[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Radiator

Greetings everyone,
I am currently in a huge dilemma regarding my future. I am very passionate about automobiles and how they work and want to pursue Automobile Engineering(AE) for my Bachelor's degree from a decent private college.

If I may ask, what is your main purpose for doing automobile engineering? Do you plan do that because you want to work in the domain of automobiles or actually work on something related to you degree? Are you willing to get your hands dirty? Do you like maths? A lot of work in the engine and otherwise mechanical field involves a good amount of advanced maths.

But, my parents are sceptical regarding the 'scope' in AE. They say that electric cars will make IC cars completely obsolete hence requirement for an Automobile Engineer will be second to none. Their recommendation is Mechanical engineering.

I was in the same boat as you, opted for Electronics engineering. But luckily I never had that pressure to get a 'job'. One of the reasons that won over electronics is - basic ICE technology has been unchanged from the first automobile. However, the electronics being used - be it ~ECU, safety systems, traction control and ECS etc. are all electronics. If at all you want to be involved with cars, my idea would be to pursue a field that will give you an edge other others. You can learn about engines / mechanics offline using help from your college professors, online courses or just even YouTube.

Also, one very important thing about engineering (at least in India minus the top tier colleges like IIT, NIT etc.) is that its less about actual education and more about other skills - eg. projects, handling last minute submissions, management (college fest), tech events like BAJA SAE, etc. and so on. I would rather say take admission in a BSc. course with science and maths and plan to do masters abroad. This will give you sufficient time to pursue the field you love. I had done some research and the best places for learning more about cars are - 1. CARS ( Center for Automotive Research at Stanford) and 2. Germany.

So if anyone from the industry could clear my doubt regarding future in AE, I would be extremely grateful.

Forget the industry. Just firm up on what you want to do and find avenues in fields that you love. There are enough jobs out there for the right candidates.

P.S.- I want to save the IC engine from dying.

I would also suggest spending time at a local mechanic as an intern. He will be very happy to get free set of hands. This will help you understand if this is something you love or not. And, let me tell you, there is no harm in changing fields, work if you feel its not there for you! Today, I'm working in a place where I never imagined I would ever have a chance to and I'm 100% enjoying it. If you'd told me during my engineering if I would be here, I would have ridiculed you.

Be open to learn things from all avenues - including formal, non formal, online, offline, from your parents, peers and you should be all fine.

[Radiator]

I can't come up with enough words to thank you all. This was overwhelming. Now, i have almost all my doubts clear. This is the real beauty of Team-BHP, i guess.

Just to let everyone know, I like to get my hands extremely dirty. I can perform some basic jobs like Carburettor cleaning, Installation of piston rings etc. on motorbikes ONLY. A 'family mechanic' of sorts.

Regarding mathematics, i am just average at it. I like physics more.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by Radiator

Greetings everyone,
I am currently in a huge dilemma regarding my future. I am very passionate about automobiles and how they work and want to pursue Automobile Engineering(AE) for my Bachelor's degree from a decent private college.

But, my parents are sceptical regarding the 'scope' in AE. They say that electric cars will make IC cars completely obsolete hence requirement for an Automobile Engineer will be second to none.Their recommendation is Mechanical engineering.

So if anyone from the industry could clear my doubt regarding future in AE, I would be extremely grateful.

P.S.- I want to save the IC engine from dying.

Don't waste your time on Automobile engineering, the job market is bleak and so is the industry and this is coming from someone who is an Automotive Engineer and an MBA after that, both from Coventry University.

I currently work in the Media Industry as a Product manager, have been doing so since 5 years now and absolutely loving it. I let the 'I want to work' in the Automotive Industry bit go as it has not much scope, no good jobs, no good pay and a very dismissal working in India.

At some point in life when you want to get out of India, fields like IT, Analytics, IT Products etc is what will help you make a life and earn good bucks. Let the love for cars be such that you will buy good cars, modify them, race them on tracks and to achieve all this, get a job which pays well, differentiate the two and life will be good.

I hope this helps.

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by Radiator

Greetings everyone,
I am currently in a huge dilemma regarding my future. ... want to pursue Automobile Engineering(AE) for my Bachelor's degree from ..
So if anyone from the industry could clear my doubt regarding future in AE, I would be extremely grateful.

Recently, we recruited an engineer from a nondescript engineering college for a job that only needed a +2 pass. I have lost faith in the educational system after seeing freshers in interviews. Most of them are not able to communicate properly (even in their mother tongue) nor do they posses even the basic of understanding that any engineer should have. Of course, there are exceptions but a majority of them are unemployable in their present state. Exceptions are those who are self motivated and learn outside their college hours through whatever means available to them. I may sound like Rancho of 3 idiots, but a degree is no guarantee for knowledge. Some wise man said " We spend thousands on a college degree to learn something that we can get in a public library".

