Engineering Job Market Trends

𝗦𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘄? With USAID downsizing and ripple effects hitting implementing partners, contractors, and global development orgs, the job market is brutal right now. So I’ve consolidated my best advice—specific to this moment. 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻. If you can afford it, pause before panic-applying. This wasn’t just a job—it was a mission. Layoffs hit hard. Take a moment to process, reflect, and reset before diving in. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁. Most searches will take 6-12 months. Some organizations are quietly hiring, but many have paused new roles. Pace yourself. Overwhelming yourself in month one will make month six that much harder. 3️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 “𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴”). Job searching right now is exhausting. You need more than LinkedIn messages—you need a team in your corner. That might mean a career coach, a job search accountability group, or a Slack/WhatsApp community where you can be honest about the struggle. The Bloom, Career Pivot, Reconsidered - all great. 4️⃣ 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆. There are too many job boards, too many postings, and too many applicants. Instead of throwing resumes everywhere, go where the real opportunities are. (Yes, I’m partial to ImpactSource dot ai, because it updates dynamically and auto matches you with roles—but whatever board you use, make sure it’s giving you real signal, not noise.) 5️⃣ 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗴𝘂𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵—𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽. I see too many people applying to 100+ jobs and getting nowhere. Right now, the jobs being filled are often never even posted. Instead of panic-applying, target specific orgs, connect with insiders, and have real conversations. 6️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Everyone is applying through LinkedIn. But not everyone is building credibility there. Try this: Post once a week. Share something about your expertise, your past work, or even your reflections on the job search. Visibility = Opportunity. 7️⃣ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀 > 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Most people get hired through connections, not job portals. Instead of applying blindly, reach out to people who know your work. Ask for warm introductions. Use first-degree LinkedIn connections wisely. 8️⃣ 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝘀𝗸. Even in a job search, you have something to offer. Share job openings. Offer to review someone’s resume. Connect two people who should meet. Generosity opens doors. 9️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲—𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂. The world needs your talents more than ever. 🔟 What’s been most helpful for you? Drop your advice in the comments. Sharing is CARING.

Spider's silk is 5x stronger than steel. Students just built a Camping House with it. Traditional programs graduate 89% of engineers who've never touched real materials. These students built 10 structures in 6 months using nature's blueprints. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: ↳ Theoretical calculations on whiteboards ↳ Computer simulations without context   ↳ Zero hands-on building experience ↳ Graduates who design what can't be built 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 Students design, budget, and physically construct functional camping structures. Every beam they place teaches load distribution. Every joint they weld reveals material behavior. Every budget overrun teaches project economics. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: ↳ Structural analysis through physical feedback ↳ Project management with real deadlines ↳ Cross-functional team collaboration ↳ Resource optimization under constraints ↳ Rapid prototyping and iteration cycles The wisdom flows both ways. When students build in harmony with the landscape, they absorb lessons no simulation can teach. Companies report these graduates solve problems 60% faster - they've learned to think like nature's master builders. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵: Each camping house becomes a living laboratory. Students learn to read the land's story - how wind shapes design, how water flows direct foundation work, how sunlight transforms spaces. They're not just building structures - they're crafting relationships between humans and habitat. 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: 1 hands-on project = 3 semesters of theory come alive 10 structures built = a new generation of earth-conscious innovators 100 programs blooming = an engineering revolution rooted in nature's wisdom The result? Graduates who don't just design buildings - they craft spaces that honor both human needs and natural systems. Follow me for stories where innovation grows from the ground up, not just from theory. Share if you believe the best engineering solutions are written in the language of nature.

Most support engineers think career growth looks like this: Junior → Senior → Lead (Manager) → Director And if you don’t want to manage people… You’re stuck. But there’s a career track nobody explains: 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐬. The specialist ladder is exploding right now. Not because support changed. Because the work changed. Support today isn’t just closing tickets. It’s: • designing automations that eliminate tickets • owning the systems behind the queue • improving workflows across teams • optimizing AI bot performance • building the engine that makes support scale New roles are emerging fast: 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 And here’s the key: These aren’t “extra tasks.” They’re full careers. If you’re already doing things like: • building specific escalation flows • improving Zendesk operations • QA’ing bot conversations • implementing new tools • reducing repetitive work …you’re not “helping out.” You’re already on the specialist track. Support is no longer just a frontline function. It’s becoming an operations + automation discipline. So if management isn’t your path… Don’t look up the org chart. Look sideways. Your next promotion might not be “team lead.” It might be: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. What’s one operational problem in your support org that nobody officially owns yet?

