This thread is to become a forum where practising Electrical Engineers and the aspiring ones can interact. I fall under the aspiring group so I hope for a situation where the professionals can give us, the aspiring ones, an insight as to what is expected of us as graduates and what we can expect from the labour market. Feel free to post any related comments regardless of your level.

Hi,
Thought to open the discussions with a brief summary about myself.
I'm an electrical engineer by training, with Bsc and Msc, and around a decade experience.
I've always been about computers and anything wired, so I have worked so far firstly in IT and now in telecoms.
My final year options/electives were control engineering/computers/industrial electronics. At PG level control and automation (sequence-controlled mechanisation, traditionally a mech discipline) was my focus and dissertation topic.
I was a big fan of industrial and controlelectronics back then, and I even partipated in some PLC programming exercises at the WRPC as an IT student.

I worked first as a systems/network engineer, then switched into software development/engineering fulltime. Later I worked as a business analyst for billing and ERP integration, and eventually moved into Product Management.

Nowdays I am more of a Marketing person, as I head up New product development in one of the network operators in Nigeria. It has been a most fulfilling career experience, both in terms of money and exposure. No regrets at all. I'm still very tuned into tech, even though I wear a marketing hat now, but my experience is invaluable, especially to recruiters, local and international. In fact I was recruited by an offshore recruiter for my current job, even though I was working in Nigeria. Spent some time with the Group team and eventually settled in their new Nigeria operation.

For the upcoming, I would advise that you know what you want from day 1 and go for it. Go for the jobs that will give you the exposure and knowledge relevant to where you want to be. All of elect I think is good, power, telecoms, and electronics. We have always had the advantage in this country over the others because there are more small scale firms where you can gain experience. Also, telecom has changed the landscape of IT entirely because these guys invest in IT heavily, far more than the oil and gas guys. We're at the very cutting edge of technology (IP centric network, MPLS, IMS, the new direction of packet switched voice and data networks, 3G/HSxPA), and we're loving it day after day. At the beginning it will be tough but you will enjoy it eventually.

Cheers

@ajanlekoko
I'm impressed with the depth of your experience. You've actually been around the block. Where are you currently employed? I truly hope you'll see this.

@ajanlekoko
What advice can you offer as regards industrial training? And which of the certifications would you recommend for a graduate? And finally does a first class or a 21 hold any promises for the holder. In essence does it give the holder an edge?

Hi,

Fireman Jr:

@ajanlekoko
I'm impressed with the depth of your experience. You've actually been around the block. Where are you currently employed? I truly hope you'll see this.

For reasons of privacy (I am sure some of my colleagues visit nairaland) I can't reveal publicly where I work. I'm sure you understand this

Fireman Jr:

@ajanlekoko
What advice can you offer as regards industrial training? And which of the certifications would you recommend for a graduate? And finally does a first class or a 21 hold any promises for the holder. In essence does it give the holder an edge?

As per IT, it is getting more and more difficult to get a place, but it also depends on where you are looking at in future. Right now the most viable option for elect students in Nigeria is ICT, that is if you're looking at working in your field of study. Same applies to either Nigeria or abroad. So I'm sure there will always be some small IT firm where you can 'manage' for your IT. Don't let money be your primary motivation during this period. Make sure you are in somewhere relevant.

When I did IT, I had the opportunity of working in a factory environment and an IT company for the two ITs. Those were the years of serial strikes by ASUU (the 90s), so somehow the 3 and 6 month ITs were extended in both instances. When I worked at the factory, I learnt a lot about process control , and even got to program PLCs. In fact, I worked with an independent contractor during this period to install a PLC (SIEMENS Simatic, can't remember the model anymore) at Warri Refinery in '96. I basically designed the ladder diagrams, which is the equivalent of writing code. It was a project that I can say changed my way of thinking, and made me understand the value of exposure in this profession. Exposure is everything. I know lots of guys that have schooled abroad for their MSc, but did not get the exposure, or get a job that would give that exposure. I am grateful to God for every opportunity I got, but my rule is, you may be on the bench for a long time, but when you chance comes to play, seize it with both hands (Apologies to Daniel Amokachi there!).