So my advice to you, don't let college come between you and your education.

Originally Posted by Radiator

P.S.- I want to save the IC engine from dying.

Every new life necessitates death.

[$t@llion kh@n]

Hi,
As someone working the industry here are my experiences:-

1. Current Automotive jobs is getting inclined to electronics and Software background people as all systems( EPS, ABS, Traction, ECU, Torque vectoring, all driver assistance systems) is being electronically controlled. There is no point in pursuing pure mechanical as that will limit your scope of job applications.

2. All mechanical engineers have to gain additional skills like working on some coding in any language and knowledge of electronics.

3. There are many areas of focus in vehicle ex Engine/powertrain (EV or IC), Suspension, Brakes, Interiors, Exterior/Body which are supported by people of 3 different skill sets
a. Design (requires design know how with CAD software skills CATIA, UG NX etc)
b. Testing(requires knowledge of various data measurement systems as per area focus)
c. CAE- Computer Aided Engineering (requires Simulation software skills to support developments )

So job roles could be like Engine testing, Interior design, Body CAE, suspension/chassis testing and so on.

This is very basic division but it should give you some insight.
So based on your area of interest you should focus on developing the right set of skills apart from course curriculum which make you an attractive candidate in the job market. More than just a degree getting the right skills is the key.

Also I believe there is much more quality work available abroad (EU/US) as compared to developing market like India. So if you want a technical kind of profile i would strongly suggest you to pursue a Masters course abroad and try getting a job there in OEM or tier-1 to start with and take it from there.

[CarNerd]

I suggest you follow your heart and get a degree in Automobile Engineering so that you won't have any regrets later in your life.
I did the same mistake of taking Electronics instead of AE. You don't want to sit in a Computer Science class banging your head at C, C++, etc if you have no interest in it. In case there are not enough opportunities after 4 years, you can always do other courses like Automotive Design which is required for any vehicle. If that doesn't work out, you could do a MBA and join an automotive company. But for 4 years, follow your passion

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by Radiator

Greetings everyone,
I am currently in a huge dilemma regarding my future. I am very passionate about automobiles and how they work and want to pursue Automobile Engineering(AE) for my Bachelor's degree from a decent private college.

Not to sound like a jerk, but that was extremely vague. You need to do a lot more research. Almost everyone here is "passionate" about automobiles. But if passion is reading about them or doing some basic DIYs, or even driving, then you will be in for a nasty surprise once you join ME or AE, even more once you graduate.

First you need to define what you passion is. Is it:

1. Software (which, according to me, is the future), or

2. Electronics hardware (designing circuit boards) or

3. Mechanical design (not a lot of 'scope' here as mechanically cars have changed little in the past decade or so, compared to a few decades back. Most of the work today involve tweaking existing systems) or

4. Design (again, you need to get into specialized courses and has limited opportunity. Lots of scope, but limited opportunity) or

5. Testing (actually the most interesting area. You get to test vehicles in actual environment, tracks, harsh terrains. But its not as glorious as you think as it mainly involves a lot of repetitive tests and data logging)

There are more, but these are some of thing that I see on a daily basis (working in the automobile field, for a company famous for its ESP systems )

And yeah, even I want IC cars to live long and prosper, but they are a dying breed. But with the fantastic developments seen in electric cars, I'm not sure if I'll miss them.

Originally Posted by $t@llion kh@n

Hi,
As someone working the industry here are my experiences:-

You beat me to it! And yeah I agree. Everything is SW now.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Radiator

So if anyone from the industry could clear my doubt regarding future in AE, I would be extremely grateful.

Buddy, the CXOs of the biggest automotive companies in the world can't clear this for you. It's a fast-changing world and it's difficult to predict the future scope.

Originally Posted by Radiator

Greetings everyone,
I am currently in a huge dilemma regarding my future. I am very passionate about automobiles and how they work....

P.S.- I want to save the IC engine from dying.

I remember the advice that was given to me. There's passion and there are bills to pay.

There are two options so to speak.

1. Mix career and passion: It's possible but an uphill task. There are so many factors that are beyond one's control to make a successful career out of their passion.

2. Have a good career that can pay for your passion: Broaden your scope and look for career options across multiple areas and be successful at what you do. That'll pay for your interests, hobbies and passion.

Do you want to build the next innovation that's going to save the internal combustion engine or would you want a successful career (in any industry) that'll pay for your passion to buy/build/modify multiple cars with internal combustion engines?

