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Transitioning from Academia to Industry in Electrical Engineering!

Usman Ghani

Hello EngX Community,

I’m currently navigating the idea of transitioning from academia to the industry, specifically in electrical engineering. Having just completed my master’s degree, I find myself both excited and a little overwhelmed by the challenges that might lie ahead.

I’d love to hear from those of you who’ve successfully made this leap. Your insights would be incredibly valuable as I figure out the best way forward. Specifically, I’m curious about:

  • Skill Adaptation: What academic skills proved most useful, and were there industry-specific skills you had to pick up quickly?
  • Job Search Strategies: What worked for you in landing that first industry job?
  • Work Environment Differences: Were there unexpected changes in workplace culture or project expectations?
  • Professional Development: How do you keep pace with evolving industry trends while juggling your role?

If you’ve faced similar questions or have any tips, I’d be deeply grateful for your insights. Any resources, personal anecdotes, or even cautionary tales are welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom!

Parents
  • 0

    I'd probably add a bit about team work - academic tends to be about showing what you can do - industry is more about what the team/company can deliver.

    Likewise information sources can be a lot less formal - there will most likely be no well organised company library or internet source that can provide information about the internals of products the company produces or the systems you're working with. There will likely be a lot more of scavenging of information from scattered (and often out of date) sources, or finding someone who knows and picking their brains directly.

       - Andy.

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  • 0

    I'd probably add a bit about team work - academic tends to be about showing what you can do - industry is more about what the team/company can deliver.

    Likewise information sources can be a lot less formal - there will most likely be no well organised company library or internet source that can provide information about the internals of products the company produces or the systems you're working with. There will likely be a lot more of scavenging of information from scattered (and often out of date) sources, or finding someone who knows and picking their brains directly.

       - Andy.

Children
  • 0 in reply to AJJewsbury

    I'd absolutely second all Andy and Simon's points, other crucial differences are scope, time and money. Clients want projects delivered to their scope, to their budget, and - this can be the greatest shock - to their timescales. So showing a level of commercial awareness - that you are used to keeping to a strict scope and timescales - is crucial. 

    Back in pre-lockdown days, I'll always remember interviewing an ex-post-doc for a permanent industry position, and we were rather taken aback when they said "I'd be happy to come into the office one, or maybe even two days a week". We realised we had to gently explain that this was a 7.5 hour a day, 5 day a week job as part of a team, not just another in a series of academic research projects.

    Good luck!

    Andy

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