Engineer an informed choice

Sarit K. Das

The counseling season is about to start for engineering institutes/colleges/universities and this is the time when parents as well as students are worried about a variety of issues. They are dogged by questions like: Which is the best branch to join; which IIT or  NIT is good; are private institutes a good choice; and whether going for a little known branch in an old IIT better than a popular branch in a new IIT? 

It is said that ‘Well begun is half done’, similarly taking the right decision about the college, branch and city can make or mar your career. Here’s how you can find appropriate answers and avoid making a faulty start: 

Branch vs. college

This can be make or break decision for a student as each year we see many students sacrifice their passion for a particular field just to enter a reputed college. My advice will be to look to the branch closer to your heart (and not to job prospects). This is because; the branch you are studying is likely to stay with you much longer than the college. The college may help you in getting some significant advantage in the beginning, but ultimately your passion and performance triumphs in the long run. Hence, go first for the branch which is closer to your heart. 

However, selection of a branch is important. Do not be carried away by job market statistics. Job markets go up and down all the time and there is always an opportunity for a good performer in any kind of job scenario. 

Hence, your choice of branch should be purely based on your aptitude and interest. For example, a student not liking electricity and magnetism chapter in physics, should not take Electrical Engineering or a student disliking mathematics should not take Computer Science and Engineering. I myself didn’t like chemistry and hence, refused to take Chemical Engineering in an IIT. Thus, always choose your branch first.  

Next, one has to make a choice of the institution and students should research the credentials of an institute thoroughly. Scan the websites and basic accreditations, ranking  etc. Review the past performance of the institute in terms of placements, faculty and infrastructure. Also, many a times there are many colleges and institutes near your place, but this should not be the main selection criteria. Spend  time to explore as many streams as possible and find your area of interest and stick to it. 

List your priorities well

It has been seen that in JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) during choice filling, many students go on adding one combination (course and institute) after another without giving much thought to the order of preference. This is an incorrect way to approach choice filling. It is because the choice or combination listed at the top will be, by default, considered as the first choice of the candidate, even though the candidate meant something else. And once a candidate is offered a seat in the first choice, it cannot be changed. 

So, the candidate has no option but to accept the seat. To avoid such a situation, it is always advisable to first make a list of combinations in descending order of priority on a sheet of paper or in a Word file. Try as many combinations as you can, and cross check whether the order is right.

North vs South divide   

Since a long time major cities in south India like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Chennai, Trivandrum and if we include Mumbai and Pune (though not strictly in south India) have been considered hubs of quality technical education. In contrast in north the choice is limited and concentrated only in Noida, Gurgaon, Chandigarh and Jaipur. As quality technical education has not been able to sprout and spread evenly across the region, many students are ready to pack their bags and head for any college in south.  But remember that every college down south is not necessarily a good one in spite of the claims. Faculty, industry tie-ups and performance of past students should be the key criteria for swelecting a college.

What if your choice has gone wrong? 

World is full of examples of people who started on a particular course and  ended up doing something completely different. Google CEO, Sundar Pichai did his engineering in Metallurgy. There is no guarantee that you will land up in the same profession as your degree suggests. It is up to you to explore and assess your career options at a later stage and then decide your career trajectory. 

Students have plethora of opportunities and all they need is to make the right choice. 

— The writer is Director, IIT, Ropar

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Old Vs. New IITs

There is a huge perception that the newer IITs are not as good as the older ones in terms of quality of education, infrastructure and career prospects. This is completely contrary to the reality on ground. In terms of quality of education, the newer IITs prove to be equal, if not better, to older ones in certain aspects. 

When it comes to infrastructure, the newer IITs are way better than the older ones and instead of an ageing infrastructure, the newer IITs have state-of-the-art laboratories, buildings, hostels etc. In addition to that, these havem competent, young and enthusiastic faculty. 

The newer IITs are also more flexible in approach in terms of research, entrepreneurship, start-ups and other activities, which make them adaptable to the emerging industrial and technological era. 

Hence, you can drop your hesitation over new vs. old dilemma. Yes, old IITs have got a much stabilised system, large alumni base, reputation etc., but  the positives of the new IITs are also comparable to this. 

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Core engineering branches Vs. Multi disciplinary and new branches  

Always remember that while all branches are good,   each of these may be in the spotlight from time to time.  Some branches are called evergreen branches, these may include Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical, Mechanical etc. Earlier the packages were not so handsome for some branches, but now salary packages are comparable. With the changing trend, inter-disciplinary courses have also become part of the curriculum in many IITs. 

Most industries today work on incorporating the idea of multiple disciplines. Interdisciplinary learning incites the creativity among students and helps them explore and understand the subjects better. They motivate research and projects through exchange of ideas between various disciplines.  

Here is a word of caution; While choosing inter-disciplinary courses, be careful that these are not too narrow such as Mechatronics, Bioinformatics, Financial Engineering, Engineering Entrepreneurship etc, for which job market in India is still very limited.

Opportunities are open in all fields — core, non-core, research.  There is always   much scope for innovation in every field.

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What does one need, to be job-ready?

Job-readiness does not require herculean efforts as it can be achieved through the following:

Knowledge The information that the person needs to know to be effective on the job. Most universities provide this to their students, yet via half-hearted means.  What students need is a full-fledged redressal on the job roles and the nuances of work.

Technical Skills The practice needed to apply the tools, processes, and knowledge to be productive. Indian universities have been quick to market their engineering programs as "practical" and "project-based", but these tend to be small, isolated projects or case studies that don't give the students the full range of skills and experience they need to be job-ready. Practical knowledge trumps over rote learning, in providing the factual skill to uplift one's career.

Communication Skills How to communicate effectively, especially in English since English is the language for software development throughout the world.  This must include speaking persuasively, listening effectively, being able to read with comprehension, and thinking critically in order to create effective documents or presentations.

Behaviour Skills How to be aware of, and manage, one's behavior and its consequences to achieve one's goals within specific contexts and situations. Understanding the variances of behavior, and incorporating them to hon razor-sharp behavioral skills, is essential in understanding the requirements and facilitating them, in the best possible way.

Experience This is what new graduates complain about the most: "how can I have experience when I just graduated?". Students need to be immersed in realistic work environments where they actually create products/ experiences using professional tools and processes.  This way, they acquire a portfolio of products that they have actually developed that they can show to hiring managers.

Martin Radley, Co-Founder, Carter Radley, An American Consultancy in the space of skill education,