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1. Introduction

• We aren’t born knowing how to be effective.

• We learn from our parents, teachers, peers, supervisors and
mentors.
• We learn from experiments, seminars, reading books, from trial
and error.
• Developing our effectiveness is a life – long process.
• Industry is well aware that new engineering graduates have a
long way to go before they can ‘earn their salary’.
• Thus, the hires are providing the formal training with more
challenging assignments under close supervision.
• Strangely, when new students join the college, they are left on
their own to figure out how to be effective and successful.
• ‘Sink or Swim’ approach is not working. 2
 2  KEYS TO SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY
• What makes the difference?
One student with seemingly limited ability and poor initial
preparation SUCCEEDS in getting meritorious engineering
degree. But, another student with outstanding ability and
excellent preparation FAILS. How can that happen? What
are the keys to success in engineering study?
Three primary factors differentiate successful engineering
students from those who fail.

Determination Don’t give up!

(Most Important)

Effort Work hard

Approach Work smart

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 3  DETERMINATION

• Determination means having an unwavering commitment

towards the goal
• The most likely reason you will fail to do well in engineering
study is that you have difficulty with subjects or with
teachers or a personal problem or health problem. You will
encounter some difficulty and use it as an excuse.
• Setting goals is the easy part. Achieving the goal is the real
challenge.
• You must make your day-to-day decisions and choices
based on whether a particular act supports your goal or
conflicts with your goal.
• Once the primary goal is set, you can begin to place value
judgments on the things you do (acts), the attitudes you
hold (thoughts), and the feelings you have (feelings). 4
• Productive Actions: Actions that support or move you closer
to your goal.
• Non-productive Actions: Actions that tend to move you
away from reaching your goal.
• Positive Thoughts: Thoughts that would cause you to take
productive actions
• Negative thoughts: Thoughts that would cause you to take
non-productive actions.
• Positive feelings: Feelings that produce positive thoughts
which in turn produce productive actions.
• Negative feelings: Feelings that produce negative thoughts
which in turn lead to non-productive actions.
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 Examples of Negative Thoughts and the resulting
Non-productive Actions.

Negative Thought Non-Productive Action

I’m so far behind, I don’t get anything out
Cut class
of my teacher’s lectures.

Spend time studying alone and not able

I learn better by studying by myself.
to follow thoroughly

Subject is too hard; I just can’t do it. Procrastinate; put off studying

Teachers don’t seem to want to help me. Avoid seeking help from teachers
They make me feel stupid. outside of class

I don’t like having my life run as per a

Waste time by not scheduling your time
prepared plan.
I don’t have time for student Avoid participation in student
organizations. organizations
I’m not good at writing and don’t like Avoid opportunities to develop writing
doing it. skills.
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• And how do you keep adversity from stopping you?
• How can you keep failures aside from discouraging you?
• The four Commandments for you to persist even in the face
of adversity are:
o You must be willing to risk failure
o You must passionately hate failure.
o Persistence is a necessity, just as the willingness to
acknowledge defeat and move on.
o A measure of your potential to succeed is how you
handle adversity.
• The age - old saying:
We learn more from failures than we
do from our successes. 7
 4  EFFORT
 The relative importance of Ability and Effort was perhaps
best put up by the famous American inventor Thomas
Edison:
Genius is one percent Inspiration
And ninety nine percent Perspiration (Hard work)
 Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn
anything.“
 He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-
productive.“
 As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts
at inventing the light bulb.
 When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?“
 I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't
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work.
 5  APPROACH:
 Although some tasks will depend solely on effort, your
effectiveness and efficiency in accomplishing most
tasks will depend on both effort and approach.
 In other words, success in engineering study requires
not only that you work harder, but also that you work
‘smarter’.

 Become a Master Student:

 You realize that to become a Master of any play, you
need to spend time both playing and learning more
about the game through reading, taking lessons, or
watch experts play.
 To become a master student you must not only play the
game- i.e., be a student - you must also devote time
and energy in acquiring the necessary academic and
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non- academic skills, attitude and approach (soft skills).
 What is required to acquire a meritorious B.Tech
Degree?
 You must develop a high level of commitment and
motivation.
 Willing to make necessary choices and personal
scarifies.
 Learn how the educational system works and learn how
to be effective as a student.
 Learning to be efficient and effective at the task of
studying engineering
 Not only will it enhance your success as a student, it will
provide you with skills you need to be effective as a
practicing professional engineer.

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6  MODELS FOR ASSESSING YOUR ENGINEERING
EDUCATION
• One most positive and unique aspect of your Engineering
Education is that you are working for yourself to prepare
yourself for your future.
• Consider the Saying.

