“Why Choose Engineering?” – An Interview with Dr. Manish Billore

Q.1) Who do you think should opt for an engineering career and why?

A.1) Any person who has even the smallest inclination towards technology, not only in terms of   using the technology, but to create some kind of technology, or to design something or to innovate something must opt for an engineering education.

Q.2) Being an engineer yourself, how would you describe that engineering has come from being an aspiration of the students to just being a ride on the wave?

A.2) I would still agree that up to a great extent that a lot of students are still riding on the wave, and not strongly aspiring to be a good engineer. However, I strongly believe in circumstances, and if God has put you in some situation, then you must try and make the best out of it. So, even if by riding on the wave, you have entered engineering education, you must take full advantage of it, in terms of acquiring good education, and implementing that education practically to give some sort of advantage to the society.

Q.3) So, Even if someone has entered engineering by riding on the wave, engineering is something that one can do to make their career better?

A.3) Yes, I strongly believe that engineering is not only a science, but it is also an art. You will find a lot of people in the engineering education who are very artistic, and they also prove themselves to be good engineers. For example, a ‘Master of Design’ (M. Des.) being an engineer himself knows and practices how to package a product, and how to make that product look better than before. So these kinds of examples tell us that engineering is fit for everybody.

Q.4) Do you feel that engineering students have an edge over the students from other courses when it comes to competitive examinations like CAT or Bank PO?

A.4) Yes, I strongly believe this. And if you look back at the results of U.P.S.C. and Bank PO, you will see that a great percentage of people doing well in these exams are engineering students.

Q.5) What are some skills that a recruiter would expect from an engineering student?

A.5) Everybody must now realize, that engineering according to the syllabus is just the prime requirement. A recruiter definitely looks at the prime requirement, but along with that a recruiter also looks at other skills that a student may possess. So students must work in order to develop some other skills and sharpen those skills in order to better their chances of getting recruited. So be it any skill, for example a skill in design, manufacturing or any software skill, etc. a student must possess a couple of skills over and above the engineering education. Also, the most important thing is the engineering temperament.

Q.6) Some people believe today’s environment to be a barrier for education, blaming social networking sites and movies, etc. Would you agree with this?

A.6) The biggest barrier that a student may face is the “mental barrier”. I was recently discussing with one of the JEE toppers who is from Bhopal, and he told me that he was never away from social networking sites, or cinemas, malls, etc. but despite of doing all this, he never forgot to study or to focus on his goals. So I believe that there is nothing more than a mental block which is a strong obstruction in the way to success.

Q.7) Do you think that private engineering colleges can provide the same sort of educational environment to a student as the government engineering colleges or are the private colleges lagging behind?

A.7) In fact I would say the other way round.  In today’s time, I believe that a private engineering college environment is more fertile, and stronger in terms of resources, and private colleges in my belief are more aware in terms of providing good education, environment, and facilities, to the extent of taking care of the student in the best possible way. Although, government colleges still remain the preferred choices among students, private colleges are not lagging behind in any manner.

Q.8) How important is time management during engineering?

A.8)  It’s not only an engineer, but it applies to every human being. Starting from the childhood itself, and extending up to the old age, time management is very important. Because only by doing things at the right time and in the right manner can one succeed.

Q.9) Do you think personality development is a necessity for engineering students?

A.9)  In fact, I believe that personality development is the key to learning. If you have a good personality, a receptive kind of a personality, only then can you be a good learner. So this obviously means that you must do a lot of work on developing your personality so that you can become a good learner and a good performer.

Q.10) What are your views on today’s engineer?

A.10) Today’s engineer is definitely well informed, and having a lot of resources for acquiring knowledge. Therefore the level of prerequisites in the industry has also increased. In earlier days it was expected from an engineer to join and then learn. But now it is expected that when an engineer is joining the industry, one should have a lot of knowledge and a reasonably good level of skills in terms of engineering. So all engineering students must realize that the requirements of the industry have enhanced and they must respond to those requirements. 

Interviewed by Mikail Naqvi
3rd year Student, Electronics & Communication, SISTec