What am I going to do after BTech?

You must have asked yourself this question a lot of times at some or the other point in life.In India you are not judged by what you have studied but what you are doing after education. The society is more concerned about the job and pay you get after education and not the intellectual property you have earned.

10 things you can do after B.Tech

This article talks about the Top 10 Career Options you can choose from after your B. Tech. /B.E. If you are a current student of B. Tech or passed out recently, then this article is a MUST for you to read.

What have you thought about doing next? M.Tech? OR MBA? OR a job? Even if you have decided on something, it is advisable to explore the other options lying in front of you. It’s a truth never discussed and never told. We prefer keeping silent and let things happen and then later cry about the mistakes we did.

Before we start exploring the options available, keep these three things in mind:

Three Mantras to always keep in mind

-Don’t leave an option straight forward because it is too mediocre. You don’t need to follow others but follow your heart.

-It's okay if a million other people like you are preparing for an entrance exam, including your friends! If you believe you can crack the exam, trust me YOU CAN.

-Everybody is not born to graduate, do an MBA and get a high paying job. If people like Gandhi, SC Bose and APJ Abdul Kalam thought this way the world would have missed a lot of positive changes. Be the change you want to see in the world.

1. Campus Placement

Already bored of studying? Then getting selected in a decent company visiting your campus seems a good option. If you don’t have any intentions of studying further, or at least immediately after B. Tech,  you can opt for a job. This is considered to be a safer option where you get time to decide which field you want to stick to-Technical or you want you shift your core interest area from technical to management or some other stream. 

2. Go for an M.Tech degree

If you did engineering out of passion and not because you were forced by parents or just for sake of doing it, then MTech is a good option. You can opt for the field of study you aspire to expertise in. For this, you need to prepare well for the entrance exams to get into a good college. GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is a national exam conducted in India which can fetch you admission in IITs, IISC or NITs and many others.

3. Do an MBA

Don’t feel you are the technical guy your parents wanted you to be? Always felt like you are a manager and want to see yourself in a business suit in some MNC? Probably you have a fascination for MBA too. Don’t get diverted by the thoughts that everyone is doing an MBA right now and its value has decreased. If you want to make a career in management sector or managerial positions, MBA is the right choice. You may specialize in your area of interest which may be the all time popular fields like HR, Marketing, Sales or the new growing domains like Digital Marketing, International Relations etc. In India, there are various entrance examinations that will help you get into the top 30 MBA colleges. CAT (Common Admission Test) serves as a gateway for an MBA at the IIMs and many other leading institutes. Some other popular exams are XAT (Xaviers), NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, TISS, IRMA etc.

4. Prepare for Civil Services

Always saw yourself as an IAS or IPS officer? Admit it, some or the other day you must have thought about preparing for Civil Services but left the thought because you felt that it's very tough to crack!

Yes. Indeed it is one of the toughest exams in the world to crack and there lies a huge competition to be a civil servant, but you cannot hold yourself back because of this. Civil Services is not just about cracking an exam and then clearing an interview, it judges you on everything you can think of, who you are and what do you stand for!

You need to put your complete focus in addition lots of determination to prepare for Civil Services Examination. Believe in yourself.

5. Short Term Courses

There are various short term courses and diploma courses you can opt for after your B.Tech. It can be a certificate course in embedded technology, VLSI, robotics, ethical hacking, protocol testing, machine designing etc.  or a diploma course in any specific domain.

Such courses are generally job oriented and serve as a bridge between what you know and what the industry expects you to know in order to absorb you into their organization.

6. Entrepreneurship-Start your venture

Do you have dreams of being a job provider? Always wanted to be your own boss? Then starting something of your own is a great option. But before you think about it you need to be sure about your options. Startup is trending more as a fashion then a career option. Being your own boss does not mean you can ignore work and life would be easy. Starting your venture and making it succeed would be the toughest of all the things you can do. It will have ups and downs every new day. Maybe you would not get any client for the whole year. Be ready for the challenges and immense learning if you are determined to be an entrepreneur. This is the road less traveled.

