How is the current situation of Engineers in India?

My answer is based on current scenario of Mechanical Engineers. It also applies to Civil and Electrical Discipline. CS, IT, EC guys can still somehow get in IT Sector with at least a decent pay. (Although most of IT Engineers are frustrated but at least there are still jobs for them)

My Background - Followed the herd and took science and then Engineering. Without knowing what I am getting myself into I took Mechanical Engineering. Should have opt for something else but the idea of “IF NOT ENGINEERING, THEN WHAT? THERE IS NO OTHER BETTER OPTION” got in the way. (Fear! you know)

I studied Engg. from a TIER 3 college (Well, lets say TIER 30:-P). I have 69%. Just mentioned it to make my point more clear). I got selected in the very first interview I appeared for. that is into merchant navy but there was a training for 1 year itseems for which I needed to pay 3lacs after training the minimum salary would have been 1lacs per month. I never wanted to pay for any job and that was fixed in my mind as I have aleady spent too much money on studies now i have to pay for job too. You know that these thoughts... All the good core companies either select candidates from IITs, NITs or they require very high GATE score.

I choose to prepare for GATE. What happened!! after joining coaching in ACE engineering Academy, Hyderabad and attending classes every day from morning 6 AM to 9 PM everyday, as exam was in Feb 1st week but the syllabus they completed on January 8th, 2017. Now had only 1month to revise and prepare. So it did not go well in that attempt as I got 26 Marks which is unqualified. Then I decided to go for 2nd attempt, was preparing properly almost each every topic is covered studying, but in the exam most of the questions were NAT(solve the problem and fill in the blank=answer). Then again mistakes that is too in points(minor), this is been the problem when you are in hurry to solve more questions because you know getting 30-40 marks is not enough to get into PSU or Join NIT or IIT for a General Candidate. I was in hurry to solve more question between I made mistakes. At the end the day result was GATE Qualified with 37 marks which is not at all suffient. I was so angry on myself. So now situation is ONGC, IOC, etc PSUs only hire if your AIR rank is below 1000. Lets say 1500. But for that you need to have at least 60–65 marks out of 100. So yeah, forget about PSUs unless you have great interest in subjects and have passion for engineering and are ready to study at least 6–8 hours/day for 8–10 months to crack GATE.

Till now I had lost interest in Mechanical Engineering private jobs. Good reputed core companies will never come in Tier 3 college (sorry, Tier 30). So the only option left is to get into a small core company and gain as much experience as you can. May be 3–5 years from now, you would end up in good reputed company with your experience. But that applies to people who are actually interested in Engineering and somehow their luck is not in favor in exams like GATE. For guys like me who have not much of interest in Engineering. and don't want to go for core jobs, only god knows where we all will be few years from now. Hope for the best and prepared for the worst.

When I started my job (in small company with 1.8LPA), I found there are many people who are also stuck here from 3–4 years and still their monthly in hand salary was not even 22000. I thought about me being in the same place 3 years from now. 2 Months into the job and I left it. I went for job because I wanted to see what I am gonna be doing rest of my life with this degree.

One of my friend went on for Animation course. He will be studying Animation for 18 months I guess. And yes, he is an awesome sketcher. He has totally left Engg. field.

Some friends opted for Masters and they are now/will be in Canada/USA. Cause doing masters from TIER 3 college would be like repeating the last 4 years again. In the end you will be either a Professor in TIER 3 college or you will have to go for GATE, MBA.

My other friend went for a Post Graduate course in Engineering Safety in Canada. Three other also went to Canada but they are gonna study diploma courses. So we can say all of them have left the core engineering field.

Some of my friends are working in small core companies with package less than mine. They couldn’t afford abroad education. Hence, they had to go for the job.

Some are preparing for Banking exams. Both PO and Clerk. Some are preparing for CAT. One friend started his MBA but from Tier 2 University.

Some even got campus placements in Non-Core companies. Roles? Business Development Executive and some IT role I am not aware of. The one doing MBA was placed in IT company. He left it after 2 months.

Rest? Well the actual picture starts now.

Rest are unemployed searching for Jobs everywhere. They have posted their resume on every single job portal, all job consultancies, all relative contacts but nothing. No reply.

Some are doing extra courses so that they can add a certificate to their resume. Its good to keep hope alive but in reality no body cares what certificates you have. Some are getting invitations for Job interviews through Monster, Naukri, etc but with a condition that they pay certain amount first (fraud). My college topper even went to appear for one such interview in Jaipur. His interview was taken in a car. Later they asked to deposit Rs. 7000 for joining formalities which he did. Again they asked for Rs. 13000 for medical which he was going to deposit but bank people told them there is something fishy. Please enquire more. When he googled it, he found how big fraud that is.

Those who are unemployed are so desperate to get the jobs that they don't care what their interest is. They just want a Job. They have registered their profile in district rojgaar office. The officer showed them a big bunch of engineers’ resumes saying “Itne saare Engineers ko kaha daalenge?” (How can we give jobs to these much Engineers?)

Funny thing is some unemployed guys still don't want to go for jobs other than core ones because they think it is shame to go for non-core jobs. Not even SBI POs and all. I think they are just not aware of how reputed banking jobs are.

Other one left the core job in small company within one month because of work load and low salary.

Even I am planning for higher education abroad in a NON ENGINEERING FIELD.

Every single company asks for experience. Even the small core ones. The only way to get into them is either by contacts or by College Placements.

This same things happens with Civil and Electrical guys.

Some of these guys get into IT and hope they are happy. I am sure there would be an answer about current scenario of people working in TCS, Infosys, etc.

My main purpose to write this detailed answer is to make new/aspiring engineers aware of what the picture is, so that they can better decide what to do next. Please don't just select anything thinking about SCOPE and SALARY. Good Luck.

PS - This answer might be depressing for some. But trust me guys engineering is an awesome course. If you have interest and trust in yourself, you will do wonders. Lots of people in my friend's father’s company come from IIT, NIT cracking GATE. They get super facilities and awesome package. They start with a position which took 15 years for my friend's father to reach. So no offence to Engineering. Just hate those colleges who used it and made this cool course into business.