The choice is yours. Good luck!

[TheHelix0202]

Well, I was in the same boat as the OP, up until a few weeks ago. I’m about to enter college this year and I’ve decided not to choose Auto Engg. if I can help it, why, not even any engineering course. I feel IT would be better suited for me, since I’m not too fond of math, physics and chemistry. Wanted to do Auto Design, but that doesn’t seem very viable. Anyone having a different opinion is welcome to share them here.

Planning to enter the automobile field later, but not sure how to go about it.

[tarik.arora]

You took me to a time when i was just 16, had big dreams in my eyes, and was determined to 'change' the automobile industry. I am not exaggerating

I think, i can add some perspective here as i was in the same boat 15 years back (yes, you read that right). With a passion for anything and everything on wheels and a zeal to "design" an engine, i was 100% sure that i wanted to pursue Automobile Engineering. Mind it, this was 1000% against my parents wish. The most common advice those days was to pursue Mechanical engineering as it was believed to be a 'evergreen field' with no dearth of jobs and opportunities. I went against everyone and joined a college in Karnataka (I am from NCR) as there were limited number of colleges offering AE. Those 4 years went smoothly and i was ready to take on the automobile world in the summer of 2010. Got my first job with a commercial vehicle OEM through a campus process and that's when i realised that the automotive world is pretty big.

R&D is bifurcated into multiple domains including engine, transmission, chassis, suspension & steering, electrical, electronics, vehicle integration, protoshop, proto parts development, and what not. Then their are other domains including sales, marketing, product planning, market research, service, spares, training, program management, production planning, sales planning, corporate communications, product marketing, production, manufacturing engineering, vendor development, stores, facilities, IT etc. I have not even named half of the departments and you will be surprised to know that engineers form major part of the workforce in these teams. Also, OEMs are not the only employers in the whole automotive value chain. As an engineer, you can land anywhere.

Cutting short all the gyaan, few suggestions from my side:
a) If you are sure that you want to pursue AE, go ahead and give your best. If you are good, finding a job will not be an issue
b) There are more mechanical engineers (ME) in the industry than AE's and OEMs prefer people from mechanical background- harsh but true
c) Work towards what you want to achieve but be open to multiple profiles and domains. I have worked in 4 different profiles during my 9.5+ years of experience (none of them being technical).

After 9+ years, most of my AE batch graduates are working in different industries including IT, mechanical, industrial equipment, white goods etc. While, most of my ME friends are working in the automotive industry

[RM Motorsports]

Have you heard about STEM Education?

What is STEM Education?

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications.

Although STEM has four separate branches, they all work hand in hand with each other, often overlapping. Science areas such as physics heavily utilize mathematics. Engineering utilizes these sciences, and through such, can bring about new technologies. An emphasis in STEM areas is important in education because technology is only getting more and more prominent and advanced.

STEM education plays an important part in the automotive industry, from creating effective engines to vehicle body shapes and aerodynamics. An example of math and engineering working hand in hand is the principle of engine horsepower and engine control units. Horsepower is a measurement of engine performance, and has many ways it can be calculated, depending on the intention of the car manufacturer. In order for an engine to function effectively according to how it has been built, its Electronic Control Unit (ECU) has to be programmed perfectly to ensure optimal performance and to avoid mishaps.

Just an example from automotive industry what Mclaren Automotive has to say about importance of STEM education and how they seek to inspire next generation of engineers.

Future Mobility Challenge | McLaren Automotive

Electrification of powertrains brings new opportunities and challenges for the automotive industry. McLaren Automotive is committed to innovation in powertrains alongside using lighter, composite materials to bring both performance and efficiency benefits while maintaining drivers’ engagement and experience. What innovative ideas do you have to electrify the future of the automotive industry? What new designs can you propose, to be introduced cost-effectively into future McLaren road cars, or across the wider automotive industry? Whatever your approach, you will need to demonstrate how your innovation can improve the performance and efficiency of tomorrow’s road cars.

https://www.pesmedia.com/mclaren-aut...stem-students/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/educatio...020-challenge/

Cheers!

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by Radiator

Just to let everyone know, I like to get my hands extremely dirty. I can perform some basic jobs like Carburettor cleaning, Installation of piston rings etc. on motorbikes ONLY. A 'family mechanic' of sorts.

I can guarantee that you are ahead of 99.99% of all engineers in auto/mech in this country, and ahead of 99% of the teachers as well. You don't need a degree to teach you anything, clearly. Also, the level of what is taught in nearly any engineering degree is abysmally outdated, and has little impact on what you implement while working.

