There was a time when engineering was THE most sought after career choice and a success in the entrance examination to gain admission for pursuing a career in engineering was itself a sure shot case for success in professional life. While in recent times, opening of economy and availability of other career choices has led to some erosion in the value and importance of this important branch of study, it has also opened new opportunities for graduates in the field especially in new economy jobs and sectors.
Branches of Engineering
Engineering is a vast field that offers a number of streams and specialization options. The three traditional branches of engineering are civil, mechanical and electrical. Apart form these, there are various other branches such as computer engineering, aeronautical engineering, chemical engineering, automobile engineering, industrial engineering, environmental engineering, marine engineering, textile engineering, ceramic engineering, electronics engineering etc.

Educational qualifications
B.E. (Bachelor of Engineering) or B.Tech (Bachelor of technology) is the course which one has to pursue to carve out a career in engineering. The minimum educational qualifications to pursue the course is 10 + 2 Science with high percentage of marks in Science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Joint Entrance Examination conducted to gain admission to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is one of the toughest and most sought after examination. Every year several lakhs of students appear in the test and only a few thousand manage to scrape through.
Job Prospects
Job prospects for Career Options and Prospects in Engineering has always been good. With liberalization of the economy and opening of new companies and sectors, an engineering graduate can start his career on good footing immediately after graduation. Campus interviews are also common in good institutes and companies vie with each other to capture the best talent. Opportunities exist in sectors such as electrical equipments companies, automobiles companies, manufacturing sectors and process industries, computer and information technology companies, shipping industry, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, research institutes and academics. In short all sectors of the economy require engineers to drive the growth and take companies forward. In Government sector, engineering graduates can opt for a career in civil services, forest services, railways, telecom, and other arms of central as well as state governments.

Higher Education
A lot of engineering graduates opt to pursue a career in management or go for advanced Ph.D to further specialize in respective careers. While a management degree allows candidates to take responsibilities of higher management cadre and see things from that perspective, Ph.D allows candidates to pursue career in cutting edge research initiatives and academics.

Compensation
There is strong difference between starting salary drawn by engineering graduates passing out from different colleges. While a typical IITian has at least 3 to 4 good offers and can demand and get excellent pay and perks, candidates passing out of private colleges and second and third rung institutes have to make efforts to get their first job. The starting salary drawn by engineering graduates range from Rs. 40000/- to Rs. 8000/- per month depending upon the institute from where they have passed out.