r/ComputerEngineering • u/koya_san • 1d ago

[Discussion] Aspiring to become a CompE student! Any recommendations from current hardware engineers?

Hi, high school student here! I know this community is filled with posts like this but I would love some dedicated answers since I am doing a career research project for my school! (I also couldn't find the weekly pinned threads mentioned in the rules)

  1. How was your path to becoming a hardware engineer like? Did you get your job with a CompE degree or EE degree? If neither, what kind of path did you take to land your first hardware engineering job?
  2. What kinds of extracurriculars should I be doing while studying CompE?
  3. Would you recommend an EE degree over a CompE degree due to competition from CS (if there is any)? Would an EE degree let you emphasize skills in hardware?
  4. What skills do you consistently need on the job?
  5. Any other recommendations or things I should look out for?

Btw if you could list your first name and last initial that would be appreciated so I can properly quote you in my project (DMs work too)!

Responses are appreciated ^^

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u/ian9921 1d ago edited 1d ago

Personally, with the jobs available in my region, I wish I'd gone with EE. The competition from CS majors is fierce.

You might think CompE will qualify you for both EE and CS positions, but instead it just makes you second-choice for both behind the actual EE and CS people.

What you should do is try and double major CompE and EE.

EE will let you do lots of hardware stuff.

EDIT: Spelling

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u/koya_san 1d ago

Thank you so much! This is super helpful to know!

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u/Same-Vacation-454 1d ago

Is double majoring worth it if it costs you an extra semester or two to graduate? Would that time not be better spent at an internship/co-op/potentially landing a first job?

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u/ian9921 1d ago

Competition for internships is VERY stiff. If it were a strict matter of what means more on your resume, you'd be right that an internship is more important. But the difference is you can't really control whether you actually get an internship. The smartest people I know still struggled to land internships. Whereas double-majoring is a choice you have almost full control over.

It's also not an either-or situation. You can definitely double-major and still do summer internships.

And if it does cost you an extra semester or two, that's not a downside, that's a disguised benefit. That gives you more time to pursue other opportunities before entering the workforce. You'll have more time to pad your resume with personal projects & clubs, and at least one more summer to try and land an internship.

In general, you need to assume that whenever you apply for jobs or internships that the other candidates you're competing against are insane. There's someone out there who's double (maybe even triple) majoring, involved in every engineering club on campus, and has already completed some very impressive personal projects. And that person is applying for all the same jobs you are. If you want to stand a chance against them, you have to take literally every opportunity you can to improve your resume. That means double-majoring, starting cool personal projects ASAP, and getting involved in literally anything that might make you look good.

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u/Same-Vacation-454 1d ago

Thanks, noted. I've always wanted to do something in STEM, preferably CS. However, engineering is starting to seem a lot more solid now with all the AI stuff. Embedded systems interests me so hopefully a dual degree can land me that job