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Electrical engineers usually have a background in electrical engineering, industrial automation or electrical engineering at higher national education (HBO) or university (WO) level.
During your studies, you’ll learn to work with electrical diagrams, control systems, hardware engineering and industrial systems. You’ll then go on to develop your career further within mechanical engineering, industry, energy or high-tech.
Many engineers start out as junior electrical engineers or hardware engineers and later progress to become lead engineers or systems engineers.
As an electrical engineer, you work on the design, testing and implementation of electrical installations and control systems.
For example, you might start by drawing up schematics in EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical. You then liaise with software engineers regarding PLC controls or consult with mechanical engineers on the integration of hardware within a machine.
Depending on the project, you’ll also be involved in testing, commissioning and start-up on site.
EPLAN is widely used for designing electrical diagrams and hardware documentation.
You use AutoCAD Electrical to produce technical drawings and electrical designs.
Many electrical engineers work with PLC control systems for industrial automation and machine control.
In mechanical engineering and industry, you often work with drives, safety systems and industrial components.
In high-tech projects, electrical engineers sometimes also work on the development of electronic systems and components, such as PCBs, FPGAs and ICs. Tools such as Altium Designer, Mentor Graphics and FPGA development software using programming languages such as VHDL are regularly used for this purpose.
You will work on control systems, control panels and electrical installations for machines and production lines.
Within the industrial sector, you will focus on production facilities, process automation and technical optimisations.
In the energy sector, you will work on electrical infrastructure and energy systems.
High-tech projects often require precise hardware engineering and complex technical integrations. High-tech projects often require precise hardware engineering and complex technical integrations. Within this sector, engineers also regularly work on electronic systems, PCBs, FPGAs and ICs for innovative applications in mechanical engineering and the high-tech industry.
You manage engineering projects and oversee technical quality and scheduling.
You specialise further in hardware engineering, panel building or electrical systems.
You work on complete technical systems that integrate hardware, software and control systems.
You focus on testing, start-up and commissioning of installations on site.
You work on prototypes, test set-ups and validations of electrical systems and installations. In doing so, you investigate whether designs meet the specified requirements and contribute to the further development of new technologies and products.
Electrical engineering is well suited to people who enjoy working on technology, control systems and electrical systems.
You work with precision, think technically and find it interesting to ensure that machines and installations function properly.
An electrical engineer designs and implements electrical installations, hardware solutions and control systems.
An electrical engineer mainly works on electrical installations, control systems and hardware for machinery and industrial applications. An electronics engineer focuses more on electronic components and systems, such as PCBs, FPGAs and ICs. Both roles involve working with technology, but have different specialisations.
Many electrical engineers have a degree in electrical engineering, industrial automation or electrical engineering.
That depends on the project. Many engineers combine office work with on-site testing or commissioning.
Commonly used software includes EPLAN and AutoCAD Electrical.
Hardware engineering focuses on electrical components and circuit diagrams. Software engineering focuses on PLC and control software.
Yes, many electrical engineers go on to become lead engineers, systems engineers or take up specialist roles.
Has this sparked your interest, or would you like more information? Please do get in touch. We’d be happy to help!
