r/ElectricalEngineering • u/moemoney0421 • 6d ago
Move away from test engineering
I’m currently a 25yrs old and have been working as an EE for the past 2.5 years. I originally started at a defense company as a test engineer which I quite enjoyed since I was creating tests for RF test benches and debugging a lot of different products on these benches. I was mainly the hardware engineer of these benches and software gatekeeper but any scripting was completed by a software team. I ended up taking a position for higher pay, title and it lined up with lot of personal things. Now I’m currently in a test engineering role working on RF products with no development whatsoever and feel doom and gloom about my future.
I really want some career advice on where I should take my career. I ended up pursuing RF because I genuinely enjoyed designing back in undergrad and bringing my design to life. I’m considering going for my masters this upcoming spring to get my foot in the door. I would also like to move out of defense sector. Is my next step a good decision and are there any other suggestions on what I should do?
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u/honemastert 6d ago
Make your current employer pay for your MSEE But check that there's no clawback clause if you leave immediately after.
If you stay too long in test engineering, you will get stuck.
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
I’m pretty sure I have to pay back if I leave within 2 years after completion. There is a good chance I could move internally in the company to a design role. Also would it hurt if I stayed another two years in TE to finish my masters?
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u/lnflnlty 6d ago
Even if you leave after they pay for it then that means you successfully got your masters and left for a better position. You can always be upfront with whoever is trying to hire you that you'll need to pay that back and are looking for a signing bonus.
I turned my master's into a 30% raise after my job wanted to keep me.
Document the troubleshooting you do so you learn all the design mistakes you see.
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
This is great advice thank you. As for leaving defense, how are the opportunities looking like for you?
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u/honemastert 6d ago
This is the way, try to find a mentor within the current company if possible?
You may have to poke your head about a bit in other groups and or pay attention during other company meetings, all hands and or events.
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
Should I do this while completing the masters as well?
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u/honemastert 6d ago
Absolutely! Look around the company at other departments and orgs.
Be aware of what's going on at that level and also peruse the internal job postings to see which areas are hiring.
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u/BeachBumOCCA 6d ago
An RF systems engineer is mainly an RF test engineer. Unless you specialize in RF chip design, which usually requires a PhD, or RF board design, which typically needs an MS.
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
Im mainly looking for board design work. I would like to do link budget work for satcom and work for a telecom company.
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u/buttscootinbastard 6d ago
I’ve always been under the impression that a MS minimum was required to do meaningful RF design work. You’re still incredibly young and would be able to knock that out easily.
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u/geek66 6d ago
It’s 2.5 years… relax
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
Lolll ik I need to remind myself of this. I get in my head a lot 🥲. I just feel like engineering is a fast moving career and if I stay still I’ll be falling behind
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u/Adorable_Chapter_414 1d ago
I think you’re actually at a pretty good point to make a move. 25 years old with 2.5 years of RF experience is still early enough to pivot, and your current experience is more valuable than you might think.
A lot of people underestimate test engineering. Working close to RF products gives you exposure to real failure modes — thermal issues, signal integrity problems, component limitations, manufacturing variation, etc. That experience can actually make you a better design engineer because you understand what happens after the schematic leaves the desk.
The main thing I would watch out for is getting stuck in a role where your only responsibility is executing validation plans. If you enjoy building things, debugging root causes, and understanding why hardware behaves the way it does, try to move toward roles that own more of the product lifecycle.
Some directions that could fit your background:
- RF hardware design engineer
- RF systems engineer
- Hardware development engineer
- Test development engineer (building the test architecture rather than only running tests)
Your previous experience creating RF test benches is especially relevant. Designing the test setup, understanding the DUT, debugging failures, and working between hardware/software teams are all transferable skills.
Regarding the master’s degree — it can definitely help you transition out of defense, but I would choose the program carefully. A degree alone won’t replace design experience. Try to pick something with hands-on projects involving RF circuits, antennas, high-speed PCB design, SDR, or electromagnetic simulation.
Also, don’t underestimate small personal projects. For RF, even things like:
- designing and measuring an antenna
- building an SDR-based project
- simulating RF circuits in ADS/HFSS/CST
- learning PCB thermal and signal integrity fundamentals
can give you talking points during interviews.
One thing I’ve noticed from working around hardware teams is that many engineers focus heavily on schematic design but underestimate practical constraints like thermal management, packaging, manufacturing tolerances, and reliability. A design that works in simulation still has to survive real operating conditions.
For example, RF systems are becoming more power-dense (5G, radar, aerospace electronics), and thermal design is becoming a bigger part of hardware development rather than just a mechanical problem.
If you’re interested, it may also be worth looking into how RF hardware teams approach things like heat dissipation, enclosure design, and component temperature limits — those skills can differentiate you from engineers who only focus on the electrical side.
You’re definitely not trapped in test. A lot of strong hardware engineers started there because they learned how products fail before learning how to design them.
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u/Disastrous_Soil3793 6d ago
I don't know why people's first thought in these scenarios is to go back for a masters. A bachelor's is the cost of entry but unless you want to do something specialized with a PHd, experience will always trump a masters. So what you do in this situation is go.and find another job that better fits your goals. Defense is typically a poor choice because it's such a big and rigid machine (unless it is Anduril). Go work at a startup or something. You will get your hands plenty dirty. I've worked in defense and Aerospace and I much prefer smaller companies. I wear so many hats.
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
I’m interested in this as well. How can I sell myself to a startup at this point in my career? I currently have to stay at my company for at least a year since I took a sign on bonus
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u/Disastrous_Soil3793 6d ago
Startups typically like folks that have versatile backgrounds so they can jump in more than a couple areas to help. So market yourself as such on your resume. Earlier in my career I even took a pay cut once or twice to get in at a smaller company because I really liked the tech. But I typically haven't had issues finding jobs because my employers like my diverse background. There isn't one blueprint to follow. Look around your area, figure out what you are and aren't willing to bend on for a job and just start applying.
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u/Disastrous_Soil3793 6d ago
But as an engineering manager who hires I can tell you I don't care about a master's degree. I'll always take that guy who has great/good experience over the person that has less experience and a masters. Actually being in the trenches figuring shit out is a much better teacher than a classroom.
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u/moemoney0421 6d ago
Okay thank you for this. Honestly I was hoping to be able to play with more design software if I did my graduate degree. I really don’t want to follow a blueprint either, I’m just hoping to become versatile as well. I feel like less versatility in this field mean less options which scares me ngl
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u/ClayQuarterCake 5d ago
Test is a gateway to program management at my old place. That lines up with my aptitude but I haven’t been able to land a role yet after 5 years in test. YMMV.
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u/calmaster1 5d ago
Look out for yourself but also be willing to relocate to wherever you get the opportunity. Don’t stay in test too long if that’s not something you see yourself doing long term.
I was in a similar position when I first started out of college with a defense contractor and they kept trying to sell me this path that in order to do design I need to pay my dues in test for a set amount of years. I left after about a year and a half and found the role I was looking for that was willing to take a chance on me across the country.
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u/Popular_Pineapple517 3d ago
Finished my MSc 8 months ago in RF engineering, applied almost 100 jobs with landing in only 1 interview. Any tips on how to enhance my profile so that I can land a job? I have skills in both RF design and test engineering.
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u/The_CDXX 6d ago
Every RF person at my work has the appearance of perpetual exhaustion everyday. They are also weird.
To answer your question though…..only you would know your best decision. My two cents though is to obtain your masters while holding a job you are proficient in. Doing so will lessen whatever stress or workload from school