Overview
Engineering is a discipline dedicated to problem solving. To put it simply, engineers identify a problem and work towards developing a solution for it. Engineers use science, critical thinking and mathematical concepts to develop new ideas, products and technologies to make life simpler and more efficient. They can work as scientists, inventors, designers, builders and theorists. It will be difficult to point out a sector which is void of engineering principles and application. This ensures job opportunities for aspirants in various sectors. The role of engineering is indispensable in sectors such as computer science, architecture, finance, medical, information technology to name a few. Basic foundation is laid by courses covering engineering concepts and principles in the field; students can specialize further depending upon their area of interest and inclination towards working in any particular field.
Job Prospects
Some of the prospective jobs depending upon the area of specialisation under this field are:
- Acoustic Engineer: They are involved with designing of buildings and rooms to ensure best sound output. They provide expertise in designing of auditoriums, music halls, develop techniques and sound absorbing materials, and work towards improving the acoustics of a place.
- Aerospace Engineer: The Aerospace engineers are responsible for the design, development and production of spacecrafts and related air technology. Both air and space vehicles contain complex subsystems that require specialists from many engineering fields such as electrical, mechanical and computer engineering.
- Aeronautical Engineer: He/she applies engineering principles and techniques to the design, construction and operation of aircrafts.
- Agricultural Engineer: Agricultural engineers look into the area of land farming and forestry. They develop biofuels, manage animal habitats and find better food processing methods along with finding better ways to protect farms and animals.
- Audio Engineer: Audio engineers use machinery and equipment to record, synchronize, mix or reproduce music, voices or sound effects. They work on the production of movies, music recordings, live shows and video games.
- Automobile Engineer: Automobile engineers research, design and develop vehicles and their subsystems. They work with sophisticated technologies to create products which are exciting, challenging and lead to the growth of the sector.
- Biomedical Engineer: They work towards improving patient care by designing equipments such as MRI machines, surgical instruments etc. They combine principles of biology, medicine and engineering in their work.
- Chemical Engineer: Chemical engineers utilize their knowledge of the physical world to manipulate the interactions of individual atoms and molecules to develop new materials used in nanotechnology, energy storage and computing.
- Civil Engineer: They provide their expertise and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, bridges, water supply system etc. They need to ensure that construction adheres to the laws of engineering as well as rules and regulation set by the governing body.
- Computer Engineer: They develop software and hardware for computers. Operating system software, such as Windows and Linux, to individual computer programs, such as Photoshop and Microsoft Office are designed and developed by them.
- Drafting & Design Engineer: Every plan needs to be designed and drafted from the beginning to the end. This career requires a working knowledge of drafting and design principles, material types and properties and manufacturing processes.
- Dairy Technology: The dairy technology is a component of food technology that specifically deals with the processing, storage, packaging, distribution and transportation of the dairy products like milk, ice-cream, curd etc by implying the science of biochemistry, bacteriology and nutrition.
- Electrical Engineer: Electrical engineers design, develop, test and supervise electrical equipment manufacturing. They specialize in the generation and supply of electric power.
- Electronics & Telecommunication: Electronics engineers specialize in electronic devices, circuits and communications equipment like transmitter, receiver, integrated circuits, microwaves, etc. They work towards improving the functionality and technology of communication devices and servers.
- Environmental Engineer: Environmental engineers use science and engineering principles to improve and protect the environment. Maintaining the quality of air, water and soil is their primary focus. They use technologically advanced devices such as the semiconductor etc to find solutions for waste management and other environmental issues.
- Geological Engineer: These engineers apply earth sciences to solve human problems. Specialty areas include geotechnical site studies of rock and soil slope stability for projects, environmental studies and planning for construction sites, groundwater studies, hazard investigations and finding fossil fuel and mineral deposits.
- Industrial Engineer: Industrial engineers are responsible for the development, implementation, improvement and evaluation of energy, equipment and material. They are concerned with reducing production costs, increasing efficiency, improving the quality of products and services, ensuring worker health and safety, protecting the environment and complying with government regulations.