Last month, a PhD student in China defended his doctorate without submitting a traditional written dissertation. Instead, he presented a reinforced steel modular system that physically fits together to form a bridge pylon, now implemented in a major Yangtze River bridge project. This news has been going viral on linkedin since the last few days. He is among the first cohort of doctoral researchers evaluated not primarily on papers, but on real-world outcomes: products, techniques, installations, and large-scale engineering impact. This may not look like a traditional PhD, but it answers the same fundamental question: “What does it mean to contribute original knowledge?” During my PhD, I focused much on theoretical modelling, simulations, lab validation, and publishing strong journal articles. Only later did I begin thinking more deeply about deployment. How will this actually reduce aircraft noise in real conditions? What constraints will industry impose? What challenges will arise during scaling? The moment implementation entered the picture, the entire scenario changed. Assumptions shifted. Models needed refinement. That phase of thinking gave me insights far beyond simulation alone. So instead of working only toward publishing, why not focus equally on independent research training plus real-world deployment? Independent research builds rigour and originality. Deployment builds maturity, adaptability, and responsibility toward impact. The combination strengthens both. This idea is not entirely new. Several reputed universities already offer Doctor of Engineering programs designed for working professionals, including Johns Hopkins University, Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, and George Washington University. These programs allow experienced engineers to leverage real-world projects as part of their doctoral contribution while maintaining academic rigour. The framework already exists. What may change is its scale and wider acceptance. Maybe the future PhD will not only ask, Can you prove it? But also same time, Can you build it? #research #phd #academia #china #postdoc

Your college syllabus is preparing you for IT jobs that won't exist by the time you graduate. And the ones that will? Nobody's teaching you those. TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech and others are set to hire 82,000 graduates in FY26. The seats are there. But the profiles filling those seats look nothing like what most freshers are preparing for right now. Here's what's actually happening: Profiles getting cut: ✖️ Manual testing roles: largely automated now ✖️ Legacy support and maintenance engineers ✖️ Basic data entry and BPO-adjacent IT roles ✖️ Mid-level roles built entirely on outdated frameworks Projections indicate 400,000 to 500,000 mid-career roles may be restructured or phased out by 2028, particularly in legacy delivery functions. Profiles getting hired right now: ✔️ AI/ML engineers: Even at fresher level, basic Python + model exposure is enough to stand out. ✔️ Cloud-native developers: AWS, Azure, GCP certifications are being treated like degrees now. ✔️ Cybersecurity analysts: India faces a 25 to 30% shortage of mid-to-senior cybersecurity specialists, so entry-level demand is exploding. ✔️ Data engineers: Not data analysts but engineers who can build pipelines, not just read dashboards. ✔️ Platform and DevOps engineers: Cloud technologies could account for 8% of India's GDP by 2026, and companies need people who can build on that infrastructure. Here are some hidden opportunities to apply for that 90% of candidates aren’t aware about: ✔️ GCCs: India's GCC ecosystem is expected to employ 25 lakh professionals by 2030 and they're already hiring freshers with the right skill stack. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Apple, Google, and Boeing all run large GCC operations in India and actively hire fresher AI, cloud, and cybersecurity profiles directly, often at packages that beat traditional IT giants. ✔️ AI and deep-tech startups: India secured $4.8 billion in tech investments in H1 2025 alone. Companies like Sarvam AI, Krutrim, and Neysa are building India-first AI infrastructure and hiring junior engineers with Python, ML, and cloud basics. These aren't household names yet. That's exactly why the competition to get in is still low. ✔️ Tier-2 city tech clusters: Karnataka's Silicon Beach alone is targeting 5,000 IT hires in FY2025-26, with 60 to 70% of roles reserved for fresh graduates and barely anyone from the metro crowd is even looking there. The market isn't shrinking. It's shifting fast. And the fresher who learns this in April 2026 has a very different FY26 than the one who figures it out in December. If you're a fresher or a final-year student and want to know exactly how to position your profile for what's being hired right now, DM me "IT26". I'll share what's working for my students. #itjobs #fresherhiring #techcareers #jobsearch2026 #interviewcoach #campushiring

