How Students can Make Smart Career Choices for Success

Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean of Indian Institute of Technology Madras in an engaging discussion with Higher Education Review, shared insights on fostering innovation and interdisciplinary research in higher education. He stressed the need to develop programs that enable students to build innovative practices and the contribution of sports science and analytics to changing performance and training methodologies.

A distinguished academic leader, Mahesh Panchagnula previously served as the Dean for Alumni and Corporate Relations at Indian Institute of Technology Madras since September 2018. Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula holds a B. Tech. from IIT Madras, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Purdue University.  He has made a significant contribution in the formation of the Centre of Innovation that fosters innovation among students. He is the leader of the Centre of Excellence on Sports Science and Analytics at IIT Madras at the moment, promoting research and applications in the field at the cutting edge.

What emerging career paths should students in any field be aware of over the next 5–10 years?

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is significantly transforming career landscapes, embedding AI expertise into various traditional roles. This shift is providing opportunities in all aspects and AI and other similar tools knowledge areas are becoming a requirement.

For example, the task of a business analyst now frequently presupposes a familiarity with AI and AI tools as a mandatory skill set is mentioned in job descriptions. It is a continuation of an overall change in which traditional job descriptions, which outperform the medical representatives or the sales and marketing experts are also being reworked to incorporate AI literacy.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, students in any field should be aware of emerging career paths that blend traditional job functions with the application of generative and agentic AI tools. These roles demand the ability to harness AI's potential to enhance performance, making AI proficiency a critical component of future career success across industries.

How can students identify their strengths and align them with the most suitable professional opportunities?

It is important to keep an open mind so as to be able to identify and take up opportunities that are of interest to the individual because there are always many opportunities that are presented at the same time. The closed mindset can be a barrier to taking advantage of these opportunities. It is also essential to have a solid and comprehensive comprehension of the basics in the area that one is studying at college or in any other educational program.

The ability to apply these fundamental principles is the key to long-term significance and usefulness in any workplace. Those who possess positive understanding of fundamentals will always be invaluable; such knowledge never goes out of date and is essential to any organization, which hires them.

What skills and experiences are most valued by employers in today’s competitive job market?

When evaluating college students for placement, employers prioritize candidates who can seamlessly integrate into an organization and contribute effectively. This entails possessing strong interpersonal skills, proficient written and oral communication abilities, and the capacity to document work accurately while managing time professionally. These fundamental attributes are highly valued in the workplace. Additionally, proficiency in artificial intelligence (AI) and familiarity with AI-related tools are becoming increasingly essential. Students must adapt to their roles by leveraging AI as a vital tool to enhance their performance and meet evolving industry demands.

How can students effectively leverage internships, mentorships, and networking to accelerate their career growth?

Mentorships and internships are very important elements of professional development in students. An internship (paid or unpaid) is also strongly advisable since it offers invaluable experience to actual working conditions within a company. This will be a crucial experience towards the development of practical skills and industry knowledge.

Students should approach their first job with the mindset of an internship, prioritizing learning over financial compensation. The primary focus should be on gaining as much knowledge and experience as possible. A low paying job with plenty of learning opportunities is much more valuable than a well-paid job with little to no opportunities of improvement. When a job offers high monetary benefits, but limited learning possibilities, it is not a good place to start a career.

However, the mentorship necessitates a specific mindset from the students. Students must be open, willing to listen, attentive, and proactive in responding to advice in order to reap the greatest rewards. A lot of students are given good pieces of advice and they do not take them, and this prevents their development. The best strategy to maximize mentorship is for those who have an active mindset, which is achieved by listening, internalizing criticism, and applying it in real-world situations.

In terms of job placement, success may be a factor of opportunity, where the students need to place themselves on the right platforms, and in the right contexts. The recruitment process is becoming progressively more mediated by an AI-powered layer between the students and the hiring companies. To bypass this, students should make sure their resumes are designed to make them pass AI screening tools. Through familiarity and exploitation of these technologies, students are able to increase their visibility and the probability of landing a good job.

What role does interdisciplinary knowledge play in expanding career options and adaptability? How does one go about making a beginning in this direction?

Interdisciplinary is a critical component of modern engineering and scientific education. At its most fundamental level, interdisciplinary requires professionals, such as civil engineers, to integrate contemporary tools, including artificial intelligence, into their core practices. This integration represents the most basic form of interdisciplinary competence, which is becoming essential for every engineer and science student.

A more advanced interdisciplinary effort involves collaborative problem solving in diverse teams comprised of individuals of numerous professions.  Indian robotics is an example where the collaboration of electrical and mechanical engineers is demanded, both of whom study different technical languages. The interdisciplinary collaboration starts with learning the nomenclature and views of the other fields. This is especially important when dealing with professionals in a different field like biology or life sciences that might have very different terminologies and methods compared to those in engineering.

To foster successful interdisciplinary collaboration, engineers must take two key steps. First, they should strive to become conversant in the technical language of other disciplines. Second, they must appreciate the perspectives and methodologies of their collaborators.

Lastly, interdisciplinary skills can be developed in academic training by ensuring that the students are advised to go outside their major coursework. To illustrate, a student of civil engineering could enjoy enrolling at least one course in electrical engineering, or other related discipline. This exposure expands horizons, and it also provides the students with the ability to solve complex and multifaceted problems. Adopting these values will enable engineers and scientists to become much better contributors to interdisciplinary teams and be able to solve real-world issues.

How can students balance personal passion, societal impact, and financial stability when choosing a career path?

When seeking a job, focus on cultivating that passion rather than short-term social impact or financial gain like becoming a lawyer who cares about poor neighborhoods.  Successful people, including talented engineers in various disciplines often begin with low wages and minimal influence. However, their commitment to continuous learning lays the foundation for significant achievements later on.

Through a comprehensive commitment to skill development and career growth at an early stage of the career, it opens up chances of making significant contribution and financial self-sufficiency in the long-run. It does not happen that you can get your first ten paychecks but your last ten. When you pay attention to maximizing your potential in the long run, other life areas like social impact and financial gains will automatically take a back seat.