No deposit (=investment), no return

• Your education will represent a tremendous deposit in

your future. Your return will be in direct relation to what
you put in.
• Whenever you make a conscious choice to avoid learning,
growing or developing, you are not getting away with
something – you are working against yourself!

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 Enhancing the quality of your Education:

 Three models (= frameworks) from which to

view and derive the best from your
engineering education are presented.
 The models will assist you in answering
such important questions as :

 What is the purpose of engineering education?

 What should I know when I graduate?
 How do I know if I am getting an excellent
education?
 How can I enhance the quality of education?
 Will I have the knowledge and skills to get my
dream job?
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 Self -Evaluation & Self – Development:

 These models are useful for self-evaluation

and development.
 You measure yourself against each aspect
on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being high).
 In areas you feel you are strong, just keep
doing what you have been doing.
 In areas you feel you need to improve,
map out a plan for self-improvement.

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7 ATTRIBUTES MODEL (COMBINES INPUTS
FROM STUDENTS, FACULTY AND INDUSTRY)

• Institutional Assessment:
• In today’s tight fiscal climate, engineering institutes
are being urged to take up internal revenue
generation and are being held more accountable for
their productivity.
• Institutions are being asked to establish educational
objectives and outcomes and to show that these
objectives and outcomes are being met.
• Similar to the student assessment of the degree to
which the student meets the educational objectives or
expectations set by the University.
• Your engineering college may have a list of attributes
that it strives to impart to its students.
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• One engineering programme may emphasise proficiency in
technology, whereas another may require every student to
acquire ‘learn how to learn’ skill or cooperative education
experience working in industry.
• A set of ten attributes combining inputs from students,
faculty and industry representatives:

1. Problem Solving (The ability to identify and define a

problem, develop and evaluate alternative solutions,
and effect one or more designs to solve the problem)
2. Technical skill (A broad and in-depth technical
background).
3. Communication skills (Effectiveness in
communicating ideas).
4. Mathematics/Science proficiency (A fundamental
understanding of mathematics, physical, life and
social sciences).
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5. Ethics and professionalism (High professional and
ethical standards).
6. Open Mind/Positive Attitude (A mature, responsible and
open mind with positive attitude towards life).
7. Computer literacy (The ability to use computers for
communication analysis and design).
8. Motivation to continue learning (The motivation and
capability to continue the learning experience).
9. Business Management Practices ( A knowledge of
business strategies and management practices.
10. World Affairs and Cultures ( An appreciation for and
understanding of world affairs and cultures).

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 • Relative Importance of these Attributes as ranked by
students, faculty and Industry Reps:
Rank Students Faculty Industry Reps

1 Problem Solving Problem Solving Problem Solving

2 Computer Literacy Math/Science Proficiency Communication Skills

3 Math/Science Proficiency Communication Skills Ethics and Professionalism

4 Communication Skills Technical skills Open Mind/Positive Attitude

5 Technical skills Motivation to Continue Learning Math/Science Proficiency

6 Motivation to Continue Learning Ethics and Professionalism Technical skills

7 Open Mind/Positive Attitude Open Mind/Positive Attitude Motivation to Continue

Learning
8 Business Management Practices Computer Literacy Business Management
Practices
9 Ethics and Professionalism World Affairs and Cultures Computer Literacy

10. World Affairs and Cultures Business Management Practices World Affairs and Cultures

• The most important attribute as recognized by all the categories is

Problem Solving.
• Greatest gap between the view of Students and Industry: Ethics and
professionalism ranked #3 by Industry and # 9 by students. 17
8  EMPLOYMENT MODEL
• The single most reason you have chosen to study
Engineering is the availability of jobs.
• In view of this, you need to consider what factors are
important to employers and work to develop yourself in
these areas. Employers look for the recruits with the
following qualifications:

1. Personal qualifications including maturity, initiative,

enthusiasm, poise, communication skills, appearance,
and the ability to work with people (attributes: 1, 3, 5 &
6)
2. Scholastic qualifications as shown by percentage of
marks / grades (attributes: 2, 4)
3. Specialized courses and industry training (attributes:
2,7)
4. Experience in campus activities, especially participation
and leadership in curricular and extracurricular life
(attributes: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10)
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• How you fare in the interviews with prospective employers
will depend on how well you prepare yourself in the four
areas listed above.
• To be strong in each area, you must make a conscious
commitment to make it happen.

9. STUDENT INVOLVEMENT MODEL

• You want to get quality education – i.e., to have the

knowledge, skills and attributes that will result in your
being highly sought – after by employers.
• What do we mean by ‘quality’ or ‘excellence’ in
education?
• An excellent education is one that maximizes
student’s intellectual and personal development –
possible only through ‘Student Involvement’:

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 Definition of Student Involvement :

The amount of Physical and Psychological

Energy that the Student devotes to the Academic &
Co-academic Experiences.

