The career counselling for EAMCET-qualified students organised by The Hindu Education Plus , in association with Vaughn College of Aeronautics & Technology and Sreenidhi Institute of Science & Technology, Hyderabad, evoked a good response on Wednesday.
Students and their parents actively participated in the event, where the dilemma of a student — whether to choose a college before zeroing in on a branch or vice-versa, obviously dominated the agenda.
Subject experts fielded a variety of questions ranging from the basics to tricky ones such as which course would fetch lucrative job opportunities than the other. Their advice to the students was to give preference to choosing the college first and carefully plan their studies.
The students would do well to not entirely rely on peer pressure and make hard work, which alone helps them in reaching the pinnacles of success. That parents are the best friends of a student has been duly emphasised.
Making introductory remarks, SNIST professor V. Vasudeva Rao said the students’ focus ought to be on courses that should be of relevance to industry requirements. Working knowledge of a foreign language would be a distinct advantage to those aspiring to pursue higher studies abroad, particularly when they target institutions of global repute.
Director of Malineni Perumallu Institute of Technology & Science K. Balaji Reddy said he would suggest to budding engineers to choose mechanical engineering as it had tremendous job opportunities compared to other disciplines.
The world’s biggest industrial sector — automobiles — is almost entirely dependent on mechanical engineering for the design and manufacture of vehicles. “There is no manufacturing without the role of a mechanical engineer,” he observed.
E. Srinivasa Reddy, a professor in Acharya Nagarjuna University College of Engineering, said a student should choose the college first and then think about which course would fetch him rewards.
That a college primarily means well qualified faculty has to be born in mind at the same time. When it comes to career prospects, Information Technology sector is the biggest provider of jobs, as the main thrust of Indian industry is on software unlike in the U.S., where hardware drives the economy to a large extent.
Both Computer Science Engineering and IT have largely common syllabus.
Y. Bhanu Murthy, a professor in Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology, said students should meet the industry expectations and choose courses keeping that in mind. Electronics and Communication engineering has become a part of everyday life. VLSI (Very Large Systems Integration) and Embedded Systems are the most potential courses within the ECE specialisation.
Accreditation by the National Board of Accreditation is an easy way to identify a good institution, but is is not the sole benchmark of quality.
‘Challenging career’
K.V. Nirupama, a professor in Acharya Nagarjuna University College of Architecture, said a career in architecture was highly rewarding, but a student should have the creativity and ability to visualise things. “It is a challenging career path,” he said.
There is a general perception that architecture and civil engineering are one and the same, whereas architecture has nothing to do with constructing buildings. It deals with utilisation of spaces and is the one that creates the right ambience in a building.
K.R.S. Sambasiva Rao, a professor in Department of Biotechnology of ANU, said a career in biotechnology was mainly research-oriented, but rewarding in the later stages.
The dynamic nature of diseases and drug development throw huge employment opportunities. However, things will not be easy in the beginning for an aspiring biotechnologist.
Rama Rao Nadendla, a professor in Chalapathi Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, said Pharm.D course had excellent potential to earn lucrative jobs. It is the lack of clinical orientation among medical practitioners that prompted the policy-makers to introduce that course.
M. Vishnuvardhan, a professor in PNC & Vijai College of Engineering, said electrical and heat engineering were promising job avenues. But unfortunately, there are few takers for electrical engineering due to the belief that it is not as rewarding as others.
