How to Become a Hardware Engineer
Are you looking to become a hardware engineer? This is a growing profession that will allow you to work with computers and technology. Hardware engineer works with a wide range of industries. They work with tech equipment and products that include installing medical equipment that works with computers.
In this article, I will take a look at what hardware engineers do and advise on the step you can follow to become one.
What Does a Hardware Engineer Do?
As you patiently await the release of the latest tablet, phone, or computer several hardware engineers are tasked with the design and development of these gadgets.
Roles include:
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Overseeing all design and production of computer hardware equipment.
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Updating existing computer equipment to work with new software.
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Designing peripherals such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), disk drives, printers, and microprocessors.
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Designing a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for sub-circuit performance evaluation.
How to Become a Hardware Engineer
Education
You need a Bachelor's degree in computer engineering or computer science. A degree in electrical engineering is also acceptable but with exceptional focus on maths, physics, and computer studies.
Many engineering programs get accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology) therefore keep sharpening your skills.
Important skills
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Analytical skills: analysis of digital circuits to determine the best design.
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Creativity Skills: think outside the box when developing new computing devices.
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Critical thinking skills use logic and reason to identify alternative solutions.
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Problem-solving skills: to get solutions, you must employ this skill and especially in this competitive field of technology.
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Communication skills: ability to communicate with others is very key since there is a lot of interaction involved.
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Reading skills: keep up to date with new tech, read a lot and research vigorously since this field is constantly advancing.
Salary
The average salary ranges from $75,000 to $124,000/year. The jobs are available all over the US but some states have more opportunities. Washington and California San Francisco Bay, for example, advertise more than 6,000 hardware jobs.
The silicon valley houses big tech companies such as Qualcomm, Intel, Cisco Systems. Google, Microsoft, HP, and Apple, all dream places to work as a hardware engineer.
Where to get a hardware engineering job
To get a hardware engineering job start by drafting a killer resume that will create a brilliant first impression. State your educational background, schools attended, and subjects majors. Also, state all the outstanding qualities that you possess that give you a competitive edge.
Internship roles equip you with practical skills that help you build a good network in the industry by giving you exposure which helps you find a full-time position.
Check LinkedIn jobs if seeking either full-time, part-time, or temporary positions, and are done with internships. Here they advertise posts such as managing system engineers, design engineer managers which require knowledge in hardware engineering.
Great tech job boards such as IEEE, JustEngineer, and GitHub are best for any leads.
Summary
In short, hardware engineering is a thriving career. All you need is computer knowledge as well as analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
