Job Opportunities After Mechanical Engineering & What Does The Future Look Like?

More than 60% of the eight lakh engineers graduating from technical institutions across the country every year remain unemployed, according to the All India Council for Technical Education.

This is a potential loss of 20 lakh man days annually. That’s not all. Less than 1% of engineering students participate in summer internships and just 15% of engineering programs offered by over 3,200 institutions are accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). All this points to the huge variation in standards of technical colleges in the country, a majority of whom churn out graduates who are not employable. This is mainly due to the inefficiency of the NBA accrediting private engineering colleges that lack basic infrastructure, laboratory or even enough faculty members to teach the students.

 

Mechanical Engineering- An Overview

Mechanical Engineering is one of the earliest branches that existed ever since the inception of the word “engineering”. It is often known as the “mother” of engineering and this is mainly because of the opportunities that Mechanical Engineering field possess which is very vast, broad & diverse. From the early discovery of fire by the early man to the Industrial Revolution in England, everything happened because of the concepts of mechanics. The field of Mechanical Engineering is an unavoidable feat of early engineering developments which has transformed itself into a more modernized form in this digital era with the help of technology.

 

What Do Mechanical Engineers Do?

Conventionally, Mechanical Engineers have a wide range of specializations to opt for-

• Fluid Mechanics/Dynamics (i.e. CFD)
• Machine Design & Solid Mechanics (i.e. Structural Analysis, FEA)
• Materials Engineering & Processing
• Welding & Joint Specialization
• Automation & Control (i.e. Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Robotics)
• Thermal Engineering

These specializations usually aim at the processing of designing state-of-the art manufacturing machines, manufacturing of various vehicles/automobiles, construction of aircrafts or spacecrafts and a varied assortment of industrial machineries & accessories.

 

Mechanical Engineers are wanted in

• Development of various engines
• Power plants
• Heating & coolant management in Nuclear plants
• Complex machineries like The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Radia Engine
• Dams & canals

Mechanical Engineers are not only wanted to design these structures but also for maintaining them on a longer run. They also perform tests to continuously monitor the structure. All these roles are traditional jobs that Mechanical Engineers usually do once they graduate. But, the evolution of machines & technology infused designing methods have expanded the limits of Mechanical Engineering much beyond these traditional roles.

 

The main focus of Neo-Mechanical Engineers are

• Nanotechnology
• Inventing newer composite materials
• Bio-medical applications
• Environmental restoration/conservation
• Petroleum docks for extraction of crude oil
• Mechatronics (Mechanical+ Electrical)

The ever increasing scope of this job profile now mandates professionals to move into financial & marketing aspects of product development & even into human resource management. Overall, Mechanical Engineering degree is handed over to you in a platter that has assorted cuisines of food which is left for you to choose!

 

Where Does It All Start?

To make Mechanical Engineering your career path, you should possess the interest in understanding the diverse ways different machines function. This understanding should have been with you from the school, to take apart bicycle, mechanical toys & clocks to reassemble them. This sort of quest to understand what is inside a machine is the first step towards becoming a Mechanical Engineer.

 

Have I chosen The Right Career Path?

Like the other career paths, the entry into Mechanical Engineering requires special basic traits. Firstly, you must have a penchant for mechanical concepts & machinery. You must be good at physics, chemistry & math. You must also possess skills like analytical bent of mind, logical reasoning & problem solving.

Further, you must have immense patience, physical strength, ability to work for long hours and an inventive spirit that are essential ingredients for becoming a successful Mechanical Engineer.

 

Can I know About The Job Prospects?

Since Mechanical Engineering is the broadest of all engineering fields, the job prospects for Mechanical Engineers are plenty & unending. Mechanical Engineers are required to design, test, manufacture, install, operate & maintain a wide array of machines & mechanical systems that are used in countless industries. These professionals can find employment both in government & private sector undertakings.

 

How Much Will I Get Paid?

Mechanical Engineering offers a wide variety of career opportunity to job aspirants. The average monthly salary of Mechanical Engineers who are freshers is approximately in the range between Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000/-. Good campus placements in the college can yield a better package for best performing students.

A high annual pay packet entirely depends on number of factors such as the skill set possessed, experience, expertise, the employer, nature of jobs & responsibilities etc. Mechanical Engineers who have pursued special courses on software such as MATLAB, Python, Cantera etc draw much higher salaries than the students who just have a degree which ranges around Rs.40,000 to Rs.60,000/-

 

How Is The Market For Mechanical Engineers Now?

The job market for Mechanical Engineers is perennial. Even the vagaries of the global economic crisis could not knock out the demand for these professionals in the Indian job market. Although some branches of Mechanical Engineering went out of focus during the meltdown period, the overall situation was much better as compared with other careers. On the brighter side, things are getting back to normal and this evergreen career path is again gaining coin amongst career aspirants as it did during the pre-meltdown years.

In fact, this is a period of resurgence for Mechanical Engineers. They not only have countless options in the industrial sector but they can also make foray into new realms of technology & even get into management & technical consultancy.

Looking to get into one of these top companies? Then you should definitely check out our courses which has actually got in a lot of our students into such amazing companies with well-deserved packages.

EdXengine is India’s leader in providing online courses for Mechanical Engineers and we are the pioneer in providing practical exposure to engineers through various course project & publication opportunities with leading International engineering journals & firms.

In our next blog post, We will list out the best entry level job opportunities for Mechanical Engineers and we will provide it for you, for free. Stay tuned with us!