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Every science student with maths as a core subject in their secondary education dreams to get admission in IITs/NITs/IIITs. For many, it’s not the dream but parents’ pressure or peer pressure. Whatever be the reason, getting admission into these institutes is one of the most important parts of their lives. But admission to these institutes is not a cakewalk, one has to get a good rank in JEE (joint entrance exam). This exam has two levels – mains and advanced. Ranking based on mains will help you to secure seats in NITs/IIITs/ GFTIs and ranking based on the advance will help you to secure seats in IITs. But the process of admission and selection is not simple, one has to go through JOSAA (Joint seat allocation authority) to secure your seats in the IITs/NITs based on your ranking. Every candidate who has passed JEE mains and advance has to go through the JOSAA counselling process. In the counselling form, a candidate lists the given college and given branches in their priority order, and then they are allocated seats based on their ranking and availability of seats. For every branch in these colleges, seats are present in a limited number. Most of the students these days want to opt for the computer science branch as these days the software market is blooming and has a high demand of employees, added to that pay scales are also higher. So, this creates a dilemma to choose between college and branch. Some have interests in other non-cs branches as well but they are insecure about the future opportunities that they will get from these branches. The problem is that there is a lack of awareness regarding the scope of other science and non-cs branches which must be discussed so that students can consider all points regarding their college selection instead of blindly following the trend and getting disappointed for not being able to secure a seat in a cs branch.
Scope of science and non-cs branches in JOSAA
Non-cs branches are divided into two groups:
1) Electrical department branches which include: Ece (Electronics and communication), EE (Electrical), EI (Electronics and instrumentation), and other similar branches related to electronics
2) Non-Electrical branches that include: Mechanical, Chemical, Metallurgy, Civil, Textile, Marine, Oil and petroleum, Production and science subjects like geophysics, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and similar ones.
There is a lot of scope of these branches, the reason these branches were made separately was that in these fields demand for engineers was much more than supply. It is true that the software market is growing day by day and has a lot of demand but you can’t deny the fact that there is a lot of work which can’t be done by software and you need specialised engineers for that particular skill there, so here comes the role of other non-cs and science branches. For example – Marine Engineering is one such emerging field with a huge scope for experimentation and career advancement.
The Shipping industry creates enormous stable and profitable career opportunities each year. Skilled marine engineers are witnessing rising demand in the global market. A very recent report suggested that the employment rate for marine engineers will witness a 12% growth till 2026. Similarly, different kinds of existing jobs in the world require different skill sets and expertise, which is why every branch has its own importance and it is also the reason for which these branches were introduced in these institutes. There is a need for engineers in every sector, so engineers from different branches are required and they have a very lavish pay scale if they have good work experience and necessary skills.
In fact, specialised engineers have an edge over software engineers. Due to their high demand and less supply, they get quickly absorbed into the market and there is a rare case of them being unemployed, on the other hand, the software field has too much competition and crowd. These days everyone is trying to take a job in software, whether they belong from any branch, so there is a shortage of specialised engineers in the market.
These branches are introduced in government institutes after a lot of surveys and they are removed if the demand starts falling in those branches, this is the benefit of getting admission into IITs nits through JOSAA that they have such a strong backup behind them. So, one can choose the branch of their choice without any insecurities about the future.
One thing that is always open for non-cs engineers is the software field. Anyone can make a career in the software field. So even if you belong to a non-cs branch, you can get into a software company by developing the necessary skills. There are many software companies that hire SDE (Software development engineers) from core branches as well. Even the FAANG Companies are open for engineers from non-cs branches. All you need to have is the necessary skill sets for that particular job which can be learned online. These days a lot of courses are available online.
Some alternative options other than software developers for non-cs students are:
Business system analyst
If coding is not someone’s interest, they can go for this career option.
Software consultant
One way to land into MNCs is to become a consultant, pay scales are extraordinary and it involves a lot of travelling which is sponsored by them.
Teaching
Teaching is a great job if one is passionate about it. Coaching institutes for JEE preparation pay a handsome salary. Teaching is a very respectful job as well.
Start-up
These days there are a lot of opportunities in the start-up. With innovation reaching its height, the scope of a start-up is immense. Nowadays, the start-up has become a lot easier than before as the government is also funding and supporting them and even the consumer market is huge. So you can start your own company rather than seeking a job in another company, become a job provider instead of a job seeker. All you need is a great idea and great innovation for its execution.
Data analyst
Companies hire engineers as data analysts, it is a great field to work with attractive pay scales and working standards.
Science and research
If you don’t want to stick to a single type of job in a single company, you can opt to freelance. All you need to do is to learn multiple skills for the different jobs you are interested in. Freelancing is the most comfortable way of making money, you can choose only that work in which you are interested and working hours are also flexible, it completely depends on you how much work you are willing to do.
Science and research
If you are inclined towards research in a particular subject, you can opt for higher studies and become a scientist at renowned organisations like DRDO, NASA, top pharmaceutical companies, and many more leading institutes in your field of interest.
Every subject has its own importance in the world and brings a lot of opportunities with it. What matters the most is where your passion and interest lies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to learn a skill needed for a particular job?
The best way to learn a skill is where your comfort lies. If you are comfortable learning from a book, then buy a book for that and practice as much as you can or if you are comfortable learning through an online course go for that. However, online courses have an edge over books as they give you the complete roadmap from learning to bagging a job in that skill.
Which is better – choosing the cs branch in lower IIT or choosing the non-cs branch in upper IITs?
That should be completely your decision, your decision should depend on your interest and passion. You can go through the article to consider all the factors before deciding on your college.
I am not getting cs in any IITs/ NITs but I want to become a software developer. Should I go for non-cs in these institutes or cs in private institutes?
You can become a software developer even if you take other branches, so go for IITs/NITs as these are the best institutes in terms of competitive environment and education.