Page 16 - SMEC-Newsletter-14th-Edition

TECH CHAT WITH INDUSTRY EXPERT

> Students nowadays spend a lot of time on online courses to better
themselves. What knowledge or skill sets should someone have in
today's world with the advent of industry 4.0?
Change management is very much needed. Technology is evolving fast.
One needs to unlearn and learn new things. One should watch the
disruptions happening in the market. Online courses on those skills reach
students quick over internet. Courses related to Smart manufacturing,
Automation and Robotics would help students to stay curious and lead Dr. Thangasivam Gandhi
them to an interesting career path. Design thinking, Creativity, originality, Senior Manager – Innovation
and innovation are also necessary. High Pressure Pumps,
Danfoss Industries Pvt. Ltd.
> How does one balance a work life and keep up with the progresses in the industry which is
important for any engineer in today's world?
There is no perfect way of defining time management when the world started embracing work from home
culture. One should equally prioritize the demands of career and personal life. One should accept that there
was no perfect way of time management when the world embraced WFH. Early to rise, early to work, leave
early may seem ideal. It is not always possible. Few years ago, while travelling in company bus, I listened to
the NEWS in the morning and listen to online lectures while travelling back home and spent quality time with
family members the entire evening. I managed to learn, earn certificates and be happy with family members.
During office hours, I switch off notifications from social media apps to focus more on my work. Checking next
day schedule before sleep works well for me.

> Seeking the wisdom of an industry mentor, leader or long-time professional has tremendous value.
What is the one advice you have for someone new to your industry and what would be the best way to
grow in an industry like yours?
On a daily basis, start a short informal conversation with new person in your institution. It can be during tea
break, lunch break or while travelling in bus. Discuss about their experience, current projects they are working
on and any challenges they are facing. These types of conversations will help one to build a great network of
experts and gain knowledge about different domains. Idea creation, and intra / inter business connections are
the outcomes.

> Progress happens in everyone's lives but is slow in some cases. What helped you get where you are
in the field and how can we as students get ahead in our lives in our fields or career paths?
Comparing one’s career path or progress with others always brings self-doubt and mental stress. To attain
continuous progress, try new things and stay focused. Avoid fear of failure. Failing early is always frustrating.
But failing early saves time, money, and effort. Discuss with seniors and start to believe in yourself. Be
consistent. Have frequent discussion with customers. These customers could be internal or external. Keep
learning and innovating. Initial steps are slow and would be like baby steps. Generate ideas and give traction
to them.

> Many students nowadays are misguided or feel lost when it comes to career path and career goals,
both short and long term. Could an expert such as yourself throw light on this relating it with your
personal experience?
In last decade, as mentioned before, technology evolves quite fast. Students should watch the industry very
keenly on social media. They should self-assess their market value regularly. This helps them to revisit their
core value, strengths, and weakness. Improving interpersonal skills and networking with different
departments and domain experts throws light on change in needs of customer, change in technology and
business model in market.

> VIT has many avenues for students to explore, with access for students to labs, books and a rabbit
hole for us to explore. What is the right path for a student to take to develop useful skills required by
an engineer?
Students should start using the subscriptions of the journals and tech magazines which carry the current
research and market trend respectively. Attending webinars, lectures from the industries experts help them to
understand the present challenges and prospects. Make use of internship with industries or international
institutes. VIT got excellent record of MoUs with universities across the world and multi-national companies in
India.
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