please tell me, whether after completing cse (btech) is it better to do specialisation in some languages?
if it is better to do specialisation ,then please tell me which lang specialisation is the best?

 

Well, this is a question with no good answer. On the one hand, specialization makes you more valuable, and allows you to apply for jobs that specifically call for knowledge in that area. On the down side, you can specialize yourself out of existence. For example, at one time being an expert in Novell Netware was a highly respected and valuagle thing. It is now completely useless.

When starting out I don't particularly recommend specializing. It's just too hard to guess what's going to be useful. It's also very difficult to become an expert in a field without actually practicing in that field. You can research computer security all you want, but until you're actually in charge of a multi-site with real users and real problems you just won't grasp the whole thing. Getting good at something should come organically; as you work in a field you delve deeper and deeper and one day you just wake up and you ARE an expert, without ever actually setting out to become one.

Let me turn it around on you a little bit. What is it you are interested in? Also, where are you? I get the impression you're not in the U.S., and different places have different needs. What are the job prospects where you're at? Have you been scouring local ads and Internet job sites? Did your university have on-campus recruiting? These are things that matter more to your specific situation than anything I can tell you from my office in Texas.

Since this is Control.com, let me talk a little about the automation and controls industry. If you want a job in this area, you need to start finding out a lot about some pretty obscure stuff. PLC, DCS, fieldbuses, mechatronics, all kinds of words that make no sense to most people. I don't particularly recommend setting out to become a an automation and controls specialist. It's cool work, and the pay can be decent. On the flip side, it can be volatile and demanding. Depending on the nature of your work you might be in a position where people die if you screw up. If you really WANT this, great. But if you're just looking for a career path I would cast a much wider net.

Decide what you want to do, taking in to account what's available to you. Then research as best you can while trying to land a job you can make a career out of. From there, just try to grow as best you can.

-James Ingraham
Sage Automation, Inc.

 

I don't think that specializing in a single programming language is a good idea. Learn several different ones, and be sure to include at least one that is popular in your particular field. When I say "different", I mean ones that are based on different principles.

A lot of programming conferences these days put their proceedings on line as podcasts or videos. If you can find one that is related to your field you can get a better feel for what is going on in the industry.

 

James,

Currently, I am an instrumentation mechanic. I have researched in perusing a higher education that will keep me in the field of controls. Long story short, I came to the conclusion that a degree in Electrical Engineering is the way to go. From here, I can focus on control engineering, which is my destination. Initially, I looked into mechanical engineering, but the future leads to a heavier influence from EE.

In your experience, would this be too rigorous of a route. I enjoy the field of controls and have worked for a power generating station for several years. I, too, am in search of direction as to the next step.

Thank you
E-mail: ronaldpcole [at] gmail.com

 

In reply to Ronald Cole, I absolutely believe that an Electrical Engineering degree is valuable if your aim is to be in the controls field. No, not everything in an EE degree is particularly useful in the real world. However, you learn a lot of background that is valuable no matter what you end up doing. Plus, the degree opens doors. For what it's worth, I do no actually have an EE degree. I have a Bachelor of Applied Science (plus a Bachelor of Science in Economics, which is actually a business degree, not an Econ degree) and I really HATE having to explain that. I really wish I had stuck it out with full-blown EE.

Having said all that, an EE degree is not actually necessary. It helps, but it's not the end-all, be-all. And having an EE degree doesn't actually make you GOOD at being a controls guy. I think the degree has value, but actually HOW MUCH value is difficult to quantify. As with anything, a lot of what you get out has to do with what you put in.

As for whether the EE route is too "rigorous," I can only say it depends. I myself dropped from the EE program to a weaker degree. I know lots of people who couldn't finish. It isn't a cakewalk. Having said that, it's not impossible either. It's easier than, say, Medical School, or Navy SEAL training. It's harder than, for example, getting a driver's license. Part of it depends on where you go to school, too. Not just the difficulty of the school, though there are some schools that are tougher than others. It's also about the WAY you learn, and whether the school matches that well.

Cost is another factor to consider. Since I met my wife in college, I don't regret my choice of school. But it was a LOT of money. I'm not sure where you're located, but I definitely recommend looking at some form of state-backed education over more expensive private schools.

-James Ingraham
Sage Automation, Inc.

 

People with core competencies always survive.

Following are the domains with core computer competencies.

1> VLSI & Microelectronics
2> Embedded System
3> DSP
4> cOMPUTER NETWORKS

RATHER THAN SPECIALIZING IN SOME LANGUAGE, ITS BETTER TO HAVE CORE CONCEPT KNOWLEDGE. You will always survive and never loose job.

 

If you are seriously interested in becoming a control systems guru, (as opposed to a software jockey) then remember that the first requirement of any control work is a good understanding of the equipment or process being controlled. Rather than follow further down the track of getting embedded in the arcane world of computer software, why don't you do something to broaden your understanding of process behaviour - some basic thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and applied chemistry. You don't need a lot - just enough to be able to talk to process engineers and keep them honest.

Bruce.