By The entrance exams for undergraduate (UG) engineering courses, JEE Main, are going on. While B.E. or B.Tech are the most popular UG engineering courses among students after class 12 board exams, many wonder: What after B.Tech or B.E.? This is a common cause of concern for many engineering students who are apprehensive of campus placements.
Also, there are many engineering students who are looking for options other than campus recruitments. Choosing the right career path after becoming an engineer can be a tad confusing for some. However, there are many options and opportunities to choose from. Mr. Amit Gupta, Centre Coordinator with FIITJEE, East Delhi, suggests lucrative career options for those wary of campus placements.
Pursue higher studies
After completing B.E. or B.Tech, you can go for Post Graduation degrees in engineering. “Obtaining an M. Tech/ME degree from IITs, the Indian Institute of Science or from other reputed universities can be a good option,” says Gupta. “One has to sit for an entrance exam called GATE for, conducted by IITs for admission to these courses,” he adds. M.E./M.Tech degrees are offered in various areas of specialisation: Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, VLSI, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering etc.
“Students should choose their area of specialisation based on their aptitude and background,” he says. You can also to aim to get your Post Graduation degree from foreign universities in the US, UK and other countries. “Students need to crack GRE and TOFEL exams, conducted by the Education Testing Service, for admission to universities abroad. Reputed universities like MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Harvard, Yale and Princeton accept these scores. However, for some institutes in Canada, Australia and the UK, you need to crack ILETS,” says Gupta.
Go for an MBA degree
Engineers with MBA degrees are the most sought-after professionals in the service industry. “While hiring for a top management position, companies look for another skill apart from business acumen and administrative knowledge and that is technical knowhow. This is what gives engineers an edge over others while competing for a top management job,” explains Gupta. So, pursing MBA from a reputed institute can be a very good choice after engineering. “Students need to crack CAT, the entrance exam for MBA, for admission to reputed B schools including IIMs. For institutes abroad, they need to sit for GMAT, along with TOEFL and ILETS. GMAT is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC),” adds Gupta.
Consider Public Service Undertakings (PSU)
A job in a government-run PSU like ONGC, NTPC, SAIL, BHEL and HPCL among others can be a rewarding experience. Though the competition for these jobs is very high, but they are worth a shot for sure. “Students need to score high in the GATE exam to be eligible for these jobs,” says Gupta. Students can sit for this test during the final year of engineering.
Try Civil Services
Civil services can also be a great career choice for engineers. In order to be eligible for civil services, they need to crack the UPSC exam. “This national level competitive exam offers a choice of three optional subjects for candidates with an engineering background – civil, mechanical and electrical engineering,” says Gupta. Indian Engineering Services (IES) could also be another option for individuals with a B.E or B.Tech degree. “Students coming from these four backgrounds can sit for the IES exams: Electrical, Mechanical, Civil and Electronics and communication. After qualifying the IES exams, candidates can expect job opportunities in the railways, irrigation department and PWD among others,” says Gupta.
New-age career options
If you want really high-paying job after your graduation , you need to upgrade your skills in some in-demand, emerging sectors. These include Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Data Science. “There are lucrative career options for B.Tech engineers in these fields. Various prestigious institutes all over the country offer courses in AI, ML and data science,” says Gupta.
