What next???
Firstly let us all assume that we are on the verge of completing our undergraduate courses. Be it engineering, management or any such one. Now the vital question arises, “What next?” Well, the following article is a novel attempt to answer the question.
Let us split up the career path into 5 domains. I’ll restrict it to engineering and management considering the fact that they are the biggest contributors in the field of higher education. And the split-up goes something like this:
1) Masters in engineering/Science.. Abroad
2) Masters in engineering/Science..in India
3) Masters in management/finance/business.. Abroad
4) Masters in management/finance/business.. in India
5) Work
Now let us concentrate on each one of them, individually.
Masters in engineering/Science.. Abroad:
Lets call it MS for short, A vast number of engineering graduates take up this course offered in various institutions across the globe. Putting their undergraduate study to maximum use and specializing in their field of study sure sounds like a sensible idea. Students get to work and gain exposure by teaming up with students from all walks of life.
MS courses are offered in various disciplines, though computer science and electrical are the major takers. Students often apply to such courses to ensure a better skill set and proficiency in the work that they would be undertaking later in their careers.
Major countries: USA, UK, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Japan.
Admission requirements:
The requirements vary from country to country though GRE is a standard requisite. GRE or Graduate Record Examination is an exam conducted by ETS to filter the students. It deals with Verbal and Quantitative questioning along with an essay writing section. The test is administered through out the year on a first come-first serve basis. There are some universities, however, which grant admission based on the academic performance of the student and their TOEFL score alone.
In English-speaking countries, TOEFL is a must. TOEFL stands for Test Of English as a Foreign Language. It tests the English abilities of a student and whether he or she would be able to cope up with the instruction set at the University,
Masters in engineering/Science.. in India:
Let’s call it MTech for short. It is the course which students take up after BTech or after BSc. A host of Indian Premier Institutes absorb the MTech students ranging from the IIT’s to other Private ones. A student has to write the GATE exam. GATE stands for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. It is conducted by the IIT’s and IISc. Students can choose from a wide variety of subjects to appear for the exam and can pursue their interests.
Masters in Management/Finance/Business.. Abroad:
Many students dream of starting their own companies or would like to switch fields after their engineering undergraduate degree. The MBA is the perfect choice for them. It is called by various different name across various institutions but the course work mainly deals with administering a master’s degree in Business Administration or Finance or related fields. MBA is the perfect feather on the cap for a non engineering background student also as it helps him or her reach excellence in the field of interest.
MBA is spread out and the students can choose subjects from HR to marketing as their fields of specialization.
For pursuing masters abroad in this section, students must appear for the GMAT. GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test. This test checks the verbal, quantitative, reasoning and analytic writing attributes of a student. It is administered by the GMAC. The test takes place throughout the year.
Masters in Management/Finance/Business.. in India:
Students could also obtain their Master’s degree in Management in India itself, They will have to give the CAT exam. CAT stands for Common Admission Test. It tests the logical reasoning, quantitative ability, verbal ability and data interpretation of the test takers. It is administered by the IIM’s. The students who undertake the CAT are absorbed by IIM’s, FMS and IISc and a host of other premier management institutes in the nation.
Work:
And then there is the ever-present option of working straight after graduating. Students can sit for their respective campus placements and then work for the company that they find their jobs in. Students can also look around for jobs that they may not get through their campus placements. Students who are looking for some work experience before joining MBA can try to work with start-ups, as they would be getting lots of exposure, and their work environment would be dynamic and challenging as well.
Well, that’s a wrap people. What’s your take?
