Last updated on 18-Aug-2017
Minor update on 23-Apr-2020
Minor update on 23-Apr-2020
I think a serious warning should be given to all Indian B.E./B.Tech. (Comp. Sc.) graduates to NEVER EVER take up a job in an Indian academic Computer Science / Information Technology department UNLESS a) they plan to finish an M.Tech./M.Phil./Ph.D. degree in the near future OR b) they are doing the job as a way to pass their time or as spiritual Seva (voluntary service).
The mail exchange given below shows how Indian Computer Science academia (engineering colleges, in this case) SADISTICALLY EXPLOITS 'only' graduate Computer Science engineers by using them as Lab. Assistants and also using them as teachers for some lab. courses and even theory courses at times, WITHOUT ANY CAREER GROWTH PROSPECTS WHATSOEVER! This is because the minimum qualification for a proper faculty designation in UGC/AICTE regulated Indian computer science academia is an M.Tech. (or M.Phil). Ph.D., of course, opens up the faculty designations and career growth possibilities in a big way. With 'only' a graduate Computer Science degree, there is NO CHANCE at all for anybody to be appointed as regular faculty.
Further, the even scarier thing is that as such a person ages, he/she may be pushed out of even that Lab. Asst. position by a youngster! College managements would want youngsters to do Lab. Assistant work and so push out oldies who are stuck at Lab. Asst. post for some years. Net effect would be that such a person loses such 'Lab Assistant' position in one college and so has to look for the same position in other colleges who are willing to take an older person to do that job! And sometimes one may be jobless.
The mail exchange below shows a sad case of such a first class B.E. in Computer Science & Engineering graduate.
A few days ago I received an email from a person (he was OK with sharing contents of his mails anonymously) who I am referring to as P in the shared mail exchange below.
P wrote (slightly edited):
My humble pranams [Ravi: salutations] at lotus feet of Bhagawan. I was working in --college-name-snip--,--location-snip-- as lab assistant. At present I have left the job. I have come across your blogspot.
...
[P forwarded his bio-data. It mentions B.E. (CSE - Computer Science and Engineering) Bangalore university with first class as his academic qualification.
The skill set claimed include C, C++ and Java languages and various Windows and Linux operating systems.
The experience details are three stints of "Lab. Assistant" in three different colleges in Andhra Pradesh (a state in South India) for 4 years, 4 years and 2 years. That comes to a total of 10 years "Lab. Assistant" experience.
The job function part states:
Installation, configuration and operation of various Windows and Linux operating systems (including server installations).
Computer Assembling, fault finding, Computer maintenance.
Helping students and acting as informal tutor.
Ordering supplies for the dept.
Doing other duties as assigned.]
[From a later mail, it seems that after P finished his BE (CSE) he worked for some computer services company. Later he seems to have moved to "Lab Assistant" position in an Indian engineering college in 2007. In the first college that he worked in, he seems to have been given an (informal perhaps) designation of "Assistant Professor" where he also taught courses for B.Tech. 3rd year students like computer organization, computer architecture, human computer interaction, and also ran multimedia lab. having experiments in Adobe Flash.
In the next college he joined he taught "IT lab" and subjects: computer graphics and unix internals.
He was with the third college till sometime this year - 2017. Now he is looking out for a job.]
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I (Ravi S. Iyer) responded (slightly edited):
Sairam brother --name-snipped--,
I am not in a position to help you directly get a job. However, I looked at your bio-data and have given some thoughts for you to ponder about.
Your bio-data shows B.E. (Computer Science & Engineering - CSE) 1st class from Bangalore University, followed by 3 stints of Lab. Assistant in CSE dept. of 4 years, 4 years and 2 years. If they are not parallel then that comes to Lab. Assistant experience of 10 years!
Very unfortunately, Lab. work is treated as unimportant and so career prospects for Lab. Assistants and Lab. course teachers is very, very poor in Indian academic setup. Without clearing NET exam (don't know if you tried) or without having a Ph.D., I am afraid the career prospects for a person like you in Indian Computer Science / Information Technology academia is very poor.
