[Prdp.2jz]

Hi Motoblip
My story is the same as yours (from the ECE 22 batch, but I love all the ICE vehicles). I've tried to join Baja in my college days but was unable to do so. Then I joined the ESVC (Electric Solar Vehicle Championship), but at the last stage it didn't happen due to Corona. I don't have much hands-on experience with automobiles, and I quit my software job recently,and now I am struggling to choose my career. So give me any idea in this regard.

[McLaren Rulez]

There's a lot of "which engineering course to take" comments here. I would suggest you look further. Degrees like math and physics will easily let you transition into an engineering role if you still want to but also keep many other options open.

You will almost certainly change your mind in the next decades about your career choices. Automobiles are cool but as you get older, other interesting things will appear on your horizon and you will want the ability to switch fields.

A broad-based education is much more useful than a highly specialized one.

[vj_torqueaddict]

Lot of great advice. I won't add much I will keep it simple. If you want to do engineering, then look inwards, ask this to yourself "Do you like fixing stuff or building stuff" ?

If the answer is none, then think hard again about Engineering. Coding might pay more, but the competition is extremely fierce, you need to study a lot even if you are working. Applying logic should come naturally to you. Else you will struggle and you will not enjoy.

Tech support , may not be as glamourous, but it's fun if you like fixing stuff. I have done both. I love fixing production issues.

Do not chase money, chase excellence in whatever you choose to do.

[sidoxic]

Originally Posted by akshaysawant

Hi,

Beg to differ here, Sir!! Young people these days want to work in an air conditioned environment, want to earn big, rather very quickly without sweating a drop whatsoever. Sweating is down market for them.

I am founder- Director of three companies which are into MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing), Systems Integration and Software. Currently we have a labour force of around 500 people and majority of our projects are in south India, some sub-contracted from companies like Voltas, Bluestar, Fujitsu et.al. We are working on projects in Tirunelveli for Tata Power, Ola’s plant in Pochampalli, TVS plant in Hosur, IISC Bengaluru, CMRL, BMRCL etc etc. My company and the big ones that I just mentioned are all searching for good mechanical and production engineers. There are hundreds of vacancies that I know. None of us are able to find suitable candidates because of one simple reason. These engineers will have to slog. Slog in heat and dust. The work is challenging, exciting and you will have to use your brains to innovate and manage daily.

Humbly agree. You are way closer to the action than most engineers will ever be.

Infact, I resonate with all of this personally. I worked at Tata Motors CVBU (Pimpri) when I was around 19, with the production team (including IITians) on the assembly line. But all the young blood were in their fancy design department, and the ones I worked with on the floor were the type who'd been working there for decades, and probably still are, if not retired from TML.
I did dread the assembly line discomfort (coming from a modern air conditioned college campus) and walking in the hot sun, comparing notes of the production crew across the vast campus. While I loved my work, I was envious of the comfort the design guys got - working out of their elite EDC building - churning out Xenon and Aria back in those years. They had the luxuries of life, relatively speaking.

Maybe that's why I'm here, on this thread, subconsciously recommending design as a possibile stream of education to OP, influenced by some minor roughness from my early career

[MotoBlip]

Originally Posted by Prdp.2jz

Hi Motoblip
My story is the same as yours (from the ECE 22 batch, but I love all the ICE vehicles). I've tried to join Baja in my college days but was unable to do so. Then I joined the ESVC (Electric Solar Vehicle Championship), but at the last stage it didn't happen due to Corona. I don't have much hands-on experience with automobiles, and I quit my software job recently,and now I am struggling to choose my career. So give me any idea in this regard.

While you're figuring out your next steps, it's generally a good idea not to quit your current job right away. Remember the saying "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"? If you're still passionate about cars, consider reaching out to your old ESVC club and offering to be an advisor or helping out with their activities. You could also look for internships in the automobile industry. One cool place to try is the VRDE lab at DRDO. You can easily find contact information for scientists online and ask them about internship opportunities. I tried this myself, and even though I didn't get an internship at VRDE, I managed to land one at LASTEC in Delhi. What I'm saying is, it's important for you to find employment or start doing research work soon. Wasting your time contemplating and strategising is not going to help you, these are things that can be done in parallel. Another option is to pursue a master's degree. I thought about doing this myself and even got a decent score of 327 in the GRE. But then I realized it might not be worth it financially, as I could end up with more debt.

[Prdp.2jz]

Thanks for the reply, mate!! Will check on the VRDE and I was also looking for abroad opportunities as well.Do you have any idea what MS programs to do after ECE in automobile field? I think Germany will be a better option for our case, both financially and technically. Share your thoughts.

[MotoBlip]

Originally Posted by Prdp.2jz

Thanks for the reply, mate!! Will check on the VRDE and I was also looking for abroad opportunities as well.Do you have any idea what MS programs to do after ECE in automobile field? I think Germany will be a better option for our case, both financially and technically. Share your thoughts.

Not quite sure of anything specific in the automobile sector but mechanical engg is great place to start.Germany and the Netherlands offer excellent programs in this area. I was primarily looking at CSE/ECE programs so forgive me if I lack the insight you seek. ME programs though are very competitive and to stand out, you'll need impressive scores, a strong statement of purpose (SOP), and excellent letters of recommendation (LOR). It could also help to gain experience by interning with a scientist or professor, and even publishing a paper or two while at it. If you're truly passionate about it, don't hesitate to pursue it. Wishing you the best of luck!