what is an electrical engineer?

As an electrical engineer, you develop, design, and test equipment, systems, and control systems in the fields of electrical engineering and electronics. Your tasks are diverse. You plan control systems that convert electrical energy into other forms of energy. You design electrical components and develop new technologies for information and communication technology. Even during your studies, you specialise in a particular area. Your chosen field also indicates the direction of your future career: whether in mechanical engineering, energy and environmental technology, or the ICT sector. Wherever you end up, you keep electrical systems and installations running, whether through maintenance or updates. In your profession, there are numerous opportunities with excellent prospects. Keep reading to find out what makes you successful as an electrical engineer.

electrical engineer jobs
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working as an electrical engineer.

Your specialisation influences your tasks as an electrical engineer. However, you are always working with systems, equipment, and control systems. A common thread throughout your job is solving technical problems innovatively. Find out more about your responsibilities as an electrical engineer here.

2

types of electrical engineers.

You specialise as an electrical engineer in a particular field. See for yourself what appeals to you: 

  • Electronics: Control engineering and embedded systems are your main focus in this field. You work with hardware, software, and firmware within larger systems. Primarily, you deal with integrated circuits (ICs) based on microcontrollers and microprocessors. You'll find embedded systems almost everywhere, such as in cars, industrial machinery, and medical devices.
  • Energy technology: This field is all about electrical energy. You generate it, transmit it, and convert it. Energy, and especially its optimisation, is one of the major topics for the future. You are the one working alongside development engineers to create energy solutions. This includes converting sources like the sun, wind, and water into electrical power. The aim of your specialisation is to ensure a reliable energy supply. In this area, you also design high-voltage technology.
  • Informatics and communication systems: As an electrical engineer, you will be responsible for information systems and communication networks in this field. You analyse problems and develop solutions. This allows you to deepen your expertise in various areas. For example, you design complex software architectures in software engineering. You are also responsible for ensuring they work across different platforms. An important topic is IT security. In this specialisation, you test how secure complex information systems and communication networks are within organisations. You ensure optimal protection of operating systems and applications.
  • Measurement technology: This involves gathering information on various quantities such as electrical current, force, or pressure. You measure these and analyse the data. They form the foundation for automating systems and machinery. Additionally, you maintain and repair electronic components that operate using control and regulation technology. For energy transmission across the network, you develop and test converters and sensors.
Smiling male holding an tablet standing in a servers room.
Smiling male holding an tablet standing in a servers room.
3

salary as an electrical engineer.

Your gross salary as an electrical engineer depends on various factors. These include your level of experience and specialisation. On job platforms, you'll find a wide range of gross salaries. On average, you can expect an entry-level salary of around 79,500 CHF, which is approximately 6,600 CHF per month. Find out more about your gross salary as an electrical engineer here.

4

education and further training as an electrical engineer.

To establish yourself as an electrical engineer, you need to undertake a degree course. Typically, this is completed at a university of applied sciences. There, you will acquire specialised knowledge in your chosen field, such as electrical engineering, electronics, or digital and information technology. Generally, you will need a basic technical qualification in a related discipline to start your studies. Alternatively, you can begin your degree immediately after completing your A-levels and a technical vocational placement. Your full-time degree usually concludes after six semesters with a nationally recognised Bachelor of Science (FH) diploma in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. If you opt for a practice-integrated bachelor’s programme, it will take at least eight semesters. For this, you will also need a training contract with a company within the electrical engineering sector.As an electrical engineer, you must keep a close eye on digital developments. You are responsible for ensuring that your expertise keeps pace with rapid technological advancements. Make use of the further training opportunities offered by professional associations and technical colleges.

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positions as an electrical engineer.

As an electrical engineer, you have a broad skill set. As a result, many industries are keen to attract you. Particularly, the ICT sector as well as energy and environmental technology are looking for experts like you. As a specialist, you have excellent prospects in the job market. If you have several years of professional experience, you’ll find yourself spoiled for choice with offers. Almost every industry has interesting opportunities waiting for you. Are you looking for an attractive position with prospects as an electrical engineer? Take a look at our listings on this page.

