that involves electronic and mechanical eng. When I started college there were a number of them on offer, I'm not sure what the situation is now. You could also do a course where the first year is a general engineering course and you choose after first/second year which discipline you would like to do.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭langdang


    They work with PLCs on control systems, valve actuation, pump start ups etc. THey have the signal sent back to the DCS where they design and monitor the DCS interfaces ...... i think ha
    Did some of that myself, enjoyed it.
    There weren't many electronic engineers at it out on site - twas mainly physics and instrumentation lads I think with some electrical engineers maybe. They had some electronic engineers locked away somewhere hammering out modules alright.

    Longhalloween - I'm skeptical when I hear about a lot of these "high-tech jobs" being announced - usual seems to be a tax-dodge involving sales, marketing, accounting and customer support, but very little engineering.


  • Registered Users Posts: 743 ✭✭✭KeithTS


    If you are planning on studying engineering then I wouldn't worry too much about which area you'll find better employment in as you'll be in college for 5 years so prospects could change dramatically in that time.

    If you're picking a course I would focus on what interests you more than who would emply you as if you're studying something which doesn't interest you it'll be particularly tough.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,129 ✭✭✭pljudge321


    langdang wrote: »
    Did some of that myself, enjoyed it.
    There weren't many electronic engineers at it out on site - twas mainly physics and instrumentation lads I think with some electrical engineers maybe. They had some electronic engineers locked away somewhere hammering out modules alright.

    Longhalloween - I'm skeptical when I hear about a lot of these "high-tech jobs" being announced - usual seems to be a tax-dodge involving sales, marketing, accounting and customer support, but very little engineering.

    I graduated from an E&E course this year and the amount of companies who came looking for electronic engineers was staggering. From the guys who went to interviews the standard most companies are expecting is extremely high so its not just a case of having the piece of paper however.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭doolox


    I have been in electronics for about 30 years working for two US companies in that time and a brief stint of 6 months with an Irish company. I have known people from electrical and mech backgrounds who transitioned from one discipline to another with about 1 to 2 years part-time study so taking one branch does not rule out involvement in the others.

    Look to your interests and follow them. Don't spend too much time on job markets etc as being a mediocre engineer in some job rich branch will only take you so far. Ask your friends to rate your strengths and take them into account.

    Keep studying all through your life and cultivate good work habits and allies and the "odd" people one finds in electronics will not affect you. Electronics can attract an abstract bunch of people, fond of maths and problem solving in a symbolic way. They do not suffer fools gladly and the unforgiving nature of failures in the IT industry, like the recent Natwest/Ulster Bank disaster, show why.

    I know little about mechanical but imagine it to be more hands on with more emphasis on building and trying out prototypes and models and dealing with inputs from the craft trades on issues like manufacturability, maintainability etc given that long history of traditional methods and procedures built up in mechanical eng over the centuries. Here a methodical approach and tidy work habits are essential to avoid wars with your work colleagues.

    Civil eng, because of the recent property crash will have huge problems unless you are willing to travel. This probably will apply to all of engineering in the future.


  • Registered Users Posts: 269 ✭✭TopOfTheRight


    Keep the opinions coming people, also which do you think would best equip someone to start their own business?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭langdang


    which do you think would best equip someone to start their own business?
    Electrical.

    Also - the most basic indicator - the carpark of the electrical engineering company near us is a far newer and nicer collection of vehicles than the electronic engineers carpark.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,064 ✭✭✭Gurgle


    langdang wrote: »
    the carpark of the electrical engineering company near us is a far newer and nicer collection of vehicles than the electronic engineers carpark.
    That's because we don't care what we drive, only what we have left over for holidays, drugs and hookers.

    But it's not all rock'n'roll, a few weeks ago I had to work ALL AFTERNOON!!! T'was awful I tell ya, I even missed my 3pm nap.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,350 ✭✭✭DublinDilbert


    langdang wrote: »
    Electrical.

    Also - the most basic indicator - the carpark of the electrical engineering company near us is a far newer and nicer collection of vehicles than the electronic engineers carpark.

    That's a pretty silly measure. I'm sure during the boom some electrical engineers working on construction projects got well paid. But very few electrical engineers work in the construction industry. Also if they were going out on to sites many would have company cars.

    In most places I've worked the factory workers had some of the best cars, they had different priorities and didn't mind taking out massive loans.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭langdang


    langdang wrote: »
    Electrical.

    Also - the most basic indicator - the carpark of the electrical engineering company near us is a far newer and nicer collection of vehicles than the electronic engineers carpark.

    That's a pretty silly measure. I'm sure during the boom some electrical engineers working on construction projects got well paid. But very few electrical engineers work in the construction industry. Also if they were going out on to sites many would have company cars.

    In most places I've worked the factory workers had some of the best cars, they had different priorities and didn't mind taking out massive loans.
    It's the best measure there is* - if you don't have a particular preference, then choose the occupation with the best carpark. The new cars would have been bought after the crash (obviously) so I'd say they haven't been too badly affected.
    Yeah, now that you bring it up - our non engineering staff have nicer/newer cars too.

    * it would be a bad reason to pick an occupation you had no interest in over one that you did.


  • Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭oisin_t


    Thanks, yeah its electronics i'm looking at not electrical. I would consider myself more of an all rounder, as you said many in the electronics area would be serious techies, maybe my versatility would benefit me while competing with guys like this for jobs?! I have a huge interest in design but also in programming so its a bit of a mixed bag for me

    If you like design and programming, then mechanical would make more sense. There are a lot of areas which require both programming and design.


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