As per class of degree, I would say it is of course relevant in the following ways:
-There is lots of competition nowadays. 2.1 remains a good way for companies to sieve out applicants, especially at entry level.
-I know in the US and Canada, you probably need a strong 2.1 or 1st class to get a place in an Ivy League institution. You probably would need to go to a good school if you are considering a foreign MSc, as that would enhance your chances of getting a good job in those countries.

I myself graduated with a 2.2 in '98, and I can tell you that even back then you could easily feel the effect. The top ICT firms of that period (Telnet, Resourcery, Philips Projects Center, GS Telecom, Omnes Schlumberger) typically recruited only 2.1 graduates, so that effectively shut me out of all those places. Not that I didn't try however.

My major breakthrough was that I went to take up a job after NYSC with a small software company, and learnt software engineering from the ground up. These guys had a lot of major clients (NLNG, Shell, Guiness, NB Plc, and a lot of banks) and they had a lot of advanced tools and techniques. I spent 10 months there and I must tell you it was a difficult time for me. I used to get up at 3am to practice coding, then get ready for work after 3 hours. At night I used to code till 11pm and then crash till 3am. But it was worth it.

After 10 months, I got a job in a company that also recruited only 2.1s but somehow someone omitted to check my resume. Out of a field of 40 people (all 2.1 and 1st class) I was first in the tests and interviews and was the only person recruited. On the day I resumed the HR person was surprised to see my 2.2 on my certificate, and she told me I must be the luckiest person to have gotten a job there. After my entry, they actually discarded the 2.1 rule, and a lot of 2.2s were now able to come in. Talk about changing the world!

The GSM companies right now do not have any 2.1 rule for hiring (except for Glo I think, not too sure they followed through with that, but they did it at inception). But also these guys do not really hire entry levels, except for their call centers. You need to have some experience first usually. So my brother, 2.1 is not bad at all, it saves you 50% of the labour and gets you in the door faster. Too much is at stake if you graduate with an average degree, and my testimony is not an excuse for you guys still in school to slack off and graduate with anyhow degrees. That is a disturbing trend I'm seeing, and look how people are continually debating it in the forum here!

Let me end my rambling here. It's beginning to sound like an interview.
Cheers.

@ Ajanlekoko
Been tryin to do u a PM cant seem to get around too. Neways i read ur posts, yep all 76 of em. U make sense a lot. Am an EE grad too. I neva did av a particular likin for any field of elect but afta my IT in an ICT company one of d Top ones u mention earlier. I leaned towards av a career in telcomms or IT. But life afta skool changed my POV, like u mentioned in ur "original musings" just got thru wit service, served in a bank (gosh my analytical brain was in sleep mode). I wanted to do an Msc like this yr in communications but then i tot again is dat wat i really want, i got offer wit ivy league, made close to a first in skool and it wasnt abt tution fees. I just felt i wasnt so sure of wat i wantd anymore. So i tot ok, y not get a job, c how it goes. then fully decided on d next phases. Bt d thing is now most of these telcos arnt taking fresh grads. workin on oil n gas too. well it still engrin too. But most of d prospective offers i av now r d top consultin companies n banks. What do u think?

shawla:

@ Ajanlekoko
Been tryin to do u a PM cant seem to get around too. Neways i read ur posts, yep all 76 of em. U make sense a lot. Am an EE grad too. I neva did av a particular likin for any field of elect but afta my IT in an ICT company one of d Top ones u mention earlier. I leaned towards av a career in telcomms or IT. But life afta skool changed my POV, like u mentioned in ur "original musings" just got thru wit service, served in a bank (gosh my analytical brain was in sleep mode). I wanted to do an Msc like this yr in communications but then i tot again is dat wat i really want, i got offer wit ivy league, made close to a first in skool and it wasnt abt tution fees. I just felt i wasnt so sure of wat i wantd anymore. So i tot ok, y not get a job, c how it goes. then fully decided on d next phases. Bt d thing is now most of these telcos arnt taking fresh grads. workin on oil n gas too. well it still engrin too. But most of d prospective offers i av now r d top consultin companies n banks. What do u think?

