By Vishal Pratapwant
With India emerging as a prominent global engineering, research and development powerhouse, its reputation for producing astute engineers is growing by leaps and bounds. In our digital-first world, Indian engineers are innovating for the global market with exceptional skills in advanced technologies and capabilities in end-to-end product and solution development.
With a rapidly growing pool of talented engineers taking their place in the global workforce, mentorship is vital to young engineers beginning their career journeys. Seasoned engineers have a vast wealth of knowledge and experience that is incredibly valuable for aiding young talent.
Bridging through Experiences for Success
Mentors introduce new ways of thinking by sharing their own experiences and industry-specific insights to make problem solving an exciting journey. Developing wider perspectives helps young engineers work well in diverse teams and connect with people from different backgrounds and expertise to cross collaborate. Senior engineers serve as soundboards and a safe place for younger counterparts to discuss ideas or ask questions, while designing solutions to address client problems or demands. They also bring their own experiences and best practices to a mentoring relationship, showcasing how to integrate various skills, concepts, and technologies seamlessly to achieve the end objective.
Holistic Development Support
Mentors play a crucial role in helping their mentees realise their strengths and identify opportunities for growth and improvement. This guidance aids young talent in achieving career goals that encompass multiple facets of holistic development. For instance, technical upskilling to tap emerging trends, cross-skilling to expand horizons, and networking with peers and subject matter experts to increase leadership acumen, project management capabilities and problem-solving abilities.
Tradition Blending with Tomorrow
The connection between experienced engineers and new talent shows how tradition and innovation work hand in hand. This partnership, driven by mentorship and learning, ensures that engineering excellence keeps moving forward, blending the wisdom of tried-and-true testing practices with the energy of new ideas. This way experienced engineers stay updated on trends, while mentees learn from their mentors’ deep experience.
Advancing Women in Engineering
As women continue to embrace STEM education, the engineering landscape is undergoing a transformative shift. In India, while we have an encouraging percentage of women pursuing STEM careers, we still need to make a journey to see a healthy representation of women in technology leadership roles. While organisations establish tailored professional development programs that focus on strengthening the role of women in the workforce, mentorship can be very beneficial in establishing one-on-one connections between a senior engineer mentor and a women engineer mentee.
On National Engineers Day, let’s celebrate the value and impact of mentors who act as a constant support and trusted advisor in one’s career journey. It is a way to honour how experienced engineers guide the younger generation toward an innovative future.
The author is senior vice president, Engineering and Transformation, Global Services, Fiserv.