There was a time when an Engineering graduate was considered superior to a simple graduate or sometimes even a post graduate, superior in terms of being a specialized professional with job security. Now, with changing times, fierce competition and a decline of job opportunities, a simple engineering graduate is measured at par to a simple graduate or a post graduate from any other stream.A simple bachelor in technology student commonly known as B.Tech / B.E.usually has3 options after the course:
- Obtain a job through on-campus selection with a salary between Rupees 15 to 25 thousand. These jobs are generally categorized as ‘C’ grade. Similarly, secure a job through a placement agency or personal references wherein the salary offered is almost the same or sometimes less.
- Go for higher education like M.Tech, M.S, etc. which they think will increase their acumen as well as help in increasing their chances to land to a better job.
MBA is also a degree which many try to secure their future with. The downside with MBA is that there are many MBA’s with basic knowledge of Economics and Commerce which are given preference by the employers.
- Aim for a government jobs such as Engineering Services, PSU, civil services and administrative services. This is the best opportunity for a graduate Engineer. For qualifying for such lucrative jobs one has to pass GATE or IES examination or some other competitive examination with the specialized engineering subjects.
It has been observed that a huge majority of engineering graduates, around 60 to 70 %, are confused about choosing their next line of action out of the aforementioned. For such students the best advice is to choose one of the options and stick with it.
There is a misconception among engineering students that graduates from IIT perform better in these competitive exams. On the contrary, according to recent research, only around 10% IIT graduates appear for these career-boosting examinations and they are more or less as good as any other engineering graduates having good fundamentals of engineering subjects.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), started in 1984, is an all-India examination conducted and administered by IISc, Bangalore and the seven IITs to test the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and science.
GATE score is used for admissions to various post-graduate programs such as M.E/M.S./M.Tech in India and abroad. GATE scores are also being used by several Indian PSU’s for recruiting graduate engineers in entry-level positions. In the year 2016, more than 30 PSUs recruited engineers though GATE. Even Private Companies now consider GATE score for appointing their entry level employees.
Hence, the need to qualify GATE is immense. Since it is an aptitude test which has negative markings and is high on understanding and measuring science and technology analysis, it is imperative to have a good mentor or mentoring Institute.Nowadays, many institutions have sprung up to guide those graduate engineers who intend to qualify GATE but it is prudent to enroll in an institute which is honest and highly capable on sharing the right methodology of cracking GATE.
While preparing for the career enhancement examination such as GATE, students should remember:
- Qualifying GATE is a psychological game. It depends heavily on employing the right strategy. This can only be shared by the right institutional help.
- Divide all the subjects according to time in hand. Institutes with better results share the best methods of learning.
iii. Identify WHAT NOT TO READ. It is very important not to devote too much time on those topics which are less important.
- Do not devote too much time on topics that you already know well. Just revise them.
- While revising, make a concise note and write all the formulae of the subject on a separate sheet.
- Solve previous year’s questions. Study those topics rigorously which you are unable to solve and then regularly practice those topics.
vii. There are certain topics from which questions repeat every year. Identify such topics and prepare for them vigorously.
viii. For refreshing your mind, take a break from the subject and study General Ability and Mathematics. Honing personality in more ways than studies should also be kept in mind.
Most of the candidates are generally unaware of these tricks and hence fail to qualify for the exam. Some even are not clear on which subjects to choose for GATE. Hence, mentoring is very important and this is what is required to qualify the GATE exam.
The writer is a banker turned educationist staying in Noida. He is keen on shaping the careers of many such engineering graduates who lack guidance and believes this act to be a part of the social service. He is on the board of directors and advisor to many companies, mainly on Financial Management.