Teamwork, Individual Effort Drives Computer Engineering

Shishir Shah compares his job as a computer engineer to that of an architect. “The architect designs the building, but he does not lay a brick. We have a similar role,” said Shah, who works at Western Digital in Irvine.

For Shah, 34, the satisfaction lies in problem-solving and in being part of a field where knowledge is expanding rapidly. He enjoys being able to use his creativity to develop new products or improve existing ones by finding wider uses or making them cheaper to produce.

“Not long ago, Western Digital won a PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award for an enhanced (disk) drive that we developed,” he said. “The product opened up a whole new market for these drives by making it possible to transfer data at a higher rate.”

According to Shah, being a computer engineer requires more than the usual eight hours a day on the job.

“This is not the kind of field where you learn everything once and go from there,” he said. “New things pop up every day and you have to work very hard to stay sharp in your business. This means reading and doing things on your own time.”

In addition to a solid grasp of computers and the ability to think logically, Shah says it’s important to work well with others. Most of Western Digital’s projects are accomplished by teams of four to 10 people working together for several months to more than a year.

“I spend lots of time programming and working in the lab, but I am constantly sharing information with my co-workers,” he said. “Plus, people in the software and hardware industries must constantly interact. We are often in touch with operating systems experts at Microsoft, IBM and Novell to make sure what we are designing will work well with what they offer.”

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OCCUPATION: Computer engineer

* What’s involved: Designing computer hardware and software applications.

* Qualifications: Most have at least a master’s degree in computer engineering.

* Outlook: By 1998, the number in Orange County is expected to increase 9.4% to 3,360.

* Salary range: $35,000 to $100,000.

* Pros: Opportunity to create new technologies and improved computer products.

* Cons: Employment in such an ever-changing and competitive field requires constant learning and additional hours beyond the normal work day.

* Advancement: Computer engineers often advance to management positions, such as vice president of engineering; others become involved in marketing. Some form their own firms.

* Quote: “Everyone has creative potential. You just have to be willing to explore and exercise that right. Computer engineering allows me to be constantly creative.”

--Shishir Shah

Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times