Frankly speaking, you no get problem my broda.
I would say for you, go for the consulting and not the banks. Accenture in particular offers a good ICT track (Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, etc). You can actually do something like that for a year just to make up your mind about what kind of Msc you want to do. Depends on your age though, cos I don't recommend that one leaves the PG effort too late. Sometimes when you don dey see beta pepper, you go forget!

Why do I always recommend IT? The world is actually IT these days. We may be playing catch up in naija, but that is the way of the world. Even in accounting, the world now gravitates more towards IT specialists in Finance and accounting, rather than traditional accountants. Everything is IT in today's world.

Oil and Gas, apart from the shocking pepper they pay to young people, don't really have too much to offer, except you're in the core discipline (geology/geophysics, petroleum engineering, and all that drilling and reservoir stuff). A facilities engineer to me sucks as a career option. You may not know that Yemi Osindero, COO of Virgin actually spent some time as a facilities engineer in ExxonMobil before packing it in. I personally think those jobs are downright boring. IT in the oil companies is totally useless. That is redundancy 101.

I have a close friend who served and worked in the telcos before he left for yankie, also an EE grad. Now he works with Deloitte Consulting as a Senior SAP consultant, focusing on the retail side of SAP. His pepper is very tight, and in fact he's working on a US$300m project for the world's biggest retailer, and he has nothing at all to do with telecoms any more, at least not directly. he's more of a biz analyst type of person.

I think you should go for consulting. There is even a bigger playing field out there in Europe and Yankee (Mckinsey, Accenture, Deloitte, CAP Gemini Ernst & Young, T-Systems (German), Detecon (German as well), even the Ericssons and Nokia Siemens of this world have their consulting outfits. I have worked projects with all these guys, yes, every single one I have mentioned there, and their level of skill, exposure, and professional depth always impresses me.

Believe it or not, at my age and experience level, I am actually considering a consulting career in the future. However more as an independent consultant, not within an organization. I just need to round off my odyssey with an EMBA in the next couple of years, and I should be done with mainstream work. That is of course if I don't suddenly become a CxO in a telco in Naija. I kind of like Naija.
Cheers.

Thanx man, I appreciate ur views. I think av got meself an EE rolemodel now . Cheers

@ Ajanlekoko
Thanks for giving hope to guys like us. I graduated 3rd class from the University no thanks to ASUU and some hopeless lecturers. However I didn't allow that to deter me, I went in straight into ICT although not really been lucky but I can say I got my CCNA and trying to do my CCNP now. Then the thoughts of going into Project Management rang the bell and I got my PRINCE2 Practitioner Certifications but now I'm confused.

Currently work for an IT firm fast losing focus and thinking of what next to do with my career. I'm looking at going self employed but still confused as to what to verve into. Can you advice pls?

bigtt76:

@ Ajanlekoko
Thanks for giving hope to guys like us. I graduated 3rd class from the University no thanks to ASUU and some hopeless lecturers. However I didn't allow that to deter me, I went in straight into ICT although not really been lucky but I can say I got my CCNA and trying to do my CCNP now. Then the thoughts of going into Project Management rang the bell and I got my PRINCE2 Practitioner Certifications but now I'm confused.
Currently work for an IT firm fast losing focus and thinking of what next to do with my career. I'm looking at going self employed but still confused as to what to verve into. Can you advice pls?

