38 careerlinks | JULY 2014

infostandguest column

Engineering StudentsIntrospect l Invent l InteractThough there has been a dip in the popularity of engineering as a career option,India’s moving on the path of development with a changed political will can onlymean good news for those who are already pursuing engineering and for thosewho are thinking of becoming engineers.

POOJA GIANCHANDANI

The vision is clear. In thenext decade young mindswill steer India into aworld which is bold, con-

nected and full of opportunities.Technology will intertwine itselfinto the lives of over 1.2 billion cit-izens in unique ways. Portability ofsolutions will be the key and tech-nology will continue its transitionof becoming sleeker, lighter,longer-lasting, user-friendly andmulti-dimensional. The increasingdemand for goods and serviceswill reshape the industry and ac-celerate the growth of sunrise sec-tors, create newer opportunitiesfor greenfield infrastructure anddemand greater output frombrownfield set ups. It seems likelythat these ideas will get catalysedas there is a changed political willand a focus on development. Thelarge scale, modern and techno-logically advanced projects will begood news for those pursuing pro-fessional and/or vocational quali-fications, particularly engineering. The quality of education, dis-

connect with industry and failurein producing employable candi-dates coupled with a lack of goodjobs despite years of rigorous stud-ies has reduced the charm of engi-

neering, which was once a ‘sought-after’ career option. Whilst thismay have left many students andcolleges in a lurch, as India setscourse on this development jour-ney there is bound to be a surge inthe requirements for ‘employable’engineers with the right exposure.It is, therefore, prudent for stu-dents, who are a part of or arelooking at engineering as a career,to take charge and align them-selves with employers’ needs. Thesimple three-point mantra forachieving this is: introspect, inventand interact.

Introspect: Why have I signed up for this?Is it your passion or a want for a se-cure career or a drive for an aca-demic deep dive? These questionsare important at the time whenyou start preparing for engineeringas a career. There are many profes-sional tools which are availablefreely on the Internet these days.Specialised counsellors, who haveyears of industry experience, canalso be contacted. For starters,look at the following pointers to re-flect on:

Understand the potential ofthe sector you wish to be a part of.Explore the types of jobs, role re-quirements, opportunities with

top companies, and the growthpotential of the industry. Identify both the stream (civil,

mechanical, chemical, electrical)and function (design, program-ming, production, testing, quality,research) that interests you most.This will be an evolving process soalways a keep close watch on whatgets you hooked. Articulate your career aspira-

tions in the form of a 200-wordgoal statement. Literally! This willlet you revisit, improvise and ex-pand the goals during the course’sjourney and beyond. A note of thiskind will also help you stay fo-cused and to prioritise.

Invent yourselves with every opportunityCliched as it may sound, inventyourself through the stages of yourcareer. Exponential advances inknowledge, equipment, technol-ogy and communication will callfor acquiring newer skills. A GPAwill be the entry point into theworld of work, but an employeroften looks for the ‘touch of talent’,which makes you stand outamongst the thousands who arecompeting for the same job. Sometips:Focus on acquiring 21st cen-

tury skills. These will help you un-

JULY 2014 | careerlinks 39

derstand the nuances of the sub-ject and industry sectors. It is im-portant that graduates possessgood business writing and com-munication skills. They are ex-pected to understand businessprocesses, professional ethics andsocial responsibility. Awareness onthe socio-economic diversity ofthe country will improve job op-portunities.Take work experience seriously.

Many educational institutionshave launched an integrated ap-proach towards education givingstudents an opportunity to gainindustry exposure. Interning witha company gives a taste of thechallenges that you will have toface in achieving outcomes, teamwork, tools and, above all, applica-tion of theory in practice. It is up tostudents to make the most of thefour years in a university and builda strong foundation for the future.Expose yourself to an environ-

ment which allows you to learn.While engineering education canbe theoretical, it is important toexplore the creative, adventurous,demanding and empowering sideof it too. We are in the age ofknowledge economies so justbeing informed won’t help. It is anera of staying up-to-date with in-formation and scientific advances.

Interact by leveraging technol-ogy and communication Today, we are spending an averageof 16 hours per week online – so-cial media, emails, shopping andreading. An equal amount is spenton staying connected with friends24x7, thanks to the hordes of freechatting applications. While theview on how much ‘connected-ness’ is good is personal, a balancehas to be maintained. Employersincreasingly seek out candidateswho are engaged and interact vi-brantly on professional forums.Some simple rules for achievingthis are:Join the right knowledge fo-

rums and online groups whichwill give you access to currentthinking on the subject/sector ofyour interest.Leverage MOOCS. Many top

international universities haveopened up the best of theircourses for free. All you need is aninterest, a course, an Internet con-nection and a few hours a week.These courses offer great insights,opportunities to engage withglobal peers and an interestingblended learning format which al-lows you to undertake researchand project work.Engage actively with your sen-

iors for advice and for networking.The biggest resource around us,

which we often neglect, is our sen-iors. Having gone through the grillthey can provide excellent adviceon your career path and also be asource of inspiration. Register for skill and knowledge

boot camps. There are several pro-grammes that are run especially ina boot camp format for younglearners to provide them that extraedge in preparing for the world ofwork. Sign up for these and meetlike-minded people who will keepyou excited. Constantly strive tolearn new things and experimentaround new ideas as well.As we think about creating a

career and utilising our potentialto the fullest, we must remind our-selves that learners are alwaysdriven by passion, curiosity, en-gagement and dreams. A stronggrounding of fundamentals is alsoimportant to give you the wings togo beyond the routine.

Pooja Gianchandani is theGroup Head - Policy &Communication at IL&FSEducation, where she

oversees institutional partnerships and workswith stakeholders for designing effectivesolutions aimed at improved education, skilldevelopment, health and communityservices. (The views expressed here are herindependent views.)