Should I join Accenture or drop a year for the preparation of GATE 2015? I am an ece student.

If you really wanted to pursue higher studies, its better to concentrate on the GATE Examination without any distractions and crack it in a single attempt. Once you join in any software company you have to spend in office for min 9 hrs a day and it would be difficult for you to clear the Gate examination in short http://time.It will depend on the work load and work pressure in the office to prepare parallely for the examination.If you dont have any financial constraints, I suggest you to concentrate on the examination and aspire for what you are really interested in  instead of doing a job which doesnt have any relation to your graduation.Also, its better to enter into core companies through IITs after your MTECH so that you can have a decent salary and good company,than trying for a core company now.

I was in the same dilemma like you.companies don't even look at the CVs of freshers from colleges below IITs/NITs/BITS/IIITs. I was in accenture for 1 yr. But this 9 hrs+ overtime gauranteed job restricts you from GATE studies. Initially you may try for sparing 1hr/day but by the end of the month u will lose ur goal. what would you be if you were attached to another object by an incline plane wrapped helically around an axis ( ya screwed ). Although I still made it to Bits pilani and i am happy about it but this job takes out a lot of my precious time and that's why my gate 2013 score was lower than my prev attempt. So study hard and try to make it in first attempt and ya i had to fill the bond amount too but good for me it was prorated. However if you try to make a move of not joining any company then just don't sit at your home. Try to get in touch with the people who are going to give this exam too. This can be either through joining forums or joining regular coaching classes. It helps a lot to concentrate on your path. Good Luck!!

Last year (2014) I had the same question in my mind to join Accenture or drop a year for GATE preparation. I thought about it a long time, took advice from seniors and faculties and finally decided to join Accenture.I think it was a great decision. I worked for Accenture for 11 months, earned around 3Lakhs, prepared for GATE, got 2700 rank, now part of NIT Surat and got placed in Intel, which is exactly what you want.Why not to drop a year: 1. Placement Scenario: During placements in IITs and NITs our main competitors are B. Tech students, and also most of the companies don’t allow for M. Tech students. Still luckily we have few companies on our side, but they prefer candidates with experience and in each class of 20 students there are 5 such students with around 2 years of experience. So here you will loose the chance of being a part of your wish list companies. And for other companies you have to strongly justify your reasons for dropping a year.2. GATE Score: Number of students opting for GATE is increasing every year. So 2-4 marks of difference (consider some silly mistakes in exam) can bring you from IITs to NITs and may be even below. You can’t control what will happen in one year, so there will be some luck factor as you are deciding your future only on 1 specific day performance (GATE exam day).3.  Patience (this will defer person to person): It require a lot a patience which we don’t have even if we say so. What are your plus points with Accenture:1. Time to Study: Most of the BE/B. Tech graduate colleges ends in June and Accenture gave joining in Aug-Sept. Here you are getting 2 months for study. Then you will be given 2 months of training (till Nov), where you can even study during your working hours as it’s not so strict. After this around 50% candidates will go on Bench for about 1-6 months (and the good thing about Accenture, you don’t have to go to office also, but it’s unofficial). If you are lucky then from Nov - Jan, 3 months of Bench period is an ample time to prepare for GATE exam (Read my review for how to prepare while working). 2. Bonds: You don’t have to worry about it. You just have to pay about Rs. 5000-20000 only depends on how much time you have worked, but on brighter side you have earned 2.5Lakhs.What happends when you join M.Tech after one year experience:Now, you are one of those 5 students with experience (you will definitely going to place now). Also, the way your faculties and TA (Teaching Assitant)  look at you also changes which helps you to get better projects and resources from department.The main advantage is now you are a more matured person and you know what things not to do in college life. Its no more your normal engineering college life, whatever decisions you are gonna take in this gonna shape your future. “Think a hundred times before you take a decision, but once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man.”

It is never a good idea to drop a year, without having good rank (Like in my case AIR 610) as a backup.Job will teach you many things, job will give you backup, job will help you grow. I suggest you take a job and prepare alongside until you get good enough rank to take TOP NIT (If you get good enough rank to get IIT Directly no issues) and then only take drop once you have good rank as backup. I'm copying my blog post  "https://akashkanasegate2016.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/regarding-job/" here for detailed advice ->I’ve seen people not taking up jobs and instead go to full time preparation mode immediately after BE/BTech. I believe that is wrong for those from 3rd-4th Tier college students. Instead they should first go for campus placement post BE and prepare along side job until one gets 3 digit rank like 400-700. In case one gets good rank immediately (Top 250) then one can join IIT, but if someone get 400-700 rank then it will be wise decision to do full time preparation afterwards.Why one should go on job immediately after college instead of taking drop for GATE -> Jobs give people some “Real” knowledge, where as in colleges of India, usually Clerk with Engineer degree are shipped out. It is this jobs that make them “Engineers” not the degree certificates. Whatever learning happens , it happens in training period of jobs and work. Job gives peace of mind , it’ll keep your family and friend quite till you get good rank. For those who take full year drop without good rank as backup, so called “Well wishers” will come to eat the brain , what next if you fail etc. Even while giving exam, you will remain calm if you have job as backup. Job gives money for things one needs -> Yeah this is true, you can buy whatever you need for preparation and other things, for entertaining, for internet, for recharges or any other expense. Those who have big education loans, should try to clear them, it is possible only via job. Job gives reason for getting IIT -> While working on job, it it has service based job, looking at seniors/peers and work pressure, one get enough reasons to try for IIT, including Money. Job gives you valuable experience -> Even though in IIT experience does not matter much for placements, in life, in Gate preparation too, the experience you gain while doing job helps you. Job will teach you value of time and money -> It’ll help you work harder once you drop a year, because you’ll know that how much work you’ll be doing in any job. Once you start earning money automatically you’ll know the value of money. You get weekends, 2 leave per month on every IT job easily , so it wont be too hard to prepare either. This post is for those who are considering not to take job for preparing GATE and do not even have good ranks in final year. Do take job and get experience, it’ll be helpful. Do not take drop unless you are ready.If you are in job, how you can prepare for GATE while working ? You get 2 days off per week, use them to the extend possible. You will get 2 days leave per month (Majority companies) use them for GATE preparation. You will get 8 to 10 holidays per year in any company , use them for GATE preparation. Before GATE you can take some leave (From 1 week to 3 months) based on your company policies. If your company gives you cab, you can revise while traveling. You can get flash card app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.anki&hl=enon your mobile ,even while working you might revise for 5 minute in between  work breaks. Copied from my blog -> https://akashkanasegate2016.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/regarding-job/

prepare while in JOB.  if u r good financially,if job is ur necessity or else drop and prepare ultimately it is personnel choice