What were you doing in the IT firm? Was it a Cisco shop, i.e. were you into internetworking?
Because of your class of degree you can't afford to lose focus, or switch from certification track to certification track. You have to pick a strategy and stay with it. In fact you should have even gone for postgrad by now, because a 3rd class will not get too many doors opened, if you are looking at mainstream work. Because of that, I would knock the Prince2 certification
The way I see it, you have only two choices. One is to pick a particular area of specialization and follow through with it. I know many 3rd class grads who have more or less paid their dues working in the small time IT firms, and they're now able to hold their own to some extent. Consistency is very important, and it pays off in the long run. Try as much as possible to find somewhere where you can even optimize the CCNA (no matter how small, even if all they do is structured cabling) just so you can have some experience to cite. Also you need to do some postgrad (PGD and/or Msc). You can also complement your CCNA by looking at any courses around you can do in telecoms (I see some advertised in the papers nowadays but i can't vouch for their competence or quality). But find a way to get some experience.

The other is, you may want to look at other things you can do outside the field altogether. You were talking about self employment. What do you have in mind particularly? The self employment road is always the road less travelled, but if you face it with the same fervour as you would in a paid job, ultimately you will definitely smile.
Whatever you decide to do, Godspeed, and I wish you all the success possible.
Cheers.

@ Ajanlekoko
Thanks man. I'm the Systems /Network Administrator so more or less deal with the elements of networking (CISCO). I'm also very good in Linux and do some bit of LAMP (PHP coding) but most probably not getting the satisfaction. However I'm looking at pursing the relevant postgraduate qualifications in IT or Telecoms. I did the Project Managment certifcations because I felt it would complement my duties and also looking forward doing some ITIL stuff. I would however love your kindest encouragement in gaining back focus.

OK.
Why do you think you're losing focus? and what exactly are you losing focus from? Is it that you're not getting more to do on your current job, or the money is not enough, or both?
Most of the time it may be that people are not as busy as they would have liked, or they feel the job isn't glamorous or fast-paced enough, or the job setting is just not right for them. Also, how long have you been doing your current job? cos that is also a factor. Or do you have personal distractions?
Whichever the case, I can say I've been in similar situations. My last job was as a Manager in charge of Product Development in one of the GSM companies. I did that for four and a half years-and was bored stiff. Pay was very good, work environment was okay, but I was bored all the same, and longed to leave.
What I didn't realise at the time was that I could have spent those 4 years doing something else, apart from coming to work every day. So long as my job pays my bills to some extent, I could have come to work, and use their resources to get better education and experience, before I move on.
In getting back your focus it would be good if you identify what it was originally. Where were you planning to go originally. You may actually be on track and not know it.

@ Ajanlekoko
You're absolutely right! You seem to read me well. I actually feel bored having to sit in all day having done all a Systems Administrator is expected to do and often times I try my hands on personal stuff like experimenting new technologies (which I hope to use when going solo). To be candied I tend to find my job a bit boring and pay not too pleasing but not complaining cause I really get enuf time to do my personal development and gain experience on the current job. I also looking at doing an online M.Sc postgraduate degree with one of the UK based universities. I guess time will really tell and help me re-focus on either going strictly IT or PM or doing both.

@ ajanle. You're really the kind of person i had in mind when i started this thread. Your bank of experience can change lives. Keep up the good work. To my fellow nairalanders with 2.2 grades and below: I personally do not believe in the hiring rule most companies adopt. I believe companies that ask for nothing less than 2.1 are limiting themselves. My elder brother graduated with a 2.2 and he is better than most of the 2.1 and 1 holders i've known. Am not saying a 2.1 is worthless cuz if you think of it, how else can companies screen the multitude of job seekers. I am presently in first class and i know a few first class holders. They all strike me as very boring people who neglect a lot of extra curricular activities that aid personality development. So all you need is a chance to prove to people what you are made of, just like our humble career doctor did. Lol