7. Go Abroad

It is also a very good option to explore. If you choose to study abroad, you will get a lot of exposure and learning along with the education part. You might also be able to get a job at international locations if you have plans to settle abroad permanently in the future.

You can also explore integrated opportunities abroad. Along with options of MS you may explore options of MS+PhD and other research oriented courses. In addition, you could look at the various fellowships in research and development category available and which might fascinate you too. You can also apply for the various scholarships which will fund your education partially or completely.

8. Join the army

Give a chance to the patriot in you. Joining Army/Navy/Air Force or any other wing of the defense services can be exciting and high paying at the same time. You can join as technical staff by applying through the University Entry Scheme (UES), apply on their respective websites or appear for the AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test). You can also apply for flying positions in Indian Air Force by clearing AFCAT.

The times are gone when you tagged defense services with only patriotism. Now you can be utterly professional when opting for defense as a career. These positions will give you an opportunity to live your life for the nation, a life with good facilities and a decent sum to take home as well.

9. Be a Change Maker

Feel fascinated when you see someone fighting for the rights of others?  Want to bring some positive change in life of others then you have every sector and every field open to you. You can work for an NGO or start your own, you can choose a career in journalism, opt for social research or do something in your own profession itself by helping people who don’t have access to it, e.g. if you are a lawyer fight for the rights of the less privileged, if you are a doctor-treat people, if you are an engineer-innovate for the mass etc.

10. Explore the artist in you!

 In India we have a habit of not mixing your profession and your passion. But what if your passion becomes your profession?

Wouldn’t it be so amazing to do what you loverather than going the other way round of loving what you do?

It can be anything ranging from photography, painting, performing arts, astrology, writing or yoga.  If you love writing-be a writer, love capturing nature and wildlife-explore your options in photography, love speaking and talking to people-Be a Radio Jockey, always found your legs move with the music-be a dancer! Let it be any other passion as well. If you can attain expertise in your passion and can earn your bread and butter with it, it’s a good way to go. At least you would never regret doing something you never liked but you would live every moment doing it.

 So did you found something among those which excites you? Or there lies something beyond these for you!  What matters in the end is if you are happy about what you have done & what you are doing.

Remember, if you want to worry about what people think about you or what people will think about you if you do this or that, then there is a problem! What should ideally matter is how you see yourself. Do you respect the person you are? If yes, you are on the right path!

Do share your opinions with us on what you think about the article. Also please share any other exciting career options available which we may have missed.

How To Search For A Job After B.Tech

It sounds absolutely difficult and hard right? But I have some sincere tips for the student looking for jobs. First of all, I m totally not in favor of wasting time just not knowing what to do after completing studies? I feel students need to immediately set their mind on certain things and move on within a month or so after completing studies. I believe these tips are equally helpful for not only B.Techs but any other degree holder too.

Here are the tips for the students looking for jobs. One thing one must understand the jobs may not be available in your core area of interest immediately or when you need them. The best possible thing is to get in early with whatever is available and keep trying for the best possible and desired positions.

The first thing is to move to a metro city with a single aim of hunting for a job. Just don’t waste your time there. There are hundreds of students go there and probably few of your friends are there. Join them for accommodation and start hunting from day one.

Second thing there are hundreds of website offering job search and hunt help. Register in almost all of them. Complete the registration and track the recruitments. Don’t miss LinkedIn profiles, make connections there and hunt for HRs and mail them asking for jobs. Join different forums and groups of your interest where usually HRs drop in and check for requirements and post openings. LinkedIn would definitely help you with this.

Third thing is to find consultants who can arrange an interview for you with the companies. Don’t pay then in advance, tell them that you are a poor student will pay after your get the job. They have gone professionals and these days many companies use their services for recruiting employees.

Fourth, don’t miss any news papers job special, like Times Ascent and The Hindu’s ….. Pick out the companies you want to attend interview and definitely go for tests and interviews.