 Five measures of Student Involvement:

1. Time and energy devoted to studying
2. Time spent on campus
3. Participation in student organizations
4. Interaction with faculty members
5. Interaction with other students

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Involved Student:
An involved student is one who devotes
considerable energy to studying, spends a lot of
time on campus, participates actively in student
organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty
members and other students.

Uninvolved Student:
An uninvolved student may neglect studies, spend
little time on campus, abstain from extracurricular
activities, and have little contact with faculty
members or other students.
• Which of these statements best describes you?
• In this way, you can assess the quality of the education
you are receiving
• Increasing your level of involvement and hence
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enhancing the quality of your education is up to you.
  THE LAST WORD:

Each and Every One of you

can acquire a meritorious B.Tech Degree

If you work up to your full potential

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 SELF – ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

TRAINING INSTRUMENT FOR MOTIVATING THE

STUDENT TO WORK UP TO FULL POTENTIAL
FOR SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY

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a. Rate yourself on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being highest) on
the following:
Item Description Rating
Personal Importance
a Writing Skills    
b Oral Communication Skills    
c Ability to work with other People    
d Commitment to become an Engineer    

e Personal and Ethical Standards    

f. Positive Attitude    
g Computer Skills    
h Proficiency in Mathematics and Science    

i Participation in Student Organizations    

j Degree you work Collaboratively with other students    

k Time and Energy devoted to studying Engineering    

Subjects
l Time spent on Campus    
m Overall percentage of Marks (Grade Point Average)    
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b. Rate the items above on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being high)
as to their relative importance.
c. Develop a method for determining which of the items above
need your greatest attention? (Hint: Use 2 X 2 matrix
below). Which quadrant contains items that need your
greatest attention? Which quadrant contains items that
need least attention?

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d. Pick the items that need your greatest attention and the
items that need your least attention. Develop a plan for
self-improvement for those that need your greatest
attention. Implement the plan.

# Items needing greatest Items needing least

Attention attention
     
     
     
     

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 NEW CAREER RULES

Rule 1 : There is no such thing as a permanent job.

Rule 2 : Always be on your toes; upgrade your skills
continuously.
Rule 3 : Be prepared for worst case scenario.
Rule 4 : Always ask yourself what value you are
adding to your company; you can’t be an
overhead.
Rule 5 : Age and experience will not be respected,
always be prepared for a young upstart who
can do things better.

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 EMERGING CAREER OPTIONS

OPTIONS ON COMPLETION OF UG DEGREE

The following options present themselves to An
Engineering Graduate:

• Job: in private sector, public sector,

government (central/state), teaching, R&D
• Self-employment: as an entrepreneur.
• Training (Apprentice)
• Further studies: in India or abroad (external
brain drain); in technology or management or
business ( internal brain drain). For most post-
graduate admissions, an entrance examination
has to be cleared (GATE, CAT, GRE, GMAT…)
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The major factors governing decision-making are :
availability, financial considerations, ambition,
aspirations, job satisfaction, job security, family
considerations, peer pressure (sheep mentality)

The major measures of success are related to :

job satisfaction; money; prestige; reputation;
image (as perceived by peers, society);
leisure activities; ambition and its fulfillment;
travel (particularly foreign travel);
independence; success of children.

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 WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

Advice to prospective employees and job seekers:

(a) Hiring: Potential employers may reject you if you
show any of the following qualities:

• You want very clear job descriptions and very clear

lines of authority.
• You have experience in only one single function.
• Your work experience has all been in a single
industry sector.
• You have worked in big firms; you haven’t
experienced turbulent situations.
• You want permanent employment and not a
contract. 30
(b) Compensation: Your employer will be averse to
your asking for the following:

• A salary where the fixed component is high,

the performance-linked part low.
• A package which has the firm taking care of
issues like housing.
• The taxable component is low and the tax-free
component is high.
• A salary structure with a minimum fixed
increment every year.

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(c) Redundancy: You could end up losing your job
even if you are doing well because:

• Your company is merging with another

company.
• Your firm is moving into a new business, and
your department doesn’t fit in.
• Your firm has dropped its plans for a new
business and doesn’t need you.
• The work your department does can be
outsourced.
• Internal restructuring to reduce the
duplication in your company.