Last week I shared the surprising fact that customer service hiring is still growing even as AI takes on more support work. I gave three reasons why we think that is happening. The third reason was that jobs themselves are changing, not disappearing. This week I want to talk more about how we are already seeing roles change in a support organization. The headline is that every current support role is evolving significantly because of AI. Let’s start with the frontline. Tier 0 and Tier 1 support agents have always handled the basic, repetitive requests, which are exactly what AI automates best now. This means those roles can become fully automated and the people in them will need to upskill to move into other parts of the support org. Many of the tasks of Tier 2 and Tier 3 support agents can also be automated, so they will have more time to focus on the highest value interactions and hardest escalations as VIP Agents. And there is more of that work, not less, because as we’ve already seen in our data at Zendesk, automation drives escalation. Make it easier to reach out and get good help and people do it much more often. The conversations that still reach a human are the ones that matter most. Next, the agent team leader is still developing people, but now those people are VIP Agents, and the bigger change is that the same leader is also now supervising AI. The job becomes making sure the right worker is on each part of an interaction, whether that worker is human or AI. Then, the shift I find most interesting is in the specialized roles. Knowledge, workforce, quality and operations managers, plus admins, are all converging into something new we call the AI Service Architect. Their work is now to capture what great human teams do, the way they resolve an issue, calm a frustrated customer and find the right answer. They need to encode that into procedures AI can follow and replicate at scale. It is the same move our own engineers are making at Zendesk. A dozen of our scrum teams no longer write their own code. They steer the AI, build the skills, add context, and edit prompts to create product. The AI Service Architect does that for support, and I’m excited to share more about this specific role soon. Finally, at the top of the org, the Head of Support is becoming the Head of CX, responsible for designing and overseeing the entire customer journey rather than just the queue. Support stops being the place complaints land and becomes proactive, cross functional and value oriented. The terms support and CX have been used interchangeably for years, but the role is only now catching up to the language. Look across the whole org chart and the pattern is consistent. The tasks get automated, but the reason the role exists stays, and the org chart doesn’t disappear, it moves up. Next week I want to get into why that is, because a job was never just a list of tasks.

For decades, PhDs in India largely moved toward classrooms, journals, and academic careers. What is emerging now reflects a deeper structural transition. Corporates are actively recruiting IIT PhDs into core R&D, advanced engineering, and applied science roles, changing incentives across the ecosystem. When industry rewards deep research capability, doctoral education becomes a strategic pathway rather than a narrow specialization. This shift is striking in a country with 1.4 billion citizens, yet only around 10,000 pursuing PhDs in core sciences. Overseas offers, crore plus compensation, and direct R&D hiring signal rising demand for original problem solving. Indian industry is aligning closer with global innovation cycles, where research feeds directly into products, platforms, and competitiveness. Embedding strong research talent within companies is how long term technological advantage is built. Interesting read: https://lnkd.in/drH4M6Ju

Learning Rapidly: Insights on the Future of Engineering Education In a recent conversation, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Jacqueline El-Sayed, who recently joined SAE International after leading the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). As industry and academic leaders grapple with the rapid pace of technological change, her insights on the future of engineering education and workforce development are particularly timely. “Technology is changing so rapidly. We really need students and faculty to be out there in the real labs where industry is doing their work… immersive-type learning, experiential learning is great for everyone. You can see a real collaborative between industry, education and students” Listen in to the latest episode of Engineering the Future Workforce as we talk about digital transformation and its impact on shifts in engineering education. "When you have [AI] tools that are so powerful, the human side of the engineer becomes paramount because the ethics of what those tools are used for…the machine doesn’t have that.” Engineering associations and membership societies play a vital role as communities of practice, driving change and ensuring the relevance of engineering curricula. As we discussed credentials, Jackie highlighted the ABET quality assurance process as a strong example of industry-academia collaboration, with representatives from all the major engineering societies appoint evaluators to learn and inform the criteria and review programs. One of the most important competencies Jackie identified for future engineers is the ability to learn rapidly. Students today have been online and active in a global community from a young age. “They’re digital natives, meaning the digital connectivity is part of their identity. It’s a language they are very adept and comfortable in.” This vision of the future, where AI serves as a catalyst to personalize and accelerate learning, has exciting implications for engineering education. As industry and academic leaders collaborate on workforce readiness and development, embracing innovative approaches and strengthening industry-academia partnerships is crucial. Read the recap: https://lnkd.in/gPfs7nan. Shannon O'Donnell #EngineeringEducation #Academia 