Lächelnder Mann vor einer Maschine in einem Produktionsbereich
Lächelnder Mann vor einer Maschine in einem Produktionsbereich
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positions for career changers as electrical engineers.

Electrical engineers are characterised by their technical expertise and inventive problem-solving skills. The necessary qualification is obtained through a bachelor's degree programme. Career changers have good prospects, especially if they come from a related field. Specialising as an energy and environmental engineering engineer or a mechatronics engineer is a solid foundation. In practical work, you will acquire any missing specialised knowledge. Large companies typically offer internal training programmes. Professional associations and technical colleges also provide a wide range of courses to support your development. Further training in the technical field is worthwhile. The demand for specialised engineers is expected to continue rising.

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career opportunities and development potential as an electrical engineer.

As an electrical engineer, you need to keep your professional knowledge up to date. New technological developments in digitalisation and energy technology are impacting your profession. Further training and professional development give your career the necessary boost. They build on your existing qualifications. This strengthens and sharpens your technical and personal profile. Pursuing a master's degree opens the door to the exciting world of research and development. A good foundation for this is, for example, a Master of Science UH in Biomedical engineering. If you aim for a managerial position within a company, specialisations such as Energy and Environment can be helpful. Deep technical expertise, work experience, and leadership skills will enhance your career prospects. Investing in further education definitely pays off. Are you looking to develop further as an electrical engineer? Take a look at our tests and tips.

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competencies as an electrical engineer.

Your success as an electrical engineer is based on your technical expertise. For your diverse tasks, you'll need additional skills such as: 

  • Solution-oriented approach: Your work as an electrical engineer constantly brings you face to face with problems. Faults or even failures. Since they often occur within complex systems, they require a thorough analysis. You look for the cause, which can be quite time-consuming. If you don’t find the trigger immediately, you carry out extensive tests. Meticulously, you search for the fault within the system, paying attention to even the tiniest detail. Your solution-focused mindset helps you to fix issues and prevent them from happening again in the future.
  • Communication skills: You are at home as a specialist in a complex technical world. The same cannot be said for your conversation partners. You translate requirements from senior management or clients into technical language so that development engineers understand. At the same time, you explain complicated electronic issues in simple terms. This way, you bring management, clients, and staff along on the journey.
  • Social skills: As an electrical engineer, you’re sometimes alone with your computer, your machine, or artificial intelligence. However, you’re not alone on the planet. To turn an idea into prototypes and then into plants or systems, you need other specialists. Together with colleagues, you complete a project on time and correctly. Your social skills help you to implement the requirements as smoothly and conflict-free as possible.
  • Curiosity for discovery: Your strong desire for knowledge defines you as an electrical engineer. You constantly stay up-to-date with new methods and technologies. This enables you to optimise plants, machines, and systems. You recognise the potential of innovative solutions that can change our world. These include, for example, nanotechnologies in medicine and computing, or artificial intelligence in data analysis.
Close up - Smiling male looking away.
Close up - Smiling male looking away.
9

benefits of working as an electrical engineer at randstad.

There are many good reasons to work at Randstad as an electrical engineer:
✓ exciting jobs at well-known companies
✓ a reliable point of contact whenever you need one; personalised advice matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ further education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed-term contract? Often, there’s the opportunity to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many well-known companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad

your professional development budget as an electrical engineer at randstad.

If you work as an electrical engineer for Randstad, you have access to further training courses. As part of the temp training programme from swissstaffing, you can attend training sessions. You will be reimbursed for the course fees later, provided you pass the course exam. Your consultant from Randstad is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can also acquire additional language skills or job-specific knowledge. And all of this is during your working hours as an electrical engineer.

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application tips for electrical engineers at randstad.

Have you found your dream job as an electrical engineer? It’s not just your qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error-free, and personalised documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to optimise your chances:

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frequently asked questions.

Here you will find the answers to frequently asked questions about working as an electrical engineer.

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