rediffGURU Chocko Valliappa, founder and CEO of Vee Technologies, offers advice on how to upskill yourself to advance in your career.

• You can post your career-related questions for rediffGURU Chocko Valliappa HERE. 

How do you compete with the latest technology and grow in your career?

Need advice on the latest career courses and upskilling options?

rediffGURU Chocko Valliappa is the founder and CEO of Vee Technologies, a global IT services company; HireMee, a talent assessment and talent management start-up; and vice chairman of The Sona Group of education institutions.

• You can post your career-related questions for rediffGURU Chocko Valliappa HERE.

I am 50 years old software pro with around 20 years of experience.
Please advise some career option so that I could learn new technologies like cyber security or blockchain and earn at the same time.
Or advise me about some short duration training where I could learn while earning.

As a software professional with decades of experience, you are best equipped to see the emergence of new technologies. And I am sure your 20 year old career has made you learn new technologies.

To the list picked by you — cybersecurity and blockchain — I would add networking, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning).

Pick the areas that will be of most use in your own place of work. You would also benefit by picking up project management skills to lead large teams.

Look for courses on Coursera, TED Talks.

I would also not hesitate to ask some of your younger colleagues who have joined the software industry in the past five years.

Sir, I am 43 years old. I have completed my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and doctorate from NIT.
Presently, I am working in a private university with research and academic roles and responsibilities.
With the interest of students in this domain has gone down drastically during the past few years, can you advise for a change in a career like data science, etc, as my present CTC is less than 8 LPA?

Even though a career switch from a doctorate in mechanical engineering to data science represents a transition that aligns with the growing interdisciplinary nature of modern research and industry, I am of the view that you need to build on your years of academic experience in mechanical engineering by leveraging your doctorate in data science to further your career as a researcher professor in academia by contributing to cutting-edge research, guiding students and shaping the field through your expertise.

Also explore consulting assignments in companies, especially in engineering and manufacturing, to help them use data science for optimisation, predictive maintenance and process improvement.

By wearing a data scientist in engineering or manufacturing hat, marry your mechanical engineering background with data science skills look for roles that involve analysing and optimising engineering processes, designing experiments and leveraging data for product development.

These are just two out of a host of options that you could explore; though this, you will also help your university build a strong consulting practice and let your client see value and pay top dollar. When that happens, the university will find ways to compensate you fairly for your value addition.

Hi sir my son has pursuing 7th semester BTech in CSE with AI ML in Chhattisgarh.
He want advice on what to do after BTech.
He intends to pursue internship or work in a multinational company.
If he wants a PG degree, what would you suggest him? Kindly advise.

Thanks for suggesting two options that your son is aiming for.

Firstly, he should actively apply for placements in companies coming to campus placement.

Similarly, he should look for websites of companies that he wishes to join and make job applications for the job opening/hiring tab.

As a second step, he needs to firm up his career goals before he decides to pursue a postgraduate programme.

• You can post your career-related questions for rediffGURU Chocko Valliappa HERE.

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