GATE fulfills the entry requirements for many white collar jobs in PSUs. Nowadays many Indian PSUs or Private Sector Undertakings have set the GATE score as the minimum criterion for appearing in their job processes and campus interviews. Hence, as an Engineer, if you do not possess GATE scores, you will be automatically left out of their selection process.
The Relevance of GATE
The top graded and 1st ranked PSUs offer excellent job opportunities to engineering students. These companies not only provide job opportunities but also job security, as well as chances for future career development. Previously, the selection criteria for PSUs were on the basis of separate competitive exams, conducted by them to hire engineers and MBAs for their companies.
However, now the GATE scores are sufficient to sit for their interviews. This is because after the induction Aptitude test in GATE 2010, the dissimilarity between Private Sector Unit exams and the GATE was lessened to a large degree. This in turn made the PSUs hire employees depending on their GATE scores, rather than conducting separate competitive exams.
Careers in PSUs
There are a number of white collar jobs in PSUs that you can apply for if you have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in the following courses:
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Bachelor in Engineering
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Bachelor in Technology
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Electrical Engineering
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Electronics Engineering
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Mechanical Engineering
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Instrumentation Engineering
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Engineering in Computer Science
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Engineering in IT
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Engineering in Metallurgy
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Civil Engineering
In 2011, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd started recruiting engineers using the GATE scores. Later on, other well known companies in the public sector followed Indian Oil’s recruitment policy, including HECL, IOCL, NTPC, BHEL, Power Grid, in 2012 and the numbers only increased with time. From the employee’s viewpoint, PSUs offer an excellent atmosphere to work in, giving opportunities to excel in one’s core areas. Jobs in PSUs are secure, stable and without the ups and downs that are characteristic of private sector jobs.
At the initial stages, students are appointed as probationary officers, graduate apprentice engineers, executive trainees, graduate engineers, engineer trainees and so on. These companies don’t charge even a minimum fee for application, like other companies do. Interested candidates can directly register by browsing the company’s website and try for the post that they are eligible for.
Attractive Salaries in PSUs
PSUs are competing with private sector companies in terms of salaries. Some companies are salaries that are comparable with the top IT and software companies, that too in the initial stages of one’s career. In general, a management trainee or an engineering graduate can easily draw up to seven to eight lakhs as an initial salary package in PSUs. Initially, candidates undergo a specified training or probationary period.
After successful completion of this period, he/she is designated as a permanent employee, with an outstanding salary. Since PSUs have started placing engineers through their GATE scores, the competition for GATE has also increased. If the student succeeds in getting the required score for M.Tech or at IIT, he/she will be automatically eligible for PSUs as well.
