This post is a bit late, but I hope it will help those school students who will be looking at an engineering education next year to decide which branch they want to go for.
Many students are opting for mechanical engineering just because someone told them IT is unstable and is going down. I have a few questions for them. Answer these questions and you will know what to choose.
Where are all the mechanical Engineers going after their studies ?
What’s the Ratio of IT companies to Mechanical companies who are recruiting from the campus ?
IT took a hit some years back. But still who is the single largest recruiter ?
Do not choose mechanical engineering just because IT is going down. If you are passionate about it, then its ok. But if you don’t have a choice of your own and is looking only at the job prospects IT is still the best. Computers and Information Technology has come of age and is here to stay.
If you are ready to look outside the engineering “Glamour”, then there lots of other exciting possibilities out there. Insurance, banking and retail sector need a lot of people and they are facing a quality crisis right now.
There are a lot of job opportunities for skilled labour in western countries. And believe me in some countries plumbers, carpenters and other works that involve manual labour makes twice as much as an engineer makes.
We need to think straight, and don’t go by what others tell you. Some times people give opinion just for the sake of giving an opinion. Do your research thoroughly and consult people who have already been there. Don’t ever believe what Malayala Manorama writes about job opportunities.
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October 9th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Exactly dear Kenney…
You are right, this article is a bit late..Last day I went to a college, there also I found some interesting reports from placement officer like this.
Well I expect one more article from you….Infosys and Wipro alone are not the last word of Software Companies in India…Because So many people do believe like this..I dunno where is TCS, Satyam and other big companies and other also 1000s of other mid-cap companies..Its the time to change attitude
October 9th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
hehehe…i liked the last sentence..lol :)))
October 9th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
The basic education ( from standard 1 to plus 2) that we provide to our kids makes all the difference in life. At the end of plus 2 students should have basic language skills, sufficient mathematics and general awareness of things happening around them.
The present day schooling system in Kerala is oriented towards entrance examinations and most of the guys entering engineering are not fit for anything. So there is no difference whether they study IT or Mechanical Engineering. I know many engineering students who can not find out the area of a circle.:D
October 9th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
The crowd is singing again…and every one is running after what is being said…when will the parents learn that there are other things in life other than engineering and medical….
Pheueeeeee…at least people like us have come out of this vicious cycle and show the next generation some light…
October 9th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Yea, I recently saw a parent in a college who did not let his son join that college as he got computer science.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Even I feel that same. Its the first 12 years of your education who defines who you are. Study in a wrong place and you are screwed for life… its take a lot of effort to get out of a bad education….
October 10th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Really Great post.
Also there is the fact that people think CS is very easy and they can learn it from outside the college. computer എന്തു പഠിക്കാന്?? This is what they ask. Well, learning to use a computer is not what Computer Science is all about. Let the students understand that
October 10th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Very True Kenney,
I have studied mechanical engineering and I do not work in a field that is not at all related to engineering, let alone mechanical.
Also I know that only a few of my fellow students are actually working in the field after all these years.
So I have to point out three things.
1) Do not think that CS/IT is something that will go out of work in your life time, at least anybody who are old enough to read this. I am not qualified to make a judgment about the next generation.
2) Again, what you study at college may not have anything to do with what you end up doing in your life.
3) Most importantly, if you are not looking at entrepreneurship, the most money is not made by engineers or doctors. It happens in the financial sector. But do not think that a B. Com (with first class?
) will get you the entry ticket to that field.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:13 am
My bad, double negatives. I do not work in a field that is related to what I studied.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
You said it right.. Public speaking just for the sake of saying something do affect the students…This years admission criteria shows that. Last year the priority was Electronics>Computer Science>>Electrical>>>Mechanical etc..
But this year it is Electronics>Mechanical>Electrical>Computer Science..
And many of my college who came to CS this time are those who didn’t get the other courses.
I liked Computer Programming at school. So that by the time of entrance, I had confirmed on CS. And I gave only Computer Science as option for allotment.
I then had many of my relatives asking me to take a core branch. The reason they give was that a 3 month or so course at NIIT can make you as well equipped as any Computer Engineer is..
Going to a branch without interest is going to make your life miserable..
October 10th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
People are sometimes really stupid. 3 months NIIT and you are a CS engineer !!!
Its like saying, 3 months of apprenticeship in a workshop and you are a mechanical engineer.
December 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Here are the pecking orders Youngistan is subjected to:
studies: engg>med>….
colleges:IIT>NIT>…
branches: electronics>CS…
career: programmer>MBA>….professor>…
companies: MS>Infy>wipro…
We are told “your ambition is fine and all…” but that we have to fight for our place in the pecking order. That is why I am happy that there is a recession going on. People will have to give up their tunnel vision of the said pecking order.
I wouldnt be compelled to get a job next semester for companies I dont appreciate. I wouldnt be admired for the ability to buy a BMW. People wouldnt join mechanical and elctrical just to get to the college which offers sure jobs. Heck, people wouldnt join engineeering if it doesnt suit them.
Good times are ahead, people!