38 careerlinks

|
JULY 2014
infostand guest column
Engineering Students
Introspect l Invent l Interact
Though there has been a dip in the popularity of engineering as a career option,
Indias moving on the path of development with a changed political will can only
mean good news for those who are already pursuing engineering and for those
who are thinking of becoming engineers.
POOJA GIANCHANDANI
T
he vision is clear. In the
next decade young minds
will steer India into a
world which is bold, con-
nected and full of opportunities.
Technology will intertwine itself
into the lives of over 1.2 billion cit-
izens in unique ways. Portability of
solutions will be the key and tech-
nology will continue its transition
of becoming sleeker, lighter,
longer-lasting, user-friendly and
multi-dimensional. The increasing
demand for goods and services
will reshape the industry and ac-
celerate the growth of sunrise sec-
tors, create newer opportunities
for greenfield infrastructure and
demand greater output from
brownfield set ups. It seems likely
that these ideas will get catalysed
as there is a changed political will
and a focus on development. The
large scale, modern and techno-
logically advanced projects will be
good news for those pursuing pro-
fessional and/or vocational quali-
fications, particularly engineering.
The quality of education, dis-
connect with industry and failure
in producing employable candi-
dates coupled with a lack of good
jobs despite years of rigorous stud-
ies has reduced the charm of engi-
neering, which was once a sought-
after career option. Whilst this
may have left many students and
colleges in a lurch, as India sets
course on this development jour-
ney there is bound to be a surge in
the requirements for employable
engineers with the right exposure.
It is, therefore, prudent for stu-
dents, who are a part of or are
looking at engineering as a career,
to take charge and align them-
selves with employers needs. The
simple three-point mantra for
achieving this is: introspect, invent
and 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 questions
are important at the time when
you start preparing for engineering
as a career. There are many profes-
sional tools which are available
freely on the Internet these days.
Specialised counsellors, who have
years of industry experience, can
also be contacted. For starters,
look at the following pointers to re-
flect on:
Understand the potential of
the sector you wish to be a part of.
Explore the types of jobs, role re-
quirements, opportunities with
top companies, and the growth
potential 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 so
always a keep close watch on what
gets you hooked.
Articulate your career aspira-
tions in the form of a 200-word
goal statement. Literally! This will
let you revisit, improvise and ex-
pand the goals during the courses
journey and beyond. A note of this
kind will also help you stay fo-
cused and to prioritise.
Invent yourselves with
every opportunity
Cliched as it may sound, invent
yourself through the stages of your
career. Exponential advances in
knowledge, equipment, technol-
ogy and communication will call
for acquiring newer skills. A GPA
will be the entry point into the
world of work, but an employer
often looks for the touch of talent,
which makes you stand out
amongst the thousands who are
competing for the same job. Some
tips:
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 possess
good business writing and com-
munication skills. They are ex-
pected to understand business
processes, professional ethics and
social responsibility. Awareness on
the socio-economic diversity of
the country will improve job op-
portunities.
Take work experience seriously.
Many educational institutions
have launched an integrated ap-
proach towards education giving
students an opportunity to gain
industry exposure. Interning with
a company gives a taste of the
challenges that you will have to
face in achieving outcomes, team
work, tools and, above all, applica-
tion of theory in practice. It is up to
students to make the most of the
four years in a university and build
a strong foundation for the future.
Expose yourself to an environ-
ment which allows you to learn.
While engineering education can
be theoretical, it is important to
explore the creative, adventurous,
demanding and empowering side
of it too. We are in the age of
knowledge economies so just
being informed wont help. It is an
era of staying up-to-date with in-
formation and scientific advances.
Interact by leveraging technol-
ogy and communication
Today, we are spending an average
of 16 hours per week online so-
cial media, emails, shopping and
reading. An equal amount is spent
on staying connected with friends
24x7, thanks to the hordes of free
chatting applications. While the
view on how much connected-
ness is good is personal, a balance
has to be maintained. Employers
increasingly seek out candidates
who are engaged and interact vi-
brantly on professional forums.
Some simple rules for achieving
this are:
Join the right knowledge fo-
rums and online groups which
will give you access to current
thinking on the subject/sector of
your interest.
Leverage MOOCS. Many top
international universities have
opened up the best of their
courses for free. All you need is an
interest, a course, an Internet con-
nection and a few hours a week.
These courses offer great insights,
opportunities to engage with
global peers and an interesting
blended learning format which al-
lows you to undertake research
and 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 grill
they can provide excellent advice
on your career path and also be a
source of inspiration.
Register for skill and knowledge
boot camps. There are several pro-
grammes that are run especially in
a boot camp format for young
learners to provide them that extra
edge in preparing for the world of
work. Sign up for these and meet
like-minded people who will keep
you excited. Constantly strive to
learn new things and experiment
around new ideas as well.
As we think about creating a
career and utilising our potential
to the fullest, we must remind our-
selves that learners are always
driven by passion, curiosity, en-
gagement and dreams. A strong
grounding of fundamentals is also
important to give you the wings to
go beyond the routine.
Pooja Gianchandani is the
Group Head - Policy &
Communication at IL&FS
Education, where she
oversees institutional partnerships and works
with stakeholders for designing effective
solutions aimed at improved education, skill
development, health and community
services. (The views expressed here are her
independent views.)