[rulerofsun]

Originally Posted by GTO

I did a 2-year MBA in Marketing. Reason, with that degree, I could run any business. Since, I have been part of 3 industries & have done alright (cars, education, property). My MBA equipped me with skills for life.

I feel one must choose a degree which allows them a variety of career options upon graduation.

With mechanical engineering, you can still get into the auto industry...and a whole lot of others too. But with auto engineering, your options will be limited.

However, the main reason I'd tell you to pick mechanical is the limited number of A+ auto engineering courses in India.


That's not up to you . It's the market / customers who decide what engine to save and which to kill. The customer dictates.

You could buy some nice cars with the sweetest IC engines for your garage instead .

+1 to that.

Being from the learning and development industry ( for more that 24 years) you should always find a course which allows you multiple job options.

Right now if you look at IT most recruits are BE mechanical. Note that the 1st year syllabus for all segments are the same.

My advice if you want to take it. I join the Mechanical engineering course and after finishing it check the trend of the time to do an advance course in India or abroad. The Mechanical engineering course is the most robust of all the other fields except civil.

If you need to talk to me PM your number I will cal you.

RoS

[ZenMaster]

Originally Posted by Radiator

Greetings everyone,
I am currently in a huge dilemma regarding my future. I am very passionate about automobiles and how they work and want to pursue Automobile Engineering(AE) for my Bachelor's degree from a decent private college.

But, my parents are sceptical regarding the 'scope' in AE. They say that electric cars will make IC cars completely obsolete hence requirement for an Automobile Engineer will be second to none.Their recommendation is Mechanical engineering.

So if anyone from the industry could clear my doubt regarding future in AE, I would be extremely grateful.

P.S.- I want to save the IC engine from dying.

**This is going to be long and is intended for the OP, read it only if you have spare time**

This dilemma of yours is something all petrol heads go through at some point of time. Don't think you are an exception.
What you need is proper advice and pointers. I'm sure you have understood a lot from the previous posts by experienced members.

Let me give you my 2 cents as a recent Mechanical graduate (who wanted to be an automobile designer) on his first Job (a research post a cool project) and still searching for a permanent job.

Being a mechanical Engineer in the present Indian Job market is HARD. There is no sugarcoating it.
If you are planning on getting a Core job (Automobile sector being preferred) after your Bachelor's, DO NOT join a "GENERIC" engineering college that is not nationally acclaimed.

Unfortunately Placements in mechanical engineering occur only in good colleges with Brand Value (IIT's, NIT's, High ranking state/central Govt. colleges and reputed Private Universities with proper industrial connections AND Colleges near automobile companies.)

I passed out from one of the best (subjective to debate) PRIVATE Engineering Colleges in my state and was the top of my batch with a 8.6CGPA at the end of 4 years and two Internships (APOLLO Tyres & HMT) and an Industrial project (at FORD India) under my belt.

Despite this I couldn't get placed in a Mechanical company because
ZERO mechanical engg. companies came for placement.
All that came were IT, CS, EC etc. Its just a mismatch of supply and demand. The demand for "FRESHER" mechanical engineers "WITH NO EXPERIENCE" is very less compared to other branches. For Auto. Engineers its even worse. Companies just go to visibly better & (INTER)NATIONALLY reputed colleges to make their lives easier since there is no huge demand even though very good engineering minds study in normal colleges too.

I got placement in TCS. But I didn't go, because like YOU I still remain true to my dream and because I know I am not good at programming like I am in mechanical engineering.

After months of being Jobless(and constant queries by nos relatives) I (by GOD's grace) landed a research post in a Very Good project in an IIT research lab with more pay than what I was offered in TCS. It was God's grace and chance that I found this opportunity and got selected. But being a contract post with no scope of career growth I have two options: higher studies/ a permanent job for which I am trying now. I have prepared to give it my all to realize my dream to become a expert Mechanical Engineer and become the BEST at what I'm good at.. My current job has given me a very good exposure to not just core but interdisciplinary fields where Mechanical expertise in relevant.

Some of my friends who landed jobs, did so only because of recommendations by relatives or acquaintances. I also saw many people who were clearly were lackluster engineers but bought their way to reputed (PRIVATE) universities getting jobs.

After all these hardships, when I look back I DO NOT regret pursuing mechanical engineering because I love It and by God's Grace I am good at it.

If you somehow land a job and learn from it and gain some experience. then your chance exponentially grows!!! . There are a LOT of startups looking for good mech/auto engineers, especially electric mobility and sustainable energy companies!


The above content(rant?) was to tell you about the current job market in India.


Now, lets see how with my current B.Tech experience how I would have selected a stream to pursue:

Q1) What am I good(very good) at?

