Science has become the fulcrum of all developments both good and bad for the past two centuries. Becoming an engineer is not just being part of the periphery of the scientific community but being a bridge between the scientific community (findings, developments etc.,) and the society.

for example we are more like patrons(users) of the library of science, picking and choosing what we want to study. Computer science, civil, mechanical and other branches are not just books inside this library, they are sections which hold thousands of titles. These titles contain laws, theories, systems, protocols, designs, samples, and ways to create, control and manage systems etc.  Engineers are more like people who pick something of the shelf of this library understand these principles and laws etc., experiment with them, combine or use them and develop a system or product which aids in practical application. Engineers can be given different names like problem solvers, system creators, and maintainers of systems. What is fundamentally essential to be able to understand things better is to keep asking questions like What? Why? How? And the answers to these questions are 99% of the time logical, rationale and testable.

The university gives out degrees to students who they believe have gained a fair understanding of their respective disciplines in engineering. But more than half or 70% students have no clue why they are studying engineering and which department to choose, because most of the decisions are guided either by their cohorts or parents, rather than the student deciding on his/her own interest.

Another practice is decisions based on market demands, this was a very good way of choosing what to study in the early 1990’s when the demand was more than availability of engineers. Now companies have to choose from a large pool of engineers, and no company would want to hire someone who is not the best because like all individuals the company’s goal is to constantly improve upon what they already have. So the industry has resorted to range of selections methods and criterion’s to select exceptional and good candidates to work for them. What does any company look for in candidates while recruiting?

-          Consistent performance!!

-          Problem solving & Analytical skills.

-          Communication skills.

-          Expected level of knowledge about the relevant engineering stream.

-          Willing to constantly learn new things & active participation.

Consistent Performance

I personally don’t agree to this criterion, but as mentioned earlier companies have a large pool of engineers to choose from so they are entitled to decide what’s best for them. Recruiters require marks scored in 10^th and 12^th standard to check for consistency, and some even go to the extent of stating that the candidate should have never had an arrear history etc., The best thing to do about this to improve on whatever you have got previously rather than thinking about how high or low you scored in the past. Your resume and application provides these details to the recruiters. (imagine you need to select someone in your team, who would you select someone who has scored 40-45 runs in all matches or someone who has scored 2 centuries, 5 ducks and ten scores of 15-20).

Problem solving & Analytical skills – why do you need it?

At work you will come across problems that are complex and needs solutions, for example you might deal with writing a program or developing a solution to a problem. So employers look for people who can do it fast and get it right, you have logical reasoning tests conducted by recruiters to find out your ability to deal with a problem and provide logical solutions. Analytical skills in simple terms mean how you analyse and reflect upon the situation and provide multiple perspectives to the same. Practising problems are the only way to improve on these skills. (agarwal & co, sample questions etc.,)

Communication skills

You might be good at solving problems and analysing, but what use is it to the organisation if you are dumb or mute?? Communication is the key to put forward ideas and resolving problems. How do you improve this aspect? Reading, writing and watching “English movies, documentaries, discovery, Natgeo”....most importantly speaking to others in English “when you can, not all the time!!”, Recruiters use group discussions and interviews to gauge your communication skills.

Expected level of knowledge

Organisations do not expect you to be thorough in all aspects of your field of study, but they expect some understanding and basic knowledge on your area of interest, recruiters gauge this criterion in the interview based upon your application or resume.

Willing to constantly learn and active participation

This is the last criterion that recruiters look for in a candidate, how willing are you to constantly learn? How do you update your knowledge? How adaptive you are? Also recruiters are interested in your extracurricular activities? Participation in seminars, paper presentations etc., the objective behind this is to know what other things you do other than your studies?    

The reason behind writing all this was, no one told me about all this when I studied!! Or I never asked anyone about these things. To better understand use word web or dictionary to clarify on what the article says. So if recruiters expect certain elements in candidates they are selecting, it’s better to assess one’s own strength’s and weaknesses and start developing areas that needs improvement. But this not a stage by stage process each and every element has to be addressed at the same time.

The most important of them all is to have no arrears when you complete your third year. It does not matter in which college you study, if you are not able to match the criteria of the recruiters you are not going to be selected. Even if you study in Harvard or Cambridge or IIT’s  the naryana murthy’s and azim premji’s are not going to come knocking on your door and present you with an offer letter and pay you every month. The institution that you study in can only guide, nurture and sign post things for you to do.  You need to walk the path. In simple terms there is no such place as heaven where others do everything and you can be happy and enjoy. God would never create such a place he has better things to do. The apple won’t fall of the tree and come running to your mouth. But being in a college does not mean just studying, getting selected by an organisation, there are other things like making friends for life, having fun, learning, helping others, getting helped, etc., but know your priorities, be aware. 

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started" - Mark Twain.