I have completed my BTech, CSE. Should I go for GATE to get a well paid job?

Dear Neeraj Kumar,
This is the question which is the most important and deciding factor for a career. This will help to move in the right direction. As you are putting the direct question on ISC. I suggest you put this question in Ask expert section in the site where you will get the answers from the experts. You can also request to the editor to move this question to ask the expert section. Regarding your question, I will suggest you improve your required skill set while searching for the job. As you mention you need a well-paid job start job hunting right now. You can also pursue your higher education while doing the job through distance learning and online courses. Choose the option as per your desire to learning and earn.

You can also make money by contributing to this great ISC family. It will definitely help to improve your soft skill, especially English skills. All the best for your future endeavors.

If you have a good score in GATE you will have a double advantage.
1. Many of the MNCs and government undertakings are giving jobs to Engineers based on their performance in GATE.
2. M.Tech seat can be obtained in a good institute.
I feel you can concentrate first on GATE.
Anyhow while preparing for GATE if you see any good advertisement in a good MNC for Engineers you can apply for that post also. Your GATE preparation experience will allow you to fare well in the interview. Once you are selected for a job, based on the salary and organisation you can think of utilising the chance or not.

If you are really interested in continuing your service in companies only, instead of waiting for completing M.Tech, it is better to join a good company. For obtaining a job GATE will help. But for promotions and career growth experience is better. So I feel getting a good score in GATE and joining in a good organisation should be your priorities.
If you join in a good MNC, after putting up some 2 or 3 years experience they will give you leave for doing your MBA. Another option is to do MBA while working from any IIMs or any good business schools through distance education mode.
My sister's son joined a good company after B.Tech.After working there for 3 years in that he shifted to another MNC. While working there he has done his MBA from IIM, Calcutta by distance education mode. Now he is a director in a good MNC and earning a good package.

A good GATE score will definitely be helpful as many PSUs in our country are hiring based on that. Some MNCs are also giving weightage to it.

M.Tech is an additional qualification but after that also gou will be applying for the same jobs. Still you can think of joining it for increasing your knowledge base and academic level. In case of a good offer you can always join with some extension time or exit from M.Tech midway.

In private companies interview is the deciding factor so you may have to care for your expressions and clarity of explaining the things especially the managerial or technical questions.

Do not shy away from small jobs as sometimes they give you tremendous experience as more load will be on you to perform. In the beginning of the career you have also to consider the type of job posting where you get good opportunity of learning and gaining experience.

The job situation in the country is grim and even the best of the lot are not getting the top paying job on first appointment. Everyone is switching 3-4 times before settling in with one company.

In such a situation it is strongly advised that one should join some course or even a small job but should not sit idle. Alternatively if you have interest and aptitude, you can prepare for top competitive exams of our country trying the opportunities for working in administration, banking sectors etc.

It will be a good idea to persue GATE preparation if you want to have placement in top MNC companies. There are certain organisations like SAIL, ONGC, BHEL etc who prefer the aspirants having secured secured impressive percentile in GATE and they offer additional incentives for such aquistion of qualification apart from their final performance in the oral interview.
However, a good percentile obtained in GATE also opens up your avenue for the admission of M.Tech in an established institution and as such GATE - score is always advantageous.
What I suggest you is to persue for M.Tech once you qualify the GATE with high percentile. In that way, your chances to have absorption are substantially fair because of your M.Tech degree followed by impressive ranking in GATE.
As far as the emoluments are concerned, you will be placed suitably in your pay scale along with two additional increaments in view of your post graduate qualification in engineering.
You should take advantage of the grim situation of the market and should explore the alternative ways as well for your better employment. With your present qualification of B.Tech you can apply for the job in MNC as a graduate trainee, you can apply for probationary offices in the Banks or even you can appear for IAS with better preparation with the guidance of prominent institutions.

Neeraj,

Does your current college have campus placements? If yes then try your best there. If it works then do job. Switching jobs in IT grows your salary and knowledge. If you want to do PG then this is best time to do. There is no preference in hiring B.Tech and M.Tech except some amount of salary. But that can be dealt through switching job.
Main benefit of PG is H1 visa which give more chances of travelling abroad. Also after doing job it mentally it is tough to go back studies again. All the best.

Here is my concern. You have to face a much higher competition in both campus placements and in GATE. Since startups and even companies like TCS recruit students from all branches. That increases the already existing competition to very high. You should concentrate more on GRE, IELTS and other such examinations that will help you pursue MS. GATE is not that useful for non-core engineers. GATE apart from helping you end up in IITS, helps you get government jobs. So plan accordingly. Do you want to go in research field? Then go for MS. Else, aim for GATE to get into PSUs. As many pointed out, M.tech graduates get almost the same salary as the B.tech graduates. So if you did qualify GATE try to apply for a job. Wishing you luck for your future. Try your best to get a placement in your college though. The pay will be very less in the beginning but it is better to work two years in a company and gradually climb the corporate ladders than studying M.tech and returning to the same.