Toh Engineering Kyu Ki… (If you had to be in management, why did you chose engineering)

“Pehle Engineering Ki…..Uske baad MBA kiya….Uske baad America jaa ke bank main Naukri karr raha hai. Agar bank main naukri karni thi toh Engineering kyu kiya”

Do you remember this dialogue from the movie 3 idiots? 

I loved the movie. Totally in love! But they were wrong about this. 

The current situation in the Indian economy is harsh for Mechanical Students and recent grads. There are literally no jobs. A lot of my friends either work for 8-15k (100-200$) a month or are still looking for jobs. Still finding a job for 3 years! Some are pursuing Master in Developed countries. (This has paid off for a lot of people, but not everyone can afford to go abroad for masters)

Some have turned to Masters in Indian Universities and there has been no change in the jobs situation. Still Unemployed or Underemployed.

So what is the solution for this situation?

The solution really is our own mindset. We just have to make ourselves open for other opportunities.

If Mechanical Engineering is not your passion, leave it. Just leave it. Do not think about the 4-5 years that you invested. Think about the decades that you will live next.

Let us face it, a lot of us really did not want to do Mechanical Engineering. Half of us were driven to it, as people said, “Mechanical main scope hai and is an evergreen branch”. And the other half used to play NFS and draw Car sketches & dreamed of designing one when they grow up.

The plan is simple, if Mechanical industry does not have enough jobs, then move to an industry which has good opportunities.

  • Take the IT industry for example, we have solved a lot more mathematical and stats problems to develop logic and write code. Take up a year course, something like C-DAC or learn online and shift to IT. We all know the good pay that IT has.
  • Prepare for government jobs, MPSC or UPSC. (A lot of us are actually doing it, mostly because it is not uncool in the society and buys time)
  • If you like Management, take up an MBA course and sail yourself in Sales, Marketing or Operations.
  • Can also take up some finance courses and join the high paying Finance industry.
  • Pursue Arts.

Be an opportunist and open-minded to grow through these hard times.

There is just one thing which you should not do and that is, to limit yourselves with these social stigmas of, “…….Phir Engineering kyu ki”

And people who love to mock others, please give us a break.

We took the decision of joining the Mechanical Course when we were 17. Even the government does not trust us with driving or voting at that age. How could society expect us to take the right decision then?

It is okay to graduate in a topic and work in something else. I am a Mechanical Engineer who passed out in 2015 and since then I have never worked in the Mechanical field. Not even a single day. And I do not give a F**k about what others think of that. I am not a good Mechanical Engineer, I know that. I have better Management Skills than Mechanical Engineering Skills. So I play on my strengths and it pays off.

I remember the time when I was in my third year and won a B-Plan Competition, my very dear friends mocked me for my management skills. They said they are core Mechanical and not a Management douche bag. Never take offence on that, just keep your mind straight and do what’s best for you.

So whatever Rancho says, just open your mind for other opportunities and take it with pride. Define yourselves with your work and not few boxes of Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical or Civil.

And other people, Yes! We did Mechanical Engineering and some of us just did not like it and changed their course. Yeah, even after 4 years or even after 6 years of Masters. Get used to that.

People, give us a break! 

P.S. This goes for all the professionals out there, just leave it if you don’t like it or do not have enough opportunities.

P.S.S. Anyways we all will have to learn new things in 2040 and do new kind of jobs when the bots eat away our current jobs.