The role of an electrical engineer has long been an almost endlessly fascinating and extremely relevant one, and this remains very much the case in 2025.
After all, through their work to – in the words of the UK’s National Careers Service – “design, build, and maintain electrical systems, machinery, and equipment in lots of different industries”, electrical engineers have played a central role in constructing the world around us.
Are You Equipped with Everything You Need to Succeed as An Electrical Engineer?
As one would expect given the profound importance and influence of their role, electrical engineers certainly need to have a lot in their “armoury” if they are to thrive – not least a strong foundation in technical and soft skills.
The most capable and effective electrical engineers, of course, tend to possess a formidable drive to innovate and optimise existing systems in our world.
They also naturally need to be clear communicators and skilled team-workers, in addition to having a robust understanding of electrical engineering principles and mathematics.
But electrical engineers do inevitably also require certain tools if they are to thrive in their role.
Those tools could encompass the likes of:
1. Hand Tools
In 2025, as in other years, electrical engineers continue to rely on such core hand tools as pliers, wire strippers, screwdrivers, multimeters, voltage testers, and safety knives.
2. Software For Design and Simulation
Electrical engineers routinely depend on industry-leading design and simulation software tools to help them work through a variety of critically important processes.
Such software packages help electrical engineers to enhance design accuracy and efficiency. Furthermore, the best platforms also allow proficient engineers to undertake comprehensive testing and analysis and to facilitate collaboration.
As for exactly what those “industry-leading” tools are in 2025, it is still difficult to look past MATLAB and Simulink. These different, but complementary products under the MathWorks banner are integral to electrical engineers’ efforts to design, test, and validate electrical systems, from the conceptual stage right through to deployment.
3. Online Calculators
It won’t surprise any reader of this article when we suggest that an electrical engineer’s work calls on them to perform all manner of complex calculations.
However, such equations can be very time-consuming to carry out when only manual methods are used, and there can also be considerable scope for (highly damaging) errors.
Fortunately, whether you’re seeking the best tools for calculating series and parallel resistors, LED resistor values, voltage dividers, or something else of relevance to the electrical engineering field, there are reputable sites out there – such as RS – that can provide them.
4. Communication And Collaboration Tools
To thrive in the mid-2020s, electrical engineers should also be making use of a combination of tools for communication and collaboration to improve workflows.
When it comes to real-time communication and meetings, such platforms as Microsoft Teams and Slack are likely to fit the bill. Streamlined and effective project management, meanwhile, is easier when electrical engineers can immediately call upon Asana and Trello.
However, there is also a need for software that can help make the design and documentation processes less overwhelming. These priorities can be catered for with solutions such as AutoCAD Electrical and Eplan’s Platform 2025.
Closing Thoughts
While the above is not an exhaustive rundown of the tools – whether physical or virtual – to which electrical engineers should have access in 2025, they can nonetheless play a fundamental role in bolstering the efficiency, adaptability, and safety of such professionals’ practices. These qualities, in turn, can help ensure the most impressive project outcomes.