Physics-Chemistry-Maths-CS? - Engineering is a good field for you

Q2) What am I better at a)Phy-Chem-Math or b)only CS&Math or c)All of them?

If your answer is a) that strikes off CS & IT
If your answer is b) that strikes off Mech, Auto, Civil, EC and Instrumentation
If your answer is c) you are BLESSED! - Now you can choose what you really like ( but keep in mind my rant above)

# If mechanics, design & "management" (yes the M in MBA) - you can
go for Civil/ Mech. (Mech. & Civil engineers prove to be the best
managers for some reason)

(*A good Mech. engr. can be a good civil engr. and vice versa in
most
cases.
*A good Mech. engr. can be a good Auto. engr.
*BUT a good Civil Engr. may not be a good Automobile Engr.)

# If Circuits and Electronics interests you - EC and Electrical will suit
you. (you MUST be good at MATH and electrical theory and ready to
gulp down mind-bending formulas)

If you still arrive at Mech/Auto. Unless you get admit to a prestigious college OR are sure to do whatever it takes to reach your Automotive career dream don't go for AE. Go for ME since it immediately widens your career opportunities and doesn't limit you to just the Automobile field. I'm sure you'll find a lot of things that interests you during the course that you previously never thought about.

Do you see how I didn't refer to passion in the above process? - That's because considering only my passion would have locked my option down to just AE or at most Mechanical Engg.

But guess what, you can follow your passion to work on Cars, even if you selected any of the other field except Civil. This is even more relevant in today's world of Electric/Connected Cars.

As other members said, there are multiple paths to realizing your passion.
As a Mechanical Engr. you can design the structure,suspension, drivetrain etc of current and future cars or handle testing etc.
As an ECE engr. you can design the brains of modern cars.
As an Electrical Engineer you can design the nervous system and even Power train of current/future cars
As a CS Engr. you can write the code that controls a car and the experience of passengers.

A normal person like you/me will achieve true satisfaction when he is THE BEST at what he LOVES and it PROVIDES well for him and his family/future.

Find what you are good at. If it can't lead you to your dream field make your passion your hobby. Otherwise be ready to fight your way against odds and huge competition to be good at what you love.

There is no Clear Cut way for success. I believe that it depends on God's PURPOSE for you, your parents' and Mentors' prayers & BLESSINGS and your HARDWORK. All should come together for you to become what you are intended to be.

I am writing this post while I'm going through the recruitment process of a great automobile OEM. This is the biggest opportunity I've got and I couldn't be happier to have such a shot! Do I know whether I'll be selected? Only time will tell! I'm trying to do my best. The rest, I leave in God's hands.

Dear OP and members - Forgive me if this post was too long or seemed a bit here and there . I hope I was able to address at least a part of the OP's dilemma!

ALL THE BEST for Your Future @Radiator

[rangakishen]

Interesting. I was in a similar spot a decade ago. Think of ti this way, Engineering is just the base. Regardless of what engineering you choose, you will most likely have to do a Masters (probably abroad for high quality) and only then will the RnD level of the OEMs even consider you (or with experience with smaller companies). Anyway, the way I see it, right now cars are an extension of mechanical engineering fundamentally. And mechanical engineering is a very good base upon which the specialization of AE (Post-Grad) can be built.

Now when it comes to which core engineering you want to do, It depends on you -

You want to work with mechanical aspects - Chassis, suspension, propulsion (to most extent), then go with mechanical engineering. Here I mean, if you are interested in actually designing these systems (actually designing these system with some requirements which is divided broadly into Design, Test and CAE like mentioned above).

You want to work with Electric Propulsion of a car - Electrical Engineering followed by Power electronics or something for Masters. This will again allow you to work with Testing or CAE of the propulsion systems - Motors, inverters, batteries and so many other things.

Your want to work with batteries - Consider chemical engineering or electrical based on your aptitude and later choosing the right masters combination.

These are the core streams that an OEM requires to conceptualize and design a car.

But to actually put the concept into reality, you will need lot of electronics and software. Their competency has nothing to do with a car. But is applied to a car. So If you go down the route that most would suggest (EC/CS), you could still work your way into the automotive field, but you will not be working on the core concept of a car.

But with every increasing question of Mobility, EC and CS will be the new core competency. If you wish to work on autonomous driving, connected cars and such, I would suggest going with EC/CS and doing a masters in relevant field.

Regardless of all this, I would suggest only core streams for a Undergraduate course and specific interests in a postgrad course. Core - Mech, Elec, EC and CS (Maaay be chem, Civil not relevant to this discussion).

/Ranga