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 THREE DISTINCT PHASES IN AN ENGINEER’S
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professor Myron Tribus has identified three distinct

phases in an Engineer’s Professional Development:

(a) The ‘ICS’ Phase:

During his education, the emphasis is on:

acoustics, dynamics, electronics, hydraulics,
logistics, mathematics, mechanics, physics,
statistics, thermodynamics.

During this phase, the stress is on scientific,

analytic and academic characteristics with little
concern for human values and people issues.

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(b) The ‘ING’ Phase:

During his gainful employment, the emphasis

is on coping, creating, delivering, designing,
developing, managing, manufacturing,
planning, servicing.

Along with the “ICS” subjects, during this

phase, human relations and human values
matter.

For many Engineers, this is a traumatic

experience, but most of them overcome it in a
few years.

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(c) The ‘TION’ Phase:

This phase prepares the Engineers to play

significant roles in governance of complex
societal systems.

The emphasis is on communication, energy

conservation, environmental protection,
habitation, sanitation, transportation.

Human relations, societal concerns and

human values play an important role during
the phase.

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TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER
(Tips provided by “The Week (Feb 28, 1999)” for a
successful career in the Information Age)

1. Develop skills: Do not use the college merely to collect a

degree. Discover what you can do well, and sharpen your
skills in these areas.
2. Develop initiative and confidence: Invest time on
personality development.
3. Network: The more people who know about your work
and skills, the better. Make networking a key component
of your career planning.
4. Get some internet skills: To manage IT will be the key.
5. Invest in your family: Give quality time to your family.
6. Learn to manage others: Ability to work with others is
prized in today’s emphasis on non-hierarchical teamwork.
Invest in developing your people skills. 36
7. Be honest, never bluff: For long-time respect, get
some basic values.
8. Be realistic in your expectations: Everything comes
with time; don’t expect miracles.
9. Learn some marketing: A person’s career has to be
managed the same way as consumer brands.
10.Master new skills: Obsolescence will be faster than
has been imagined. It will be important to gather new
tools, as one grows. Never allow yourself to stagnate.
It is not just what you learn, but how much value you
add to your learning.

Ultimately, it boils down to a huge change in the

mindset, since the very basis of our work is being re-
defined. The future belongs to the person who can
manage himself best. 37
 AZIM PREMJI’S TEN GOLDEN RULES
(Advice to the graduates of IIT, Madras during the
convocation in 2000)

1. Dare to Dream: People wonder if having unrealistic dreams

is foolish. My reply: dreams can never be realistic or safe. If
they were, they would not be dreams. But, one must have
strategies to execute dreams and slog to transform them
into reality.
2. Define what you stand for, as early possible, and do not
compromise for any reason. You can’t enjoy the fruits of
success, if you have to argue with your own conscience.
3. Never lose your zest and curiosity for learning.
4. Always strive for excellence. In the world of tomorrow, and
with globalization, just being good is not good enough.
5. Build self-confidence. Remember, no one can make you feel
inferior without your consent.
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6. Learn to work in teams. The challenges ahead are so
complex that no individual will be able to face them
alone.
7. Take care of yourself. The stress a young person
faces today, while beginning his career, is the same
as what the last generation faced, at the time of
retirement. Along with alertness, physical fitness is
important..
8. Persevere. It can make miracles happen.
9. Have a broader social vision. While earning is
important, we must use it for the larger good of our
society.
10. Never let success go to your head; for, whatever you
achieve is with the help of other factors, and people
outside us. The moment we become arrogant, we
become vulnerable to making bad judgments. 39
 AZIM PREMJI’S PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS
(Given to the IIT, Roorkee graduates in 2003)

• Success = Customer Delight + Hard Work + Luck

• Learn to excel in everything that you do. Make

Excellence a Habit.

• Don’t lose heart if you lose; but don’t forget the

lessons learned.

• Iron doesn’t become steel without going through

fire; you must be prepared to undergo the test of
fire, if you want to succeed in life.

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BILL GATES ON 10 THINGS SCHOOLS DON’T TEACH
(Advice to the graduating class during a school convocation)

1. Life is not fair – get used to it.

2. The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The
world will expect you to accomplish something
before you feel good about yourself.
3. You will not make three lakh rupees a year right out
of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a
car, phone until you earn both.
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a
boss. He doesn’t have tenure.
5. If you mess up, it’s not your parent’s fault, so don’t
whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
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6. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as
they are now. They got that way from paying your bills,
cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how
cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the
parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the
closet in your own room.
7. Your school may have done away with winners and
losers, but life has not. In some schools they have
abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many
times as you want, to get the right answer. This doesn’t
bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
8. Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers
off and very few employers are interested in helping you
find yourself. Do that on your own time.
9. Television is not real life. In real life people actually have
to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
10.Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for
one. 42