@ ajanlekoko,pls i need an insight 2 my plight. I read EE power/machine HND. After youth service,av wrkd in irrelevant field like marketing,quality control etc. Actually,no tanks to d level of underemployment. After series of hunting 4 my field job,i got 1 as an electrical/instrumentation personel in a manufacturing coy. Most machines use on d site r PLC based. So wot can i do to upgrade my skills n relevance to my environment. Tanks

Shuo? Una don turn this thread to the 'Ask AjanleKoko' thread, or the 'Ask AjanleKoko Show'?
LOLLLLLLLLL!!!!!
@poster, on a serious note, as you don get that kind of job, why not start to read na?
How grounded are you in instrumentation and control technology? Get equipped quickly by reading it up!
Surf the web; I'm sure you will find material that will point you towards a good overview of instrumentation and control. Don't read a whole textbook, it might get too theoretical, unless you can find one that summarizes the key concepts.
Once you have a good overview, start to study your environment, all the machines there, read the manuals and understand how the machines work. Then make sure you attach to the guys who are the hands on technicians there and learn all you can from then.
Unfortunately, you no go fit escape reading and also learning, so keep your eyes and ears open. Don't be too eager to prove yourself, just farabale and learn.
More clarification needed?

@ajanlekoko
i must say that u've become a full fledged career doctor. it seems you never run out of advice.

@Fireman,
Most of the advice revolves around the same thing. You have to work hard, motivate yourself, maintain a super-positive attitude, and take advantage of all opportunities around you. Eventually it all pays off, wherever you might find yourself.

i'm an electrical engineer.
graduated in 2001( damn! time HAS flown!)
served in aluminum rolling mills ota( almost a complete waste of my time)2002 factory environment, Indians, mostly trying to keep scarp machines running so that production targets could be met. dead end job


did a year in a power engineering firm( one man business, great foundation lousy pay, lousy place to work)2003. we were executing the deployment of distance protection relays for PHCN's transmission network. I got to travel all around Nigeria(shoestring budget) . was really interesting, and a bit scary. transmission lines involve voltages of 330kV, currents of 1000A per conductor, and the fact that mistake could trigger what is known as a system collapse, or the explosion of Current transformers(our greatest fear)we'd calculate the operating paremeters for the relays in the office. procure materials, travel to the transmission station, uninstall the existing realys( usually 1960, 1970 models) install the new relay, execute commissioning tests, etc.


did a year and a half in CA consultants limited( IMHO, nigerias leading building services deign firm) medium salary, great wok environment, great experience - i learnt to be a professional in that place 2003-2005. we did electrical design for building projects. did a lot of work for MTN. the electrical design for MTN's falomo offices(golden plaza) on the 7th, 8th and 10th floors was done by me. nothing like seeing your designs on paper become reality. we were involved in design, preparatuion of construction documents, project supervsion. .

currently electrical engineer in the downstream division of an oil and gas company since 2005. do a little bit of everything.

what do i do?

all sorts really. i'm a very competent engineer( i still remember people who met me for the first time going - you? this small boy? you're the one whose name those ogas in your office have been calling, i can say i'm a CAD guru/freak( this enables me to cut down on preparation of design documents etal - don't have to beg any drafter to work late on my behalf, don't have to worry about my design intent being misinterpreted, plus, by use of lisp, arx, dvb etal files, i've been able to automate a large part of my design process.

i also do PP when it comes my way. though the problem there is nigerians. eventually, i hope to have my own firm, but that means i need to step up on the networking. . .

@oyb
It seems ajanlekoko has some competition now. I'm glad you're here. From what i read, you're specialised in electrical networks and power. One thing that still bothers me though. I wonder if any of the things we study in school will be relevant in the workplace. Everybody is going into ICT certifications and i wonder which of them is best of elect/comp students.

not really. the power thingy was for one year, and i've forgotten most of it.

the nigerian curriculum is so far behind that whatever you learn is often of zero immediate relevance in the workplace. it may provide some sort of foundation, but that IMHO is about it.