[Update: A later mail from me notes that he needs an M.Tech. irrespective of NET exam to qualify for regular faculty position in UGC/AICTE academia.]
So either clear NET or I think you should try for a job in Indian software industry. For that you will have to find out the in-demand software skills in it today and learn them either by yourself or by attending suitable training courses. Then you will have to try hard to get a job in Indian software industry by proving that you have software development skills in the area they are interested. That can be done by doing experimental projects whose design and code can be shown to prospective employers as proof of your skills.
Don't take my advice as the final view. It could be inappropriate for you. Ultimately it is your future and your decision.
All the best!
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He responded (slightly edited):
Sairam
Thanks for reply. If you know of any job sites please let me know.
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I (Ravi) responded:
Sairam!
I don't keep track of job sites. So I cannot help you there.
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I (Ravi) later wrote:
Sairam,
Oh! I later recalled that minimum qualification for Asst. Professor position in UGC/AICTE norms is M.Tech. with 55% marks.
So with a B.E. you are not eligible for Asst. Prof. position even if you pass NET/SLET (if they allow you to appear).
If I have understood that correctly then I think you must seriously consider whether trying for a job in software lab in Indian academia is worth it for you.
Why don't you learn mobile app programming - Android/iOS - as that seems to be in demand, and then try for a programming job?
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In a later response P wrote (partial edited extract):
When I lost (an earlier college Lab. Assistant/(informal Asst. Professor)) job I thought I don't have M.Tech. (degree). I will never get a job. But you are totally wrong. Persons like you who should give good advice usually say unfit for any job. That is why --name-snip-- commited suicide because of frustration. [--snip--]
Only thing comes to you is that swamy has to give job or bless you. Without swamy blessing nothing will happen.
[P later got his second 'Lab Assistant'/(informal Asst. Professor) job in another engineering college in Andhra Pradesh.]
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I (Ravi) responded (slightly edited):
Sairam brother,
First, I think you have misunderstood me. You wrote, "when I lost job i thought i dont have m tech. i will never get a job. but you are totally wrong. persons like you who should give good advice usually say unfit for any job.that is why --name-snip-- commited suicide because of frustration."
Did I say, "unfit for any job"??? NO. I wrote, "So with a B.E. you are not eligible (for) Asst. Prof. (position) even if you pass NET/SLET (if they allow you to appear)." I think that is the truth as per UGC/AICTE norms today which is what most colleges and universities in Andhra Pradesh (and India, I guess) follow. We have to face the truth in such situations FOR OUR OWN GOOD.
I had WARNED YOU that without M.Tech. your career prospects in Indian Computer Science and Information Technology academic setup is poor. Actually I think without M.Tech. /PhD your career prospects in Indian academic setup is very poor. I am just telling you the truth because I have studied IN DETAIL the UGC/AICTE regulations for appointment of Asst. Professor, Assoc. Professor and Professor, and am also aware of how so many engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh have had to close over the past few years. I have seen how 'only' B.E./B.Tech. engineering graduates are EXPLOITED by Indian academic administrators like HODs and principal/director/Registrar/Vice-chancellors, giving them poor salary without scope for career growth. I even view some of such behaviour as sadistic. They destroy the life of young engineering graduates like you who has a FIRST CLASS Bachelor's degree in Computer Science & Engineering from Bangalore University!!!
As I have spent nearly two decades in Indian software development/IT industry where I have played roles of main technical interviewer (included interviewing of fresh B.Tech./B.E. and M.Tech/M.E. Computer Science graduates/post-graduates), trainer, mentor, software manager, technical consultant etc., I know that Indian IT industry is a far, far better place for people who are sadistically referred to by Indian academics as 'only' B.E./B.Tech. engineering graduates. BTW I was referred to as 'only' B.Sc. Physics by an ignorant fool in software development HOD of an Indian academic Mathematics and Computer Science dept. even though I then had 18 years international software development experience FOLLOWED by around eight years teaching and Masters project technical consultant FREE SERVICE in that department! Perhaps that ignorant fool in software development of an HOD will view Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg as 'not even B.Sc'!!! This is the tragic and horrific reality of some, if not many, Indian Computer Science academic departments where people who are ignorant fools in software development but who have some Ph.D. qualification (many times in field of Mathematics, Electrical Engg., Electronics etc.) and who are sometimes brutally exploitative of staff (and students as free research assistants to further their (academic's) research credentials), hold important administrative and decision-making positions.
