Fresh Engg Graduates Should Strive For Innovation And Adaption

Fresh graduates in engineering colleges need to be abreast of the current developments. Irrespective of the branches, engineering across the globe is changing fast, very fast at that. Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI coupled with ML and data analytics are bringing in sweeping changes in the field of engineering. Though such changes are more prominent for Computer Science (CS) and Information Technology (IT) branches of engineering, it is not restricted to only those branches.

Electronics and telecommunication, mechanical, and civil, among others, are also witnessing significant changes due to AI-driven applications. No wonder, technology firms across the world have started laying off people. In the latest development, Microsoft is planning to lay off around three per cent of its workforce (around 6,000 people) in its bid to boost efficiency. Most commentators see it as a result of s high level adoption of AI making job roles redundant. In the past year, the US has seen a slew of layoffs by tech giants. Nearer home, however, Indian IT services firms have not resorted to firing people.

However, headcount addition has slowed down in the last two years. One has to understand that most American tech giants are product companies, while Indian IT firms are into services and maintenance. Therefore, the redundancy level in Indian IT services firms may not be as high as product companies. But slower pace of headcount addition indicate that AI has started replacing human resources across job roles.

In this context, engineering graduates, who have recently passed out of colleges or are pursing BTech degrees have to be ready for the real world. And that includes they have to be life-long learners. The world is evolving so fast that the shelf-life of many technological innovations is reducing significantly. Newer technologies are making inroads at a faster pace. Hence, students have to learn newer technologies, which may be beyond their current syllabus or job role. For instance, GenAI is currently changing the way, enterprises operate across the sector.

GenAI is bringing in many transformative changes in several industries.

Such skills become essential for staying relevant in the job world. Similarly, problem solving ability has emerged as the most significant one in the current scenario. IT firms, product companies or enterprises are looking for resources capable of solving problems independently. It means that the individual has to go beyond a code or a process and develop skills to solve on a regular basis to get a competitive edge. For this, students have to look around their surroundings, pick a problem and solve it on their own. It needs curiosity.

They have to come out of the 9 to 5 mentality, and proactively seek innovation. Hearteningly, learning resources are available in the internet. Mentors and tech communities are providing free resources with real time relevance. Learners should actively seek these resources. Given the pace of change, staying ahead of the curve will not only help them to stay in demand in the job market, but also be duly rewarded in financial terms.