The NorthCap University makes you think what next as there is always a quest left in you to learn more: Misbah Masoodi

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Your career should be your passion not only collection of degrees. I am from Kashmir and at that time, I was the only girl in my family who chose a career that no girl in my family or in school even ever thought of choosing since everyone believed that girls can become doctors only and not engineers as engineering industry is male-dominated. As I grew up, I became interested in creating and building. While growing up in Kashmir I have always seen people suffering because of inadequate constructional development. Take an example of a simple bridge, if it wasn’t there people would start feeling paralyzed to reach a destination because, in mountainous regions, life is very difficult. When every girl of my age enjoyed playing with dolls and watching Disney channel, I was always interested in watching ‘Bob the builder’, making mud houses, wooden houses and playing with Lego sets.

So since childhood, it was inevitable that if I chose engineering it would definitely be civil engineering. Back then my family asked me not to opt for engineering. They suggested I should become a doctor. All the while I was thinking how to convince them and finally, I ended up saying, “If doctors save humans, then even civil engineers build and rebuild structures, so I will be called the doctor of structures."

It was since then I and my family realized that civil engineering isn’t something I was choosing out of interest but rather it is something I am really passionate about. Moreover, I was always determined to uplift my state’s and in turn, my country’s infrastructure. As modern life is based upon the innovations of engineering, especially construction, constructional development in my state would make lives of people more convenient. What I have learned from this civil engineering course is that it should be a part of me in my future career by positively contributing to the world we live in. 

 And it all depends on where your journey started from, mine was from The NorthCap University, Gurugram Haryana, India as a bachelor's student, batch 2011-2015. A University that has a motto of bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world by being globally recognized for learning, innovation, excellence in academics and research with its core values of integrity, humility, passion for quality and a supportive and efficiently learned staff. It has a mission of quality learning with industry-focused career relevance to develop independent professionals with innovative and analytical excellence for 4 academic years. Thus this university makes you think what next as there is always a quest left in you to learn more.

After completing my graduation, I went back to my home state as in engineering it is important to have hands-on experience apart from academic knowledge. After one month, I joined a multinational construction company (M & Company Engineers & Contractors Pvt. Ltd.) as a junior engineer for the execution of a power project. Eventually, after observing the scenario of my state, I could see that even if a project was carried on, it was past its due date and it would take many more years to get complete. Because of that, people were facing many problems.

After consulting the construction team I came to know that the project lacks construction managerial skills to have the technical know-how on time and resources. I also came to know that Kashmir is in seismic zone V and there is hardly any engineer who has done specialization in earthquake engineering. There is no concept for the design of tall steel structures or skyscrapers. While doing my graduation, there were short-term courses that included construction management, earthquake engineering, ground engineering, environmental hydrology, wastewater treatment, value risk management, and water supply system analysis. And I found my inclination towards them because they included both managerial and technical skills as the entire construction project from the initial assessment to the final move revolves around these skills. While studying them, I gained my initial formal exposure to these courses but I have always wanted to learn more. It was then that I decided that whenever I would pursue masters, it would be in advanced civil engineering and construction management. 

Therefore, I wanted a collaborated course that included both advanced civil engineering and construction management with courses like construction management, earthquake engineering, ground engineering, environmental hydrology, wastewater treatment, value risk management, and water supply system analysis, etc. I could find this course (M.Sc in civil engineering and construction management) in the Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, UK (Dubai Campus), batch 2016-2018 that educates an individual to understand and execute both technical and managerial activities associated with construction engineering and management with course tutors with exceptional knowledge. This acted as a connecting link