An Engineering Degree - Worth it?

Graduated.. Now what

Graduated with an electrical and electronic engineering degree at Taylor's Uni year 2013. Not a first class student either, graduation day means so little and so much. So little because you will be nervous thinking of the future employment, as options are less compared to first class students 😞. So much because some may be in-debt to their parents, spent so much of money just to get to this point and still don't know what may be the returns. (typical Asian family: study hard, get good job and work hard).  And now you are in a rat race, working your best to get out of it. 

Well nowadays people are such good entrepreneurs, while they may not be the smartest students in class, they may be great business person. Some may be college dropouts, built a business from a brilliant idea and become millionaires. If you are the person that has that vision, good for you, and don't give up half way. But sorry to say, most of us would not be that person. So now, you have to really hunt for a job. 

To maximize your chances of finding one decent job, you can try to find one even before you graduate, and that was what i did. Printing out copies of résumé, sending it out to companies through emails, and keep on updating my profile on jobstreet website. Sure enough, calls were coming in, sometimes I call them. Some would interview you through the phone out of the blue. So I prepared myself for these circumstances by practicing conversations in my head. 

The results:These interviews before graduation really isn't really fruitful, but at least after so many interviews, you get to refine your goals and vision, and really forces you to think what kind of life you want to have (in a really realistic way).

Let's say you are in a job, and you are keen to learn and apply your skills and knowledge, you will find that there's much more to learn in the working environment compared to the place where they take your money in exchange for knowledge. As an electrical engineer, you are expected to know how to test, prepare safe values for different conditions and for different machines and appliances. But somehow with all the knowledge and money spent, I had a hard time understanding the power connections in my own house. You can say my family was in constant fear when I tried to fix the existing circuit lines, as the power would trip and appliances would get overcharged and fuses blown. At this point, I am quite frustrated and embarrassed when people say : "Eih, graduated with electrical degree leh, own house electrical system also don't know how to fix?". 

Why wasn't I exposed to these basics and fundamentals of electrical systems? Yes, I know there are three phases and single phases, but it all makes sense only when I encounter these trials and failures. Can i blame it on the school system for not providing better facilities for testing? You wouldn't know what you don't know, and at the same time, the school is pouring into you with so much information, and you are constantly catching up trying to calculate advance level circuitry problems while the basics are still shaky. 

"You want to be rich? You don't need a degree, you can be a plumber, plumbers get rich" these words from multi-billionaire Kevin O'Leary really does strike a chord don't they. All those hard work, burning the midnight oil definitely would not go to waste, but I really do urge students who just graduated high school to take a moment to really envision what you would want to do or become in the working environment. There are plenty of options besides getting a degree. You can go to polytechnic schools for hands-on approach on the latest technologies and understanding the fundamentals of how things work around you, such as how electricity was supplied to your home, with a fraction of what you would pay for in private universities. IF you are not the type that likes to study and getting good grades is a struggle for you, then this is one of the many routes you can take. 

For students that are currently enrolling in a degree, really make good use of it, ask more questions, especially towards people who have experience in the working field. At least when you graduate, you can be prepared for what is coming. 

Conclusion: Getting a degree means less and less, but it is a key to open doors and only just a key, the rest of it will test you on your real knowledge and experience. Without the key, you have to call people to open doors lo, you have real skills and knowledge, people are sure to find you again and spread your name. Be the best at what you can be.