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What does a computer engineer do?

What does a computer engineer do?
What are the career options for a computer engineer?
What does a day in the life of a computer engineer entail?
#engineering #women-in-tech #women-in-stem #computer-engineering #stem #girls-in-stem #girls-who-code #computer-software #computer-hardware #computer-science #computer-programming

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Ken’s Answer

You are asking about a very interesting and diverse area. Based upon my years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, it is best to start by getting to know yourself a little better and then get to know the areas of engineering to determine which might be best suited for you. Here are some important steps to follow. I have encountered too many graduates who skipped these steps and ended up in a job/career area for which they were not well suited.

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The best place to start is to take an interest and aptitude test to determine which area of engineering your personality traits are most well suited and have it interpreted by a trained counselor.
Once you have the results, talk to the person at your school who works with and tracks graduates to arrange to talk to, meet, visit, and shadow graduates of your school who are doing something that looks interesting to you based upon the test results. Here are some tips on getting helpful information: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate professional associations in your area to which professionals in your career area of interest belong, so that you can talk to and get to know people who are doing things that look interesting to you. These associations are very welcoming to students and often have internship and shadowing opportunities and scholarships for students like you. Here are some tips that will help: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
Here are some sites that will provide very helpful information about various areas of engineering: ## https://www.engineergirl.org/ ## ## http://www.futureengineers.org/ ## ## https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43zVcmTJSKM http://stemtosteam.org/ ##
Remember that it is very important to thank those who have helped you along the way. The most effective way is by a phone call, so you can carry on a dialogue and find out other people people with whom you can also talk to find more information. Here are some tips, but remember the most effective way is by phone or more importantly in person. when possible. ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-publishePress enter to add d-2 ##
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BARBARA’s Answer

Hi Gillian,

Ken makes some very good points and offers helpful insights.

I would add the field is vast and every changing. And, changing very quickly. The options that exist in five years will be very different from those available today. That means you will have many more options in the future. I work for a computer manufacturer and we have a lot of different positions a "computer engineer" education can be used for -- hardware, software, product design, product marketing, sales systems engineering, etc. I would ask around to find people in the field and ask them questions. See which area excites and interests you.

Have fun!!!
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Andrew’s Answer

Barbara and Ken have shared some good information with you. I want to add that, although computer engineers do many different things depending on their specific role, they do all have one thing in common. They all use a process method to ensure success and connect their work with the overall system of product development at their company. By process method, I mean they look at what they do in steps and evaluate how they can improve. A process always has inputs (things the engineer needs to do their process), suppliers (people or organizations who provide the inputs), a core process (the steps the engineer takes to do their job), outputs (the things the engineer achieves and provides to the company), and customers (people or organizations who receive something positive from the engineer's work). All engineers need to understand what they do as a process and how to add the most value to the development process at their company. I recommend you study about processes and systems. This will help you understand what a computer engineer does on a deeper level and will give you a head start on a career in this field. Good luck and much success to you Gillian !

Andrew recommends the following next steps:

Study about processes. Use google to search to find articles on SIPOC (suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, customers). This will give you a solid understanding of processes.
Study about systems. Use google search to find articles on systems. For computer engineering, look for product development systems and quality management systems. This will help you understand how all the processes fit together to develop computers.
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