- Instrumentation Engineer: Instrumentation engineers are employed at essential positions in the industrial manufacturing sector and usually work in industries with automated processes such as chemical or manufacturing plants with the goal of improving system productivity, reliability and stability.
- Marine Engineer: Marine engineers are responsible for the design and construction of seagoing vessels and structures, focusing primarily on their internal systems. They oversee the operation, maintenance and repair of all major mechanical and engineered equipment on board a ship.
- Materials Engineer: They are concerned with the structure, properties, production and use of various materials in different industries.
- Mechanical Engineer: They study motion, energy and force of elements and their application by using a combination of human, material and economic resources.
- Metallurgical Engineer: They separate metals from their ores and prepare them for use i.e refine them to a pure state and convert refined materials into useful finished products.
- Mining Engineer: The main focus of the engineers is to extract minerals from the earth by implementing scientific technology.
- Nuclear Engineer: Their work involves the handling, control and application of nuclear materials and reactors for generating usable energy.
- Ocean Engineer: They deals with the design and installation of all kinds of equipment used in oceans.
- Optical Engineer: Optical engineers design optical systems for cameras, phones, telescopes, etc. They also design, develop circuitry to fine tune and calibrate optical devices.
- Petroleum Engineer:Engineers design and develop technology and methods for digging the earth’s surface to extract gas and oil.
- Production Engineer: Production engineers deal with the designing, development, maintenance, implementation, operation and controlling of all processes in the manufacture of any product.
- Safety & Occupational Health Engineer: They help to manage the safety needs of any organisation in a variety of occupational settings. They device preventive techniques against regional and industrial pollutions.
- Software Engineer: They are specialists who design, develop and maintain the computer software for businesses and personal use.
- Textile Engineer: They are experts who guide the processes and machinery in the production of natural and synthetic fibres.
Roles & Responsibilities
Day-to-day responsibilities depend on one’s area of specialization and work setting. Certain duties attached to this field are:
- Research: Engineers conduct research to prove theories, develop new theories, analyse concepts, seek new principles and processes by employing scientific concepts, and experimental techniques.
- Development: Research is followed by the process of development in order to achieve concrete results. They use their knowledge in a creative and unique manner to develop new products and services.
- Design: In designing a structure or a product, engineers select the appropriate methods and materials to meet the technical and practical requirements of the product.
- Construction: Engineers prepare the site of work by determining the procedures that will economically and safely yield the desired final product.
- Production: They choose processes and tools, integrates the flow of materials and components and provide testing and inspection for the product or structure being produced. Maintaining quality control is an important aspect of production.
- Operation: They determine procedures and supervise personnel to obtain reliable results by monitoring machines, plants and organizations that provide power, transportation and communication.
Apart from the above, engineers have additional duties as well. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Work with management to develop project budget.
- Assist in planning, coordinating and executing engineering projects.
- Work in compliance with standard operating procedures and company policies.
- Address customer complaints in timely and accurate manner.
- Analyze problems and suggest corrective actions.
- Develop preventive maintenance and support programs.
Desired Attributes
Given below are the desired qualities for professionals in this field:
- Have a scientific and analytical bent of mind.
- Strong theoretical foundation.
- Passionate and dedicated towards one’s craft.
- Ability to think critically and draw logical conclusions.
- Good at decision making and problem solving.
- Need to work well within a team setup.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to multitask and manage time well.
- Adequate organisational and managerial skills.
- Need to be able to handle stress in a healthy manner.
- Creative and innovative approach to work.
- Hunger to keep on learning and refine one’s skill set.
How to get there
- Clear 12th standard with science stream (PCM)
- Eligibility: 50% aggregate required (PCM)
- Admission process: Merit list is prepared after combining 12th standard marks and entrance exam marks.
- Graduation: B.E/B.Tech courses for 3-4 years
- Post-Graduation: M.Tech/M.E courses for 2-3 years
- After Post-Graduation: PhD for 2-3 years
Entrance Exams:
- JEE Main – Joint Entrance Exams
- JEE Advanced