🚀 Have entry-level salaries in India really improved over the past 25 years? Here’s what the data shows across sectors — including high-end research. Over the past few weeks, I dug into salary trends for fresh graduates — not just in tech or business, but in core engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, finance, government, and academic research. The results are a lesson in economics and policy. Let’s keep it simple: If you earned ₹2 lakh per year in 2000, you’d need at least ₹6.4 lakh in 2025 just to keep pace with inflation (using a 3.2× multiplier for 220% cumulative inflation). So, how have starting salaries trended in real terms? 💻 IT & Engineering: 2000s: ₹2–3L 2025: ₹3.5–4L Result: ❌ Below inflation. Despite growth in tech, oversupply of engineers kept fresher pay almost flat in real terms. 🏗️ Core Engineering/Manufacturing: 2000s: ₹1.8L 2025: ₹4.0L Result: ❌ Still below inflation. 🏦 Finance (Analyst/CA/Bank PO): 2000s: ₹3–4L 2025: ₹6–10L Result: ❌ Most roles are below inflation. Only a few private sector jobs approach parity. 🏥 Healthcare (MBBS Doctors): 2000s: ₹1.8L 2025: ₹7.0L Result: ✅ Slightly ahead of inflation in urban/private setups. Rural/government pay still trails workload. 🏛️ Government / PSU: 2000s: ₹1.8L 2025: ₹6.5L Result: ✅ Above inflation. 6th and 7th Pay Commissions significantly improved real incomes. 🎓 MBA (Top B-Schools): 2005: ₹7.5L 2025: ₹31L Result: ✅ Above inflation. Tier-1 MBAs remain scarce and in high demand. 🔬 High-End Research & Academia: PhD Fellowship: 2000s: ₹0.8L 2025: ₹4.5L Result: ✅ 460% growth, above inflation (driven by major fellowship hikes). Entry Govt Scientist/Engineer (ISRO, DRDO, CSIR): 2000s: ₹1.8L 2025: ₹9.0L Result: ✅ 400% growth, well above inflation (Pay Commissions, R&D focus). Assistant Professor (IITs, IISc): 2000s: ₹2L 2025: ₹13L Result: ✅ 550% growth, among the best in India (reflecting talent attraction in higher education). Private R&D (Pharma/Biotech/Tech Labs): 2000s: ₹4L 2025: ₹12L Result: ⚠️ Matches inflation, but outliers in AI/data science do better. What does all this mean? 1️⃣ Where graduate supply far exceeds demand (IT, engineering), real salaries have actually dropped. 2️⃣ Where talent is scarce or policy stepped in (elite MBA, government, research), salaries have risen well above inflation. 3️⃣ In research and academia, major policy changes and advocacy made a real difference in recent years. This is a reminder that salary isn’t just about “skills” — it’s about supply, demand, and the value the market (or government) puts on your work. If India wants to create real income growth, we need more quality jobs, relevant upskilling, and continued investment in research and innovation. I write about #artificialintelligence | #technology | #startups | #mentoring | #leadership | #financialindependence   PS: All views are personal Vignesh Kumar

We are in a strange moment where headlines say “job growth is strong” — and yet many graduates are struggling to land their first role. Both are true. India is adding millions of jobs, but the nature of hiring has fundamentally shifted. Companies are no longer hiring for degrees. They are hiring for demonstrable skills, adaptability, and the ability to create value quickly. So where are the real opportunities today? First, technology — but not in the way we understood it a decade ago ! Generic coding roles are no longer the safe bet. Demand is sharply shifting toward AI, data, cybersecurity, and cloud. The bar is higher, but so are the rewards. Second, BFSI is emerging as an underrated powerhouse. Banking, insurance, and fintech are seeing steady expansion, driven by India’s digital and financial inclusion story. Roles in risk, analytics, and product are growing quietly but consistently. Third, healthcare and life sciences remain one of the most resilient sectors. From hospital administration to health-tech, this space offers stability that few others can match. Fourth, renewable energy and sustainability are not just trends — they are long-term structural shifts. Careers in solar, EVs, and ESG will compound over the next decade. Fifth, manufacturing and supply chains are making a comeback. With global realignments, India is seeing renewed momentum here. These are not glamorous roles, but they are meaningful and durable. And then there are Global Capability Centres — perhaps the least talked about opportunity. These are increasingly becoming hubs for high-quality work across analytics, finance, and product functions. At the same time, some realities need to be acknowledged. The traditional IT services path is no longer a guaranteed entry point. Low-skill white-collar roles are shrinking. And competition is no longer just local — it is global, and increasingly, it includes AI. So what should a new graduate actually do? Stop thinking in terms of degrees. Start thinking in terms of skill stacks. A commerce graduate with data skills will outperform a generic MBA. A mechanical engineer who understands automation and AI will have an edge over a traditional profile. A fresher who can demonstrate real-world problem solving will always stand out. Also, don’t obsess over the “perfect first job.” Focus on the right entry point — roles that give exposure, learning, and momentum. Careers today are built through pivots, not linear ladders. Finally, avoid crowded thinking. If everyone is chasing the same path, it will only get harder. Being slightly above average in a less crowded, high-growth area is far more powerful than being average in a saturated one. The opportunity landscape is not shrinking. It is evolving. And those who understand this shift early will do disproportionately well and enjoy the fruits of the effort ! #jobs #newgraduates #recruitment #indiajobs