note however, that as an engineer, you will always be retraining yourself in order to keep abreast of trends. which is why '20 years experience sometimes means nothing, if it is 20 years doing the same thing the same way.so don't worry too much about that.

unfortunately, most Nigerian companies(in my experience) do not train their new hires, which can lead to a foundation of doing things the wrong way.

most ICT certifications are overated(IMHO) my cousin who is a IT bigwig in NY told me once that 'CCNA is for high school students' ;they are popular mainly because of the Nigerian obsession with certifications. that doesn't mean you shouldn't get them, but just understand that they are mostly CV garnishing.

oyb:

the nigerian curriculum is so far behind that whatever you learn is often of zero immediate relevance in the workplace. it may provide some sort of foundation, but that IMHO is about it.

note however, that as an engineer, you will always be retraining yourself in order to keep abreast of trends. which is why '20 years experience sometimes means nothing, if it is 20 years doing the same thing the same way.so don't worry too much about that.

unfortunately, most Nigerian companies(in my experience) do not train their new hires, which can lead to a foundation of doing things the wrong way.

@oyb, I definitely second you on that, and I also find that you might experience the same thing with foreign companies. These days very few companies, including even oil and gas, actually put their employees through a standard training regime. I read something a while back about Schlumberger, and how they train their engineers, and I doubt if many companies take that kind of thing seriously.

oyb:

most ICT certifications are overated(IMHO) my cousin who is a IT bigwig in NY told me once that 'CCNA is for high school students' ;they are popular mainly because of the Nigerian obsession with certifications. that doesn't mean you shouldn't get them, but just understand that they are mostly CV garnishing.

Again seconded on that. IT certifications and electrical/electronic engineering do not have any direct correlation. I can't really say the whole thing has been bastardized, reason is that it's up to employers to decide where they want to place the relevance of IT certification. For the young guys just leaving school, the certifications are a good way to technically upskill yourself in ICT, given that our universities have seriously flawed and outdated curricula. Without prejudice to your IT bigwig friend, does he possess the highest level Cisco certification, the CCIE? Less than 40,000 people globally have that credential, if my statistic is right, and for a long time, Wale Adetugbo of Telnet remained the only Nigerian to have that certification. It involves a laboratory session, and many have fallen there.

In fact, if you want to say Nigerians have bastardized IT certification, what would you say about Indians?

All told, it's good to see someone actually pursue a career in power engineering and electrical design. Personally when we were in school most guys culdn't stand power, cos it looked too boring , and the specter of NEPA on the career horizon was just too scary , so most people moved on to the 'glamorous' computer and telecom stuff . I did one very short holiday job in '94 with a design firm called TACAS (owned by an Engr Tade), and all I did was to stare at drawings all day.

Peace.

AjanleKoko:


@oyb, I definitely second you on that, and I also find that you might experience the same thing with foreign companies. These days very few companies, including even oil and gas, actually put their employees through a standard training regime. I read something a while back about Schlumberger, and how they train their engineers, and I doubt if many companies take that kind of thing seriously.


Again seconded on that. IT certifications and electrical/electronic engineering do not have any direct correlation. I can't really say the whole thing has been bastardized, reason is that it's up to employers to decide where they want to place the relevance of IT certification. For the young guys just leaving school, the certifications are a good way to technically upskill yourself in ICT, given that our universities have seriously flawed and outdated curricula. Without prejudice to your IT bigwig friend, does he possess the highest level Cisco certification, the CCIE? Less than 40,000 people globally have that credential, if my statistic is right, and for a long time, Wale Adetugbo of Telnet remained the only Nigerian to have that certification. It involves a laboratory session, and many have fallen there.

In fact, if you want to say Nigerians have bastardized IT certification, what would you say about Indians?


