First Duties and After
Under the direction of an experienced engineer the beginner will probably undertake first the making of computations for designs already under way or the checking or reckoning of data from curves of tests which have been made on apparatus which the concern has built. The beginner is often called upon also to plot graphs from values which are at hand or which he himself reckons. As the candidate develops efficiency, he may be expected to assume responsibility for the design of certain parts of machines or devices. Then, later, after a number of years of experience and study, he may become sufficiently conversant with the principles and processes involved to undertake the design of equipment on his own responsibility.
Only a man who is of a studious temperament is fitted for a vocation of this character, because to be successful at it one must study both in and out of working hours. The worker must become familiar with the principles of electricity and magnetism, and be competent to make such calculations as are required to the end that available material shall be utilized in proper proportions to provide desired results and performance in the machine being designed. However, the essentials of this theoretical training can be obtained by any man who is competent to handle formulas, and who is willing to devote a reasonable amount of time to study. While mathematical processes are the tools of an electrical designer, a good mathematician is not necessarily a good designer. To be a good designer, the individual must have also a practical temperament and an eye for proportions. He must be able to design a device so that it will give maximum results at minimum cost and upkeep expense.