What is Engineering?
Although one of the oldest disciplines, engineering remains one of the most popular career options even for today's young generation. Graduates from top engineering colleges command a lot of respect not only in India but also in other countries.
Unlike yesterday, when studying engineering implied one had to choose between the mechanical or the chemical stream, today one can choose from a wide variety of options, ranging from Computer Science, Electrical & Electronic, Aeronautical, Aerospace, Materials, Textile, Agricultural, Mining, Industrial, and Production engineering, to name just a few.
Why is getting into engineering better than any other conventional degree?
You are rarely in a position where you simply cannot find a job — the world needs more and more engineers all the time.
An engineering degree is a great launch pad for careers in business, humanities, and even the civil services.
Indian engineers are more likely to get scholarships for further studies in the US than any other graduates. Hence, if you want to study and/or work abroad at some point in your life, then engineering is the career for you.
How do I get into a top engineering college?
The name Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) stands out in the field of engineering and pass-outs from these institutes command a lot of respect not only in India but also in other countries. Presently, admission to nine premier institutes is conducted through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). These include the IITs, IT- BHU and ISM.
To be eligible to sit for JEE, you need to have secured at least 60% marks in
aggregate in your Board examination (or any other exam recognized as its equivalent).
Students appearing for the exam in this academic year are also eligible.
Besides JEE, there are other engineering entrance exams as well. These include:
AIEEE: The All India Engineering Entrance Examination or AIEEE as it is commonly known, is conducted by the CBSE, and caters to the needs of the 18 National Institutes of Technology, alongside some other prominent engineering colleges, namely NSIT, Dwarka and DTU(formelry known as DCE).
BITSAT: The BITS Admission Test (BITSAT) is conducted for admission
to the BE program of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani and
Goa). This is a computer-based online test of three hours.
What after an Engineering Degree? Once you have completed your BE (Bachelor of Engineering) or BTech (Bachelor of Technology) program, you are ready to get a job in almost any organization that requires engineers. You also have the option of going for higher studies that include doing an ME or MTech in India, an MS in the US, or pursuing other postgraduate options, like doing an MBA.
Here is an indicative list of fields in which budding engineers can pursue a successful career, upon graduating from an IIT.
IT & Electronics, e.g.: Microsoft, Motorola, WIPRO, Infosys, etc. Chemical industries, e.g.: HLL, Thapar’s, Dr Reddy’s, Reliance, etc. Manufacturing industries, e.g.: Maruti, Godrej, TISCO, etc. Infrastructure industries, e.g.: Siemens, L&T, Texas Instruments, etc. Research Labs, e.g.: BARC, ISRO, DRDO, etc.
