Avenues : Best specialisations for engineers wanting to pursue management

India is a country with a vast population. Although rise in population is a big problem, economy wise, India is well on its way to become the youngest country in the world with the median age of 29 years. In a young country with more and more graduates looking forward for a bright future, India produces over 1.5 million engineers every year out of which only 20% of them get employed. So, what are they lacking? Is engineering degree enough? Is it sufficient to cope up with the multi-tasking requirement of the current corporate scenario?

The answer is simple, India’s thriving commercial environment asks for managers across all verticals. Only people with exceptional managerial and leadership skills are able to find their way up the ladder in the long run. Even after engineering, the need is to acquire managerial skills to offer the employers a perfect blend of analytical and leadership qualities and stand out in the crowd. A well thought off management course after engineering is the right approach for a thriving career ahead. But out of so many management courses available, which one suits the best for an engineering graduate? Here’s an exhaustive list of the best suited courses crafted for engineers looking for the right direction of specialisation.

1. MBA in finance
   If MBA is your next destination after engineering, then finance is a specialization that will make the best use of your engineering skills. Being a challenging specialization, it involves a lot of mathematical skills that almost all engineers are pros at. With regular projects, assignments, and research during their engineering days, financial calculations aren’t a hurdle for them. Moreover, Engineering with MBA in Finance, especially if it is done through a reputed college, is an excellent combination and opens a world of opportunities for the aspirants. Management roles such as Finance manager, General manager, Banking technology officer, and more are ideal positions for this combination.
2. Course in data science
   Everything that we perceive as information is set to undergo a radical change with Data science. Engineers who already excel in analytical skills amalgamate perfectly in the research and study of data science and analytics. There’s no denying that the rising demand of data scientists has made it a thriving field. From the giants such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook to small businesses and blog sites; every business is data-driven and the need for data scientists is only going to rise in the coming years.
3. PGDM in entrepreneurship
   Bringing an idea to life is the work of an engineer but to bring that idea to the market and make it a success requires more than just the knowledge of engineering. If you aspire to drive business growth with an innovative product, then PGDM Entrepreneurship is the course you should aim for. PGDM in Entrepreneurship gives engineering graduates an exceptional platform to learn business critical entrepreneurial skills that are essential to make a product commercially successful. With a clear focus on driving innovation through effective entrepreneurship.
4. Specialisation in digital marketing
   India is a country with over 460 million active internet users. It is one of the largest online markets in the world, second only to China. In a scenario where the Internet plays such a big role in shaping the economy, Digital marketing specialization is the next best thing to do. For an engineering graduate who is already familiar with flexibility and adaptability to change, the challenges of digital marketing are thoroughly enjoyable. A career in Digital marketing specialization gives an engineer a perfect platform for innovating new strategies, understating market budgeting and analytics, but also develops a solid base for the ever-evolving digital scenario.
5. Masters in international business
   This is the course that prepares you to work in accordance with the global economy. With a sound technical engineering background, Masters in International business is enough to give you the right organizational capabilities to perform well in the competitive international business environment.

(The writer, Dr. Kulneet Suri (Senior Director of IMS Noida and Alumni of Harvard University(HKS))