As is very often the case in life, indecisiveness in planning can hurt you in the long run. When you are deciding on your future course of action, one should be thoughtful and not impulsive, but it is equally important that we not struggle with the horns of dilemma for too long. The question that haunts many in their final year of BTech invariably revolves around what course of action is most advisable after graduation: take up a job or go in for further studies. If the question boils down to doing further studies then you wonder if you must apply to universities in India or abroad, prepare for GRE or GATE, especially since there is a wide range of opportunities available in both India and abroad.

In India the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is the gateway to higher studies. To join any of the premier institutes such as IISc or IITs for an MTech, you need to get a rank higher than 500. If you are headed toward the United States then you need to write two exams: Graduate Records Exam (GRE) and TOEFL.

Higher education means specialization and the choice is enormous when it comes to engineering. If you major in Mechanical Engineering you can choose to specialize in thermal engineering, machine design, manufacturing, industrial engineering, or aerospace engineering, to name just a few. Similarly, if you have a bachelor’s in Civil Engineering you can specialize in structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, water resource engineering, construction management, sustainable engineering, and so many other fields. This is true of any branch of engineering.

Getting a job in the private sector after engineering is made easy through campus placements, but you need to be aware of the selection processes followed by the companies that are likely to come to your campus. This way, by the sixth semester when the recruiters start coming, you are well prepared and the chances of you getting recruited by the company of your choice are high. There are two kinds of companies that come to campus for recruitment – (1) core companies that hire students only from a particular branch of engineering, and (2) others (mostly software companies) that allow all the graduating students to appear for the selection process.

There are many government jobs too. For most of these jobs you may have to write an exam and then after you clear it, in some cases, face an interview. Most of the State Government and public sector jobs are filled this way. For Central Government jobs, the Indian Engineering Service Exam (IES) is conducted to recruit candidates to organizations such as Indian Defence Service of Engineers. The IES exam is a three-day exam and has four categories – (1) Civil Engineering, (2) Mechanical Engineering, (3) Electrical Engineering, and (4) Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering.

So plan ahead and plan well to make the most of the opportunities available for engineering graduates. You need to decide by the third year of engineering, what you want to do after graduation and work towards achieving that goal. If you plan wisely, you are sure to land up in a good position.