Therefore I advised you to pick up software development skills that are in demand and try for an IT job in industry. Now I will expand that to even looking at system administration cum management positions in Indian IT industry. You could do some industry certified system administration courses and then try for such jobs. Based on my direct experience of Indian IT industry, I can tell you that expertise and performance are rewarded. I am sure if you had spent ten years in even a small Indian IT company instead of Indian Computer Science academia, and even if you had focused on systems administration rather than software development, and had done your job with reasonable performance level, today your salary would be at least Rs. 50,000 a month if not higher. Further, you would have been in the management grade by now and so had a senior and respected designation instead of 'Lab. Assistant', [Ravi: I guess that a 'Lab Assistant' job in an Indian private engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, for even a 10 year experienced Lab. Assistant, will not typically pay beyond Rs. 15,000 a month. In fact, I think the salary would typically be in the range of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 a month.]
Those academic administrators/consultants who appointed you in Indian academia (college) and may have promised you a good career even though you had stopped your studies at B.E. (CSE), seem to have given you BAD ADVICE and, in my considered opinion, seem to have done you grave injustice. These Ph.D. fellows who are Indian academic administrators and consultants ****WOULD HAVE KNOWN IN 2007 and later**** that without an M.Tech. or Ph.D., appointment to regular scale (Lecturer/Assistant Professor) would not be possible from UGC/AICTE norms point of view. [Some college giving you an 'Assistant Professor' designation but not paying you UGC/AICTE scale salary is not REAL 'Assistant Professor' but more of something to make you feel good but which will not be viewed as REAL 'Assistant Professor' designation by proper UGC/AICTE academic setups.]
Honestly, I don't think it is too late for you to try to get into Indian IT industry even now. You have a First Class CSE bachelor's degree. You may not have the software development or systems administration skills that industry wants right now but you can pick it up. Don't mind joining in with people ten years your junior - the start salary will match if not better your Lab. Assistant salary.
To make you feel good if I tell you that pray to Swami (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) and that even without an M.Tech. degree/Ph.D. you will get a good job in Indian Computer Science academia, I think I will be doing A GRAVE INJUSTICE to you and I will be giving you BAD & HARMFUL ADVICE. Instead I will say that you should pray to Swami for blessings and then EITHER do M.Tech. and then try for a good job in Indian academia OR do some additional training and try for a job in Indian IT industry. Bhagavan would say, "Manishi prayatnamu kuda kavali" or words to that effect, meaning that human effort is also needed, for success in such affairs and that we should not depend only on Bhagavan/God.
Thank you for the information you have provided about your work experience. May I share it on my blog ANONYMOUSLY, removing all names of people and college institutions so that there are no sensitivity issues? I think your information will help others to avoid the Indian Computer Science academia trap that you fell into.
I pray to Bhagavan to guide you and help you get a proper profession and not just a job. I repeat my advice - EITHER get an M.Tech. and then try for academic profession (and not just job) OR get additional training (even using Internet based courses) in in-demand areas either in systems administration or software development, and then try for Indian IT industry profession (not just job).
Jai Sairam!
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A USA based correspondent wrote (slightly edited):
Dear Ravi - Another advise you may give him is to try and do some self training on Cloud stuff. Best I can think of is AWS (Amazon Web Services) at https://aws.amazon.com. It allows one to create what is called a Free Tier account and is good for one full year! The free account would allow one to launch server instances, databases, apps etc. He can get familiar with various terminology used in the Cloud world these days!
There is tons of documentation also on its site. Hope this helps him. Good Luck to him!
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I (Ravi) responded (slightly edited):
Thanks --name-snipped--. Will share it with him and also put it on my blog/FB pages.
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