Fifth, figure out who among your friend and seniors are industry working in your domain. Don’t think that how do they feel when you call them after such a long time and only when you are in need. Just give a call and ask for some time for tea or a coffee. Visit their room and take recommendations and ask for referrals. Don’t disappoint if they are not very helpful, everyone have their own reservations.

Sixth, don’t hesitate to join some institute or specialized courses that you may feel that you are lacking in. for example programming, aptitude, or some software related to your field. Choose to go to an institute that offer placements and have good industry interface. If possible do work for some specialized international certification course.

To end, the idea is that everyone who is recruiting should have your CV in hand, and know you are looking for a job. Don’t waste your time and don’t get into bad habits. Usually people go out of home for cities get into mess for first few months before they realizes that the need to do something with that. To name few wrest things for job hunters are waking up late, sleeping late nights, too much into friends, too much into movies and roaming around without any good valid reason. Mostly people get influence with friends and easily tend to do bad stuff just to be polite or have a company. If someone letting you in his room doesn’t mean that you need to do all what he or she does. Being polite and humble doesn’t mean that you do all bad your friend does.

I just call you to be original with this. Stay honest and be humble say what do you can do and you cannot. I never smoke, never drunk, and never overlooked on religious obligations even in biggest parties, where vice presidents asked me for a sip of alcohol. All other team members were saying I wish he would have told me this and that would have that chance. Being original makes you happy and comfortable in life. Anyone ask you for something bad for once, if you deny you are still friends, if you accept you are still friend. Make your choice wisely.

25 Ways You Can Be More Self Reliant Today

Many Ways to Be More Self Reliant

There are a lot more than 25 ways to be more self reliant so use these tips as a creative nudge. Self reliant living has always been an important skill. From the Pilgrims to the generation that lived through the Depression and World War II the ability to survive and thrive during times of intense hardship made the difference between life and death - freedom and slavery.

Sometimes people become self reliant because they want to and sometimes because they have to. Choosing to be self reliant is better than being forced to in difficult circumstances. There is nothing in this world that is guaranteed. Things change rapidly. Stock markets rise and they crash, you may have a job today and yet be unemployed tomorrow. It stands to reason that the more independent you can be the better off you are and the better quality of life you will have overall.

25 Steps to Self Reliance You Can Take Today

Becoming independent is not an overnight thing but everything starts somewhere and this is no different. The small steps you take today can change your life, even save your life, further down the road.

1. Get Out of Debt

Come up with a plan to get out of debt. This really isn't that hard. Put up the credit cards and don't use them. Begin to pay an extra five dollars on your lowest balance, more if you can. When that balance is paid off add the amount you had been paying to your next lowest balance, and so on. When you can pay more by all means DO! Debt costs you money. If you really want to see how much it is costing you add up your finance charges every month. $50? $100? what could you be doing with that money?

2. Learn New Skills

Learn one homemaking skill a month. Sewing, knitting, and crocheting would be my top suggestions and then from their move to soap making and spinning. With these skills you can clothe your family or even make a little money.

3. Choose Simplcity

Make simplicity a habit. When you need to get your nails done, get your hair done, have the newest technology the lack of these things will leave a huge void in your life. If you create a life without things you don't miss them when they are gone! Learn to enjoy an evening board game with the family rather than dvd's or video games.

4. Invest in Books

Invest in books. No matter what happens if you have books available you can find the information you need. If the Internet goes down, if power goes off, you won't be able to get your information from your computer however if you have a good collection of books; reference and good literature, you will always have both entertainment and instruction. You can homeschool your kids pretty thoroughly with only a good set of encyclopedias.

5. Learn to Cook

Learn cooking skills. Bread baking, canning, making sour dough starter, and even making things like wine and vinegar are useful abilities.

6. Invest in reusable Items

Invest in reusable personal items like cloth diapers and cloth feminine hygeine products. Better yet, learn to make these things for yourself.

