From the time when students are , they tend to get anxious about their future prospects. “What after I have cleared my IIT JEE and completed my graduation?”, “What are the niches I can apply to other than the conventional career options that I have?”. With a wide range of career opportunities up for grabs, the appropriate choice could make or break the future career of a student. As Engineering is a versatile degree it presents the students with a chance to dabble in contrasting ventures before streamlining in their choice of work profile. 

Therefore, here are a few options that a student can scout through for landing their dream job! 

Best Options for Engineering Students

Postgraduate Studies

Higher studies offer a better chance at employment and can yield long term benefits. Students who want to attain a deeper level of knowledge in their respective subjects and want to jump to a better pay scale can apply for various examinations like GATE and GRE for admissions in M.Tech courses and M.Sc courses respectively. Research work requires a lot of effort in the beginning but bears fruits in the future.

1. Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) tests the knowledge of a candidate’s undergraduate course and offers admissions to M.Tech courses at prestigious colleges like IITs, NITs and entry-level jobs in Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). MHRD also offers scholarships for GATE-qualifies candidates.
2. Joint Admission Test (IIT JAM) for M.Sc offers admissions to M.Sc, Integrated PhD courses at IITs, IISERs, IISc. The institutes follow a world-class curriculum with the aim to help every student master their respective subject and are trained to face the challenges that their professional life will throw at them.
3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) tests candidates on the basis of their verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing and critical thinking skills for admissions into the top graduate schools in USA and Canada. A candidate must clear TOEFL/IELTS (English Proficiency Test) with a qualifying score to get admitted for M.S courses at various universities across the world. Based on the score, Universities also grant scholarships to increase the affordability of the courses.

MBA

MBA is one of the most sought after post-graduation courses in India. Engineering can help a student master his technical skills but MBA helps to sharpen their management skills. Armed with the perfect combination of both, students can reap benefits in terms of better salaries and a widened work spectrum. It is one of the most popular choices amongst engineers as the course is short and provides managerial roles that are one of the highest paying jobs in the private sector. Students can choose from a wide range of specializations like HR, Finance, Marketing, Sales etc. In India, students can apply to various exams like CAT, XAT, SNAP, CMAT etc for scoring seats in the best institutes for business. Students can also opt for management courses on offers by the world’s leading B-Schools by cracking GMAT.

• Common Aptitude Test (CAT) scores a candidate on the bases of verbal ability, reading comprehension, data interpretation, quantitative ability and logical reasoning for admissions into the premier IIMs and other top B-Schools of the country. CAT is predominantly cracked by engineers with more than 80% occupancy by engineers in the top IIMs.
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) test includes verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing and critical thinking and offers admission to the best B-Schools around the globe in specializations like Master of Accountancy, Master of Finance etc. By acquiring a degree for famed institutes like Harvard and Yale, students can add a glittering spark to their resumes which can, in turn, help them in making big in their professional lives.

Civil Services

Civil Services can pave the way for students who would like to serve their nation by working towards the betterment of society. With more than 50% of applicants being engineers, UPSC conducts its examination in three phases: Preliminary, Mains and Personal Interview for recruitment to Indian Administrative Services(IAS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS) and Indian Police Services (IPS). It is one of the most difficult examinations in the world with selection rates as low as 0.1%. It is one of the most prestigious posts in the country as it grants authority, job security, good salary, job satisfaction, the opportunity of foreign tours and all the incentives for a government employee.

Entrepreneurship

With a unique, sellable idea and some monetary back, students can venture into the world of entrepreneurship. This field requires patience, dedication and an inventive/creative bent of mind to reap benefits in the future. With many new organizations popping up around the world, startups are an attractive option which allows creative flexibility with a hint of calculated risk. Governments have also initiated various schemes to promote startups by availing loans at affordable rates. Some of the indigenous startups are PayTm, Ola, Flipkart, Swiggy etc.

Defence

For the iron-willed souls with a special place in their hearts for the uniform, defence forces offer an unparalleled experience in the roughest of the terrains throughout the country. With all the perks of being a government job, a job in the defence forces is reputed and is considered as social status. With a service of total devotion, sacrifice, honor and prestige, the forces stand true to their motto, “It’s not a career. It’s a way of life.”

Engineers can appear for the following examinations for recruitment in Air Force and Army respectively:

• Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) tests a candidate’s numerical ability, verbal ability, general awareness, reasoning and military aptitude for entry into various posts in the Indian Air Force. After clearing the written examination, candidates must also score qualifying marks in Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) and Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) for entry in the flying branch and technical branches respectively. The candidates must also clear a 5-day Selection Service Board (SSB) interview and should fulfil all the laid down medical criteria.
  
• Common Defence Service Examination (CDSE) is a test conducted for entry to Indian Military Academy (IMA) or Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) for recruitment into the Indian Army. Candidates are required to clear a written examination that consists of English, Mathematics and General Awareness. Qualified candidates then face a 5-day Selection Service Board (SSB) interview with a thorough mandatory medical examination.

With a lot to choose from, a student must plan to the minutest of details and should always keep a backup ready. With the correct choice of career, students can streamline their efforts and dedication into their respective fields and provide themselves with a kick start towards a healthy and fruitful professional life. I hope that this blog cleared all your queries related to Options after Engineering. We the team of Exambazaar, wish you all the best for your future endeavors!