Electrical Engineering Basic Skills

As an Electrical Engineering graduate BSc/BEng./BTec or even HND graduate there are basic practical knowledge and skills that are expected from you even at an entry level. Let us look at some of those skills and knowledge base.

First you should have some basic knowledge of Design, Installation, Maintenance and Repair skills, types of equipment and use of hand tools.

Lets look at Basic Knowledge of Design

1. Can you design a simple electrical circuit to solve an electrical problem and still maintain standard regulations and practice?

2. Can you modify a circuit and maintain its safety and operational integrity?

Design can range from a simple lighting circuit to more complex production line process control. But start with the basics. Learn the basics of electrical engineering design like equipment selection, sizing of cable, installation requirement, operational requirements and other features that defines it use.

Electrical Installation

As an electrical engineering graduate, can you install a three phase electric motor? Can you reverse its rotation? Can you connect it in star or delta or even star/delta connection?

Do you know how to install a direct on line starter for your electric motor? What about Star/Delta starters, reversible starters, two speed control, etc

What do you know about the transformer? how is it installed, how is it rated, what are the parts and what are the common faults. these are basic things you need to know among many others.

Lighting seems to be the simplest of all but can be complex at times. How much of these things can you do? the more you get yourself into learning these skills the better you stand a chance in this competitive world of electrical engineering.

Maintenance and Repair skills

In Electrical engineering we can not completely run away from Maintenance of equipment and its repairs when they fail.

There is always arrangement for planned preventive maintenance for all running equipment under the jurisdiction of electrical department. Do you know what to lookout for if you are asked to perform a check on a running electric motor? Do you know what sounds that you should expect? Do you know what to look out for when performing a PPM (Planned Preventive Maintenance) on a Transformer?

Electric motor for example, you should know basics like bearing noise, vibration, smell, surface temperature, fan guard condition, cable connection status, earthing connection, cable bonding etc.

What now happens when the machine fails, there is the need for corrective maintenance. What are the things you should look out for? You should be able to explain what caused the equipment failure. If you cant find the cause of equipment failure, it may lead to the failure of the repaired equipment when it is replaced. So you must be able to identify these and fix them before installing a replacement.

So for any equipment or machine or even lighting that your are to maintain, first you must know how it operates, common faults and then watch out for any deviation from its standard design or operation.

Types of Equipment

There are so many equipment types in electrical engineering. We cant mention all of them,but e have basic operating principles for most of them, so you can learn the basics as a foundation for whatever lies ahead in your career as an Electrical personnel.

Hand Tools

You must know how to use your hand tools as an Electrical personnel. Know all the tools you need on general Engineering work and know how to use them. You may never get any training on use of hand tools, so learn them.

For further knowledge, there are videos in Youtube that an help improve your skills in Electrical Engineering. Make out your time and use those free knowledge resources to improve your skill set ans you prepare for that dream job.

I hope that this will be of help to someone somewhere, anywhere looking for ideas on how to improve their skills set especially the fresh graduates.

This article is not exhaustive, so if you an an Experienced Electrical engineer feel free to contribute in the comment section.

#Electrical Engineering #Freshers #graduates #skills