Job Search: Career options for Engineers in India

India produces over 15 lakhs of engineers each year out of which over 80% of them are unemployed. According to a report by Developer Skills, ‘there is a strong mismatch between the frameworks/ skills required by the corporate world and the ones being learned by engineering students.’

Many choose the line of engineering because they are passionate about it, while some choose it due to pressure from their family members. Whatever the reason for them going into this field may be, it is safe to say that building a career in engineering is not as easy and unchallenging as one may hope.

Best career options after engineering in India.

1. Higher Studies

It’s no secret that the higher your education, the better your chances of finding a good job. After the completion of your bachelor’s degree, pursue higher studies such as M.Tech. Prepare for GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) and Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM) to get admission in some of the best engineering institutions in India.

There are also many diploma courses you could pursue. They will give you a competitive advantage and boost your chances of getting hired for engineering jobs and earn higher pay.

Following are some of the professional courses and certifications you could pursue to find engineering jobs in India.

C, C++, JAVA, .NET, SQL
Information Security and Ethical Hacking
Borland Database Engine (BDE)
Six Sigma
Technical Drawing and Designing
Primavera Training
Embedded Technology
Web design
Construction Supervisor Certification
Red Hat Certified Engineer

2. MBA

Earning an MBA degree after engineering can open many doors for you career-wise.

Following are the benefits of being an MBA along with an Engineer:

More job opportunities
Higher pay
Career transitions
Job security
Expansion of professional networking
Self-discipline and time management skills.
Analytical thinking skills
Credibility.

Following are some of the popular MBA specializations you could pursue:

MBA in Operations Management
MBA in Human Resource Management
MBA in Marketing
MBA in Data Analytics
MBA in Banking and Finance.

3. Public Sector Units

PSUs are companies that are either owned or partially owned by the government of India. Some of the well-known ones are BHEL, SAIL, HAL, and IOCL. Under the public sector units, the government offers many job opportunities for engineers who are qualified for the roles. One needs to take the GATE exams to be eligible. One could also get employment through Indian Engineering Service (IES) by taking the Engineering Service Exam (ESE).

4. Civil Services

Civil service jobs in India are in high demand among engineers. To pursue a career in civil service, one must pass all rounds of the UPSC exam. As it is a very competitive examination, it usually takes years for candidates to clear all rounds.

5. Entrepreneurship

Leaders of fortune-500 companies such as Amazon and Tesla have backgrounds in engineering. They analyze, provide solutions, and execute them. One thing engineers and entrepreneurs have in common is that they provide solutions to existing problems.

You can become an entrepreneur by pursuing an MBA in Entrepreneurship after completing your B.Tech.

6. Private sector

One path engineers usually take after their graduation is opting for jobs in the private sector. There are a plethora of job opportunities in various fields of the private sector. Create an appealing resume and register yourself to online job marketplaces such as contract-jobs.com. Also, utilize job-oriented social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to connect with the right people in your industry.

7. Defense Forces

Indian defense forces: Army, Air force, and Navy regularly hire engineering professionals for various roles. In the Indian Army, the branches of Engineers Corps, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Corps, and Signals Corps hire engineering professionals. For a post in the Indian Navy, one has to go through the Special Naval Architects Entry Scheme of the Indian Navy.

8. Management

If you are looking for a high paying engineering job, why not study management. You would need to have an MBA degree for which you will have to take a CAT (Common Aptitude Test) exam. After earning your MBA, you can go for managerial roles in many companies because managers are one of the highest-paid professionals in India.

9. Become an expert

The world of IT is always on the lookout for talents with particular skills. There are many job openings in different fields. Do bear in mind that the skills required differ for different roles and companies. Following are some skills you could master