Careers in Engineering

Engineering Profession
The shape of the modern world has been credited to the rapid advancements in science and technology. The field of engineering has been the biggest contributory factor towards achieving the scientific marvels of modern society. Engineers work with structures, tools, machines, metals, chemicals, and several different materials, and use their mind and creativity to design new things or bring useful changes to already existing ones.

Engineering is not so much a career as an expertise that opens doors into a vast range of jobs. Engineers probably have a wider range of choices of the environment in which to work, and of type of job, than any other field or profession. This is because engineering today is not restricted to the obvious spheres of mechanical, chemical and electrical but has vast scope in advanced domains such as thermal engineering, ultrasonics, vacuum technology, polymer technology, telecommunication, computers and more.

Engineering Areas of work
There are several fields in engineering. The basic objective of engineering is to design and manufacture the hardware of life. Engineers also design, modify and repair efficient and economical products, by applying scientific principles to an array of solutions. They have a hand in the creation of various things in use anywhere. Engineering has different branches, and often the knowledge in one branch can be applied to several fields. Moreover, in any organization or project, engineers from one domain work with engineers and specialists of several other fields as well. Some of the major specializations are as follows:

• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics and Communication Engineering
• Production and Industrial Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Mining Engineering
• Aeronautical Engineering
• Agricultural Engineering
• Marine Engineering
• Textile Engineering

The Work of Engineers
Whatever be specialization, all engineers mainly perform the four main tasks of research and development, production, management and maintenance.

Entry into Engineering Job
To work as an engineer, a candidate needs to have an engineering degree (BE/BTech.) in the chose field of interest.

Eligibility for Engineering Education
Candidates having passed class XII with physics, chemistry and mathematics are eligible to apply for admission to the different engineering colleges. Students can compete on an all-India basis for admission to the prominent institutes like IITs. State colleges of engineering take in students with state domicile, but offer some seats for students from other states also.

In some institutes selection is based on the percentage marks got into class XII (in physics, chemistry and mathematics), while some other colleges give admission based on entrance test. The IITs administer a Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for the admission to the seven IITs, The Institute of Mines, Dhanbad; and for the admission to the merchant navy course of TS Chanakya and Marine Engineering Institute at Kolkata.

Engineering Course Duration
BE/BTech. : 4 years Me/MTech: 2 years Integrated MTech: 5 years [Gets 2 degrees, BTech and MTech]