With the boom in the IT (information technology) industry and the rapid involvement of computer systems in almost every sphere of life, an engineering degree in Computer Science (CS) / IT is certainly one of the most coveted qualifications these days. It opens the doors to multiple opportunities—students can choose between lucrative job prospects and higher education, as well as the hybrid option of pursuing a higher degree alongside a job.

If you have already graduated or are about to graduate with an engineering degree in CS/ IT, a major question is likely: What next? While the answer to that depends on each student’s personal inclination, situation and interests, let us delve deeper into some of the future options that are available.

What are the job prospects after a CS/ IT engineering degree?

The IT industry in India is a huge market that creates in the region of 300,000 jobs each year. As such, a skilled CS/ IT engineering graduate is a much sought after asset. Graduates typically start in one of many different job roles—some of these are software developer/engineer, hardware engineer, database systems engineer/ administrator, web developer, systems analyst, network engineer, cyber-security engineer, technical support engineer and content developer. At the same time, many CS/ IT engineering graduates become entrepreneurs, choosing to start an organisation of their own with a focus on building something of interest. With the technology boom in the IT sector, domain areas like Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning (AI/ML), Data Science and Data Analytics, Cybersecurity and IoT (Internet of Things) require niche skills and a thorough understanding of computer science fundamentals, all of which a CS/IT engineering graduate possesses.

Should a CS/IT engineering graduate consider pursuing higher education?

If the IT job market is so buoyant, one might wonder what could still motivate a CS/ IT engineering graduate to pursue higher education. Well, as is often said, no learning is ever wasted. Higher education opens up new avenues for CS/ IT engineers, often including faster career progression pathways. It also enables graduates to specialise in one or more of the niche domain areas of AI/ ML, Data Science, IoT or Cybersecurity. Higher education involving research can open up job opportunities in organisations that require research engineers, as well as open up opportunities to take up academic jobs involving teaching and research.

Are there hybrid options as well?

Many CS/ IT engineering graduates take the hybrid path, which gives them the opportunity to cash in on current job opportunities while not missing out on the benefits of higher education. On this path, engineering graduates spend a few years in the IT industry, exploring specific job roles and/ or technology domains. With this added clarity they now possess, they can also consider enrolling themselves in work-integrated learning programmes, as working professionals. This provides them with a pathway to higher education, without missing out on the industry work experience.

Source: https://bestcolleges.indiatoday.in/news-detail/job-prospects-after-engineering