Career as a Computer Engineer: Linked to Work

The growing importance of e-governance in India promises exciting IT opportunities with government agencies as well, says Kapil Kumar, system engineer in one of the top IT MNCs.

The Lowdown

Computer engineering is the study of theoretical foundations of information and computation, and of practical techniques for their application in computer systems. The study programme for computer engineering is also called electronic and computer engineering or computer systems engineering that combines both electrical engineering and computer science. It involves studying the design of digital hardware and software systems

Clock Work

A computer engineer often carries work home, but a typical day goes something like this.

10 am: Reach office, ask team about the status of projects

11 am: Weekly/biweekly project meeting with the team, work on project proposals, conference call with client from the US

2.30 pm: Lunch

3 pm: Back to work,internal lectures series on topics of professional interest

8 pm: Back home

The Payoff

The average salary for fresh computer engineers from good institutes ranges between R4.5 lakh to R6 lakh. Candidates start as trainees or development engineers, and then move on to designations like design engineer, project manager and eventually CTO. As you move up the management ranks your pay can go up from R20 lakh to R30 lakh per annum

Skills/Traits

• Have a keen interest in computers and an analytical bent of mind
• A scientific temperament
• Logical and reasoning skills
• Good mathematical skills
• Ability to work hard and sit at a computer for long hours
• Insatiable appetite for news on innovations in the IT world
• Knowledge of a foreign language like French or German can be an added advantage

Getting There

Take physics, chemistry, maths with computer science after class 10. After class 12, you can sit for the any or all of the various engineering entrance exams. You need to clear a written test to get into a bachelor's programme in the department of computer science and engineering (CSE) at the IITs or institutions like the National Institutes of Technology. If you can't get into an undergraduate programme at CSE in an IIT, then you could try for the IIT's Mtech programme where entry is not as competitive.

Institutes

• IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Madras, Roorkee) BTech CSE, www.jee.iitd.ac.in
• IT, Banaras Hindu University, BTech CSE, www.itbhu.ac.in
• Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad, BTech CSE, www.ismdhanbad.ac.in
• Indian Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, BTech in CSE, computer science dual degree, www.iiit.ac.in
• BITS Pilani
• BE (Hons) computer science www.bits-pilani.ac.in
• NITs, Warangal, Surathkal, Calicut and Tiruchirapalli, Computer science and engineering/computer engineering, www.nitw.ac.in, www.nitk.ac.in, www.nitc.ac.in www.nitt.edu
• Motilal Nehru National Institute Technology, Allahabad, www.mnnit.ac.in

Pros and Cons

• High pay packages as compared to other conventional streams
• Overseas work opportunities
• It is a constantly changing profession
• The profession is highly demanding
• Office hours are flexible and your office timings may rotate as per requirement
• Staying back after office hours and carrying work back home is a part of life for many professionals

Source: HT Horizons

Date: 3rd March, 2011

For further details about related courses and colleges please click below:

Related courses and colleges