For students preparing for core Electrical Engineering roles, I’ve found that Electrical Machines and Power Systems are probably the two areas worth getting especially comfortable with.
For Electrical Machines, I’d make sure you understand transformers beyond just the basic equations. Construction, operating principles, transformer tests, three phase connections, parallel operation, and protection components such as Buchholz relays are all worth knowing.
For Power Systems, I’d focus on transmission fundamentals, including AC vs. DC transmission, high voltage transmission, skin effect, line inductance and capacitance, Ferranti effect, and surge impedance.
One area I wouldn’t overlook is faults and protection. Understanding different types of faults, fault current calculations, relay operation, and circuit breakers seems much more useful for practical interviews than simply memorizing formulas.
I also think it’s worth connecting the theory to actual equipment. Once you understand why a transformer, motor, relay, or breaker behaves the way it does, the interview questions become much easier to reason through rather than just recall.
Curious how others here would rank the EE fundamentals for someone preparing for a core electrical engineering role?
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