Peace.

you are on point s per the CCIE. it was ccna my cousin( na oracle certification etal he get,if i remember rightly. . . was referring to . very few nigerians IMHO will ever go as far as CCIE. most will stop at CCNP. a colleague of mine actually did the CCIE , but he didn't pass  ( 1m+ don enter toilet!)



as to the training, thats whats happening where i work. i always tell IT/youth corpers to go and find a small company to start with, where they will actually learn, but most of them just want the big money( i guess i was lucky about my career progression) theres a more or less feresh guy in my department now; even though he doesnt work directly with me, iam trying to show him the ropes his superiors won't( they don't know how) before he makes a major booboo that will mess us all up. already, people outside the department are asking me - why didn't you show him how to do so and so?

AjanleKoko:

All told, it's good to see someone actually pursue a career in power engineering and electrical design. Personally when we were in school most guys culdn't stand power, cos it looked too boring , and the specter of NEPA on the career horizon was just too scary , so most people moved on to the 'glamorous' computer and telecom stuff . I did one very short holiday job in '94 with a design firm called TACAS (owned by an Engr Tade), and all I did was to stare at drawings all day.

Peace.

OMG! the world is a very small place.  .is it the same TACAS in surulere? i did my second IT (6 weeks) there . oddly, i gained more there than i id from my first IT (at siemens) that place was my first intro to engineering design. those 6 weeks gave me a distinct advantage over my freshman colleagues at CA Consultants. people kept asking, have you worked in design before?  have to admit the guy was cheap though. was there in -i think- march 2000.

see how depressing the naija situation is.an engineer is now a marketer

I am an electrical engineer as well. I have my M.Sc in EE (power systems) and I'm currently working on my Ph.D; hopefully I'll be done within a year. I have had some minimal work experience in system design and integration but I've mainly been in the university/research track.

Thanks for all the great input already, there's some depth of knowledge here.  I am yet to serve and I'm worried my track is going to limit me to academia. What are my prospects of getting a fulfilling job working in industry? I am about to start looking for good companies in the power field where I can do my NYSC (early next year), which ones would you recommend? Oyb mentioned CA consultants ltd. My background is in modeling and simulation (Matlab, Simulink, PSpice and specialized power software); my master's thesis focused on PV systems and renewable energy.

Thnx all.

ogbronx:

see how depressing the naija situation is.an engineer is now a marketer

Not Really. . . . Read in between the lines

allhavoc, you are going to be a teacher,  you are lucky you are in nigeria,  abroad a lot of people with phd use it to drive taxi,  after 4 or 5 year of bill payment,  and student loan,   just be happy you are in nigeria.

I read electrical engineering , you would notice my interest  in satellite pictures. This is based on one of my university project i did on image, topography, broadcasting and signal many year ago. i went into software, one of the many  project i did involve design of system for some companies many year ago. that where my computer interest  comes in .

I worked with broadband technology for some years. i worked for the largest cable television, internet and telephone company in canada.  The problem with telecom is not as broad as power sector. While the computer field varies all the time and depend on the company you work. And most company have inhouse technology.

i love talking politics more than engineering. when you have a phd in ele ele 90% of the time you would end up a teacher. i hate that. that if you find a job. most job requires first degree or master sometime. companies do not want to pay much.

And i have worked in the power sector too. so i know what NEPA want.


ireport, you think say everybody been like you. call university of ilorin and ask now. even one of thier lecturer was my classmate. his name is adamariko. check the university of ilorin website too. http://www.unilorin.edu.ng/unilorin/index.php/engineering-technology-staff-list
you can call rogers in canada, i worked for them as a platform specialist website http://rogers.ca

@ Becomrrich
that's exactly my worry, I'm afraid companies might feel the degree is over qualified for a position they still have to train you for. I don't expect to earn above a masters pay initially if I can get in the door but I've heard/read from numerous sources (including newspaper articles) that PhD limits your job opportunities. It will be unfortunate if I'm limited to academia or "consulting" from a university. Fingers crossed.

oyb:
OMG! the world is a very small place. .is it the same TACAS in surulere? i did my second IT (6 weeks) there . oddly, i gained more there than i id from my first IT (at siemens) that place was my first intro to engineering design. those 6 weeks gave me a distinct advantage over my freshman colleagues at CA Consultants. people kept asking, have you worked in design before? have to admit the guy was cheap though. was there in -i think- march 2000.

