In this episode, host Dave Whitehead chats with SEL Engineers Lyssa Blood and Cameron Blegen. Both in the third year of their careers, Lyssa and Cameron talk about their experience in the SEL Engineer Rotation Program which allowed them to explore different jobs before settling into their full-time roles. They offer advice to those just starting engineering careers and to employers looking to increase retention.

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Hardware Engineer

Lyssa Blood graduated from Gonzaga University in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. The following July, she joined the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Engineer Rotation Program (ERP) and worked in Research & Development as a hardware engineer, Manufacturing as a test engineer, and Sales & Customer Service as an application engineer. After completing the ERP, she moved into the permanent role of Research & Development hardware engineer, originally working with Recloser Controls, before changing teams to one that specializes in electrodynamics.  

Lyssa Blood

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Software Engineer

Cameron Blegen graduated from Montana State University in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. The following June, he joined the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Engineer Rotation Program (ERP), where he started in Research & Development as a full-stack developer, moved to Manufacturing as a test engineer working with cutting-edge test equipment, and returned to R&D where he contributed to Real-Time Automation Controller libraries and extensions. Upon completing the ERP, he started his full-time role as an embedded software engineer, focusing on the next generation of world-class SEL relays.

Finding the Right Fit: Early-Career Rotations for Long-Term Success