7. Plant a garden

Plan a vegetable garden. It doesn't have to be extensive. Good things to plant would be:

• green beans
• lettuces
• spinach
• broccoli
• beets
• tomatoes
• peas
• okra
• eggplant
• peppers
• zucchini
• squash
• cucumbers

There are, of course many other vegetables to try but these are the most reliable and prolific for the beginner.

8. Plant Herbs

Plant herbs. Culinary herbs should include basil, oregano, dill, lavender (mixed use), mint (also mixed use), rosemary, sage, and cilantro. But don't stop at culinary herbs, there are many herbs that make important medicinal teas. Lavender is soothing, mint calms a queasy tummy. Alfalfa cleanses the blood stream and lymph system.

9. Plant Fruit

Plant fruit. Not everyone has the space for an orchard but there are new varieties of miniature and dwarf trees that stay five feet tall or less and yet produce fruit. Usually you need two varieties of each fruit tree for proper pollination. By planting fruit trees as landscaping you will have s guaranteed supply of fruit in hard times. Strawberries, black berries, and grapes are other good choices.

10. Consider Keeping Bees

Consider bee keeping as a fun hobby and a way to ensure that your sweet tooth gets fed.

11. Dairy Goats for Milk

Consider dairy goats. Depending on where you live you can keep a couple of does for far less than you will pay for milk. If your space is very limited consider Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats. They are about the size of a Golden Retriever or Lab and are sweet tempered with good milk production on minimal feed. You can even use the large Igloo dog houses as shelter for them.

12. Backyard Chickens

Chickens can provide eggs and meat. If you keep a rooster or two you can ensure your ability to continue to produce both eggs and meat as long as necessary by breeding the chickens and allowing them to hatch their eggs. Chickens, if allowed to free range, need little in the way of supplemental foods.

13. Collect Hand Tools

Pick up hand tools and learn to use them. Battery operated and electric drills and saws are great normally but what if the grid goes down and you need to fix something? You can find handsaws,planes, augers, post hole diggers and other tools for pennies at garage sales.

14.Have a Plan

Have a plan. This sounds easy but few people do it. Spend a few minutes thinking about what would happen in a financial crisis, national emergency, or weather related emergency. List some things you would need, plan what steps you would take.

Then discuss the plan with family members. Make sure everyone understands what to do in an emergency.

15. First Aid Kit

Have a first aid kit handy and learn about homeopathics and herbs. These were used for centuries before antibiotics and have a place in home health care today. Colloidal silver can be used as eye drops, nose drops, ear drops, external antibiotic and an internal antibiotic. Keep a medical reference guide where you can get it quickly.

16. Learn to Hunt

Buy a hunting rifle and learn to use it safely. There may come a time when that adorable rabbit that nibbles the clover in your backyard may make an excellent stew.

17. Learn to Forage

Learn to forage for wild foods. Berries, herbs, and other wild edibles abound in most of the United States. get a good reference book for your area.

18. Think Outside of the Box

Change your mentality about money. Working a 9-5 job is only one way to make an income. There are many more from tutoring, selling produce and eggs, to cleaning houses, mowing lawns, and blogging.

19. Create a Reference Library

Start a reference library. Books that have instruction in important survival skills are a great investment.

20. Emergency Rations

Keep some MRIs handy, about 1-2 weeks worth per person. This will give you time, in an emergency, to come up with a plan to feed your family.

21. Wood Stove

Install a wood stove. Whether it is in the den or somewhere else a wood stove will provide heat and cooking surface if need be.

22. Stay Healthy

Exercise. Keeping yourself healthy will enable you to be strong in times of stress.

23. Keep Cash on Hand

Keep some cash at home. 500.00 is a good start. If something happens you have cash to use as you need to.

24. Consider Alternative Energy

Learn about alternative energy and begin moving toward solar power panels.

25. Drill a Well

Have a well drilled that can be utilized without an electric pump.

By doing these things you can feel confident in your ability to lead your family through hard times with a minimal discomfort.