Courses After Engineering

TOP 9 COURSES TO PURSUE AFTER ENGINEERING?

BY: ANKITA SHARMA, VIDHYARTHI DARPAN

Engineering is the most common graduation course students opt for, right after completing their 12th. Whether it is B.Tech or B.E, the 4-year course lets the student step into the world of technology and know the whereabouts of the latest advancements. It is a journey worth following.

While it is good till it lasts, the stress of choosing a career plan after engineering can be cumbersome. To ease your research of choosing the right career, here is a list of courses you can pursue to achieve your desired goal!

1) Accept the Campus Placements

Securing a decent-paying job before completing graduation or joining a company right after graduation is the most popular choice made by third-year or last-year engineering students. Many reputed companies visit colleges providing job openings.

Campus placements deliver enormous opportunities to budding engineers. The prerequisites for landing a good job are consistent CGPA, good communication skills, technical knowledge of the subjects, and confidence.

Campus placements processes differ from college to college. However, the preliminary tests remain the same – Academic record, participation in cultural events, Aptitude test, Group discussion, and Technical interview. Students who want to kick-start their careers in the early days of college can surely go for campus placements and prepare well.

2) Go for Masters (M.Tech/M.E)

If you want to gain insights and learn more about the subjects, doing a master’s in the preferred field is recommended. M.Tech/M. E (Master’s in Technology/Master’s in Engineering) is the course you can pursue to accomplish that. To get enrolled in these courses, students have to attain required marks in entrance exams such as GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering) held once a year. Other exams for M.Tech programs are IIT JAM, NEST, JEST, etc. Most colleges accept GATE scores for admission into Master’s courses.

M.Tech/M.E is a two-year course wherein students learn and explore new ventures with in-depth knowledge of the specialization they choose. It provides the best career opportunities for undergraduate students; they can procure a job amidst studying as a lecturer or researcher. After post-graduation, one can apply for a Ph.D. and become a professor gaining a handsome salary.

3) M.Sc.

Master’s in Science (M.Sc) has become a popular course opted by many engineering undergraduates. Not only in India, one can pursue M.Sc in foreign nationals as well. Students can go for specializations such as M.Sc. Physics, M.Sc. Chemistry, M.Sc. Aeronautics, M.Sc. Computer Science, M.Sc. Electronic Sciences, M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence, etc.

To get admission into M.Sc programs in abroad colleges, students need to clear TOEFL/IELTS (English proficiency tests) and GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) to earn scholarships.

M.Sc. Physics is the most favored course among engineering graduates. One can further go for the Ph.D. program to gain skills and experience.

4) Most Followed Career Option – MBA

There has always been confusion between choosing an MBA or M.Tech course among newly-graduates. It is because both of them offer immense career growth with attractive pay. B.Tech/B. E with an MBA degree attract many potential recruiters as they get the best of both courses: Technical knowledge and Marketing skills.

The market value of MBA graduates is tremendous. Students acquire numerous skills in management, leadership, self-confidence, teamwork, and overall personal growth. It is a win-win scenario for students and recruiting companies as students get a rewarding salary and companies acquire an adept employee. It’s not surprising that the majority of MBA graduates are, in fact, engineers.

To get admission into a renowned MBA institute, students need to clear any management exam such as CAT (Common Aptitude Test), GMAT, MAT, ATMA, SNAP, among others. 

5) Be a part of Central Administration – Civil Services

For some clearing the UPSC exam and becoming an IAS officer is a dreadful journey while for some, it is a cakewalk. But the hard work and dedication are the same for all. It’s a dream of many to serve the nation in the best possible way. If you have the zest, Civil Services Examinations (CSE) is for you!

UPSC CSE conducted by UPSC is undoubtedly the most strenuous exam in India. It is because of the consistent dedication it demands. After the hardship of clearing the exam, one can serve in IAS, IPS, IFS, Audit and Account service, etc.

Do you know that in 2016, out of 176 IAS recruited, 32% (56) were engineers?

6) PSUs

PSUs or Public Sectors Undertakings are state-owned and government-run companies in India. Some of the PSUs offering high salaries with job security are Indian Oil, ONGC, MDL, NTPC, BHEL, among others.

They recruit engineers based on the GATE score of the current year. However, some PSUs such as Airport Authority of India, RBI, SCIL, BARC, BSF, etc. do not require GATE scores. 

Public Sector Undertakings offer great pay with career growth for engineering graduates in Electronics, Electricals, and Mechanical.

7) Entrepreneurship – Venture New Possibilities

Plenty of entrepreneurs have emerged with innovative ideas in recent years. Engineers accumulate qualities and desired skills throughout their college life by taking up assignments, challenging projects, and participating in various college fest/hackathons; acquiring skill-set applicable in the marketing world.

Entrepreneurship is an exciting journey of formulating new ideas and implementing the same for the betterment of society. All you need is a plan and motivation to bring change. Remember, a start-up demands sheer dedication. If you have it in you, entrepreneurship will prove to be the stepping stone for your success!

8) Opt for Internships

Though there are short-term internships offered by many companies during college time, there is no harm in looking for internships that interests you. You can register yourself on job-seeking websites like LinkedIn and InternShala that act as the mediation point between the recruiter and the job-enthusiast.

Internships usually last from a few weeks to a few months, say 3-6 months. In this duration, you get to experience the gist of corporate lifestyle by taking up real-life projects. It is a good option for engineers who want to build their skill-set under reputed institutional training. It is better for students who desire to add expertise to their resume before bagging a real job! 

9) Serve in Elite Defense Forces

It is no doubt that engineers are most desired in the armed forces by a large margin. From the Indian Army to the Indian Navy, there are innumerable opportunities lined up for new engineering graduates.

The entries are different for different forces.

1) INDIAN ARMY: Engineers can join the Indian Army in the Corps of Signals, Corps of Engineers, Corps of Electronics, etc. through TGC (Technical Graduate Course), UES (University Entry Scheme), CDSE (Combined Defense Services Examination), and SSC (Short Service Commission) schemes. 

2) INDIAN NAVY: Navy has the most engineering graduates. One can join the Indian Navy as Observer, ATC (Ait Traffic Control), Pilot, Naval Architecture, Electrical branch, etc. through INET (Indian Navy Entrance Test), UES (University Entry Scheme), CDSE (Combined Defense Services Examination), SNAES (Special Naval Architect Entry Scheme), and SSC (Short Service Commission) schemes. 

3) INDIAN AIR FORCE: Electronic and mechanical engineering graduates have an upper hand in this force. You can join the Indian Air Force by clearing a written exam (AFCAT+EKT) and SSB interview.

PLUS, ONE!

DO WHAT YOU LOVE! PURSUE YOUR PASSION!

There are no limitations to what one wants to explore and learn. If the mentioned options do not suit you and your interest lies in some other career, you can pursue that. Fashion designing, wildlife photography, filmography, business, animation & VFX, graphic designing, even discography, and filmmaking are a possible career option after completing engineering.