Yep. TACAS, 34 Nuru-Oniwo. Small world indeed!
At the time I was there they didn't have any new projects (September-November 1994), but I wasn't that much interested in power. However, I was able to pick up a lot regarding electrical design for wiring and installation technology. I even took their book away that time, a manual on graphical electrical symbols. Small place, but they had a lot of connections. Prof Seriki, Debo Tade, and some other founding COREN/NSE members
Is Marcus Olaniyan still there?

ogbronx:

see how depressing the naija situation is.an engineer is now a marketer

Bros,
what's a 'marketer'? Are you thinking the bank 'marketer'? What those guys do is actually not marketing, but Sales.
My job in marketing is actually a lot more fun than the average,primarily because of the industry I work in. Market research, business & market modelling, quantitiative analysis, solution analysis and architecture, development of product/service use cases, user interface design, before you get to the real marketing side. It is a lot more fun, especially for someone with a technical or numerate background. Not that I wanna brag but I just wan correct you o.

Cheers.

i'm an electrical engineer.
graduated in 2001( damn! time HAS flown!)
served in aluminum rolling mills ota( almost a complete waste of my time)2002 factory environment, Indians, mostly trying to keep scarp machines running so that production targets could be met. dead end job


did a year in a power engineering firm( one man business, great foundation lousy pay, lousy place to work)2003. we were executing the deployment of distance protection relays for PHCN's transmission network. I got to travel all around Nigeria(shoestring budget) . was really interesting, and a bit scary. transmission lines involve voltages of 330kV, currents of 1000A per conductor, and the fact that mistake could trigger what is known as a system collapse, or the explosion of Current transformers(our greatest fear)we'd calculate the operating paremeters for the relays in the office. procure materials, travel to the transmission station, uninstall the existing realys( usually 1960, 1970 models) install the new relay, execute commissioning tests, etc.


did a year and a half in CA consultants limited( IMHO, nigerias leading building services deign firm) medium salary, great wok environment, great experience - i learnt to be a professional in that place 2003-2005. we did electrical design for building projects. did a lot of work for MTN. the electrical design for MTN's falomo offices(golden plaza) on the 7th, 8th and 10th floors was done by me. nothing like seeing your designs on paper become reality. we were involved in design, preparatuion of construction documents, project supervsion. .

currently electrical engineer in the downstream division of an oil and gas company since 2005. do a little bit of everything.

what do i do?

all sorts really. i'm a very competent engineer( i still remember people who met me for the first time going - you? this small boy? you're the one whose name those ogas in your office have been calling, i can say i'm a CAD guru/freak( this enables me to cut down on preparation of design documents etal - don't have to beg any drafter to work late on my behalf, don't have to worry about my design intent being misinterpreted, plus, by use of lisp, arx, dvb etal files, i've been able to automate a large part of my design process.

i also do PP when it comes my way. though the problem there is nigerians. eventually, i hope to have my own firm, but that means i need to step up on the networking. . .

You be electrician joor. You and becomeRich.

AjanleKoko:

Yep. TACAS, 34 Nuru-Oniwo. Small world indeed!
At the time I was there they didn't have any new projects (September-November 1994), but I wasn't that much interested in power. However, I was able to pick up a lot regarding electrical design for wiring and installation technology. I even took their book away that time, a manual on graphical electrical symbols. Small place, but they had a lot of connections. Prof Seriki, Debo Tade, and some other founding COREN/NSE members
Is Marcus Olaniyan still there?


Cheers.

he was leaving about the time of my IT there, to set up on his own. it was prof seriki that got me the placement at tacas, just as he got me the placement at siemens. you know the man passed on in 2002? only that drafter guy that is still there. was passing thru pako one morning and saw him on the way to the office.