Electrical reliability engineers assist companies with the maintenance and improvement of their electrical systems and products. If you want to work as an electrical reliability engineer, you’ll need at least four years of post-secondary education, though completing a hands-on field experience and earning an advanced degree will help you get a better job. These professionals must be skilled in science, enjoy solving technical problems, and be able to work independently as well as in a group.
A person who wants to work as an electrical reliability engineer must first complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program in electrical engineering. You must provide your most recent standardized test scores, as well as your high school diploma or equivalent certification, to enroll in this type of program. You must also submit a copy of your high school transcript and fill out an enrollment application at your university.
Before you can succeed in this complex field, you must pass science-based classes. Electrical engineering physics, which covers how electric charges work in devices like sensors, will be covered in your classes. You should also learn how circuits work, as an electrical reliability engineer needs to know this information in order to create and implement maintenance plans for objects like electrical breakers, motors, and even medical devices.
A course in this industry will also focus on business management principles. If you want to work as an electrical reliability engineer, you’ll need to know how to create organizational plans for your company that include schedules and quality assurance procedures. You must also know how to communicate with employees at all levels of your company, so taking a class on the various aspects of an organization — such as accounting, distribution, and marketing — will better prepare you to contribute to the company’s overall mission.
Completing a real-world practicum and planning to attend graduate school can also help you stand out to employers. An internship teaches you how to efficiently troubleshoot electrical device problems and develop written repair plans. Companies also provide opportunities for you to practice mastering the industry software tools needed to work as an electrical reliability engineer. Some employers require job applicants to have completed a two-year master’s degree in this field, which will prepare you for supervisory positions and will require you to complete a major thesis research project before graduating.