Electronics engineering has been a comparatively new branch of engineering that came into existence with the development of semiconductors. Application of electronics engineering can be found in consumer goods such as televisions, video players, calculators and computers. The Industrial use of electronics ranges from automation products and systems to control systems. With the automation of most production sectors, electronics finds practical application in all the sectors.

Work

Electronic engineers work on the design, development, fabrication, testing, maintenance, servicing, manufacture and marketing of electronic equipment. They provide the technical support and service required during the production, installation, operation and repair of these systems.

On the technical side, the job profile might include inspection, testing, and evaluation of electronic components, while on the design side, you could be building prototypes to specifications.

The work of a service technician is to install, operate and maintain equipment and systems. Calibration of electronic equipment and instruments according specifications is also done by electronic engineers.

Money

Trainee engineers are paid about Rs.5,000 to Rs.8,500 or more per month. Diploma holders earn slightly less.

Attributes

In order to be successful in this field, you need to have a knack for numbers, and the ability to motivate yourself, and learn on your own to keep up with changing technology. The job can be stressful as electronics engineers must deal with a wide variety of problems. Often you have to rely on your previous experience to find innovative solutions to problems when you work with new technology.

Job opportunities

There is no dearth of jobs for engineers. They can find employment in the following areas:

* Government Sector, including the railways, municipal corporations, telecommunications departments, etc.

* Public Sector organisations

* Private companies

* As commissioned officers in the defence services

* Research organisations and laboratories

* As technical experts on engineering projects in banks and financial corporations

An engineer can set up his/her own small unit/company or consultancy. Electronic engineering technicians can find employment in specialist fields such as Instrumentation & Control, Communications Engineering, Computer Systems, Analogue and Digital Systems, Power Electronics, Medical Instrumentation, Avionics etc.

The job outlook for electronic engineers is very good due to the rapid development of the electronics field.

Entry

You need to have at least a diploma or degree in Electronics or Electronics and Telecommunication in order to become an electronics engineer. With a Master's degree in Electronics or Electronics and Telecommunication you will find it easier to get a research job.

Eligibility

The basic eligibility criteria for a BE/BTech is 10+2 or its equivalent examination, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Admission to all engineering courses is on the basis of merit/marks secured in the final exams of 10+2 (with science subjects) or through an entrance exams (joint entrance exam / JEE for the IIT's and separate state level and national level exams for other institutions). Degree and Postgraduate degree courses are offered by the engineering colleges and Institutes of Technology (IITs), and diploma courses are offered by polytechnics.

The six Indian Institutes of Technology ( IITs) at Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur and Guwahati, and the Institute of Technology (BHU) at Varanasi, conduct the Joint Entrance Examination for admission jointly.

Competitive examinations on an all-India basis for admission to a BTech / BE course are also conducted by The Birla Institute of Technology, at Pilani, Rajasthan, and at Ranchi; the University of Roorkee, UP; Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal; the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Annamalai University, among others.

There are also 17 Regional Engineering colleges all over the country which offer admission in various branches of engineering, on the basis of marks obtained in the Class 12 examination.

There is also the (AMIE) Associate Membership Examination of the Institute of Engineers, which enables working people in the private and public sector, or diploma holders to acquire a Bachelor's degree through distance education, for career advancement.

The BE/B.Tech courses are of four years' duration while the diploma courses are of 2-3 years' duration. The course in electronics engineering covers topics such as electronic devices and components, control systems, electrical networking, power electronics, telecommunication, electromagnetic theory, microprocessors and computer fundamentals.

Educational Institutions

Here are some of the institutes offering courses in electronics engineering:

Indian Institute of Technology ( New Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, and Chennai )

Regional Engineering Colleges ( Warangal, Andhra Pradesh ; Silchar, Assam ; Jamshedpur, Bihar ; Surat, Gujarat ; Kurkshetra, Haryana; Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir; Surathkal, Karnataka ; Calicut, Kerala ; Visvesvaraya REC, Nagpur, Maharashtra ; Rourkela, Orissa ; Jaipur, Rajasthan ; Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu ; Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh ; Durgapur, West Bengal ; Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh ; Jalandhar, Punjab.)

Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) - (Pilani and Ranchi.)

Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi.

University of Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttar Pradesh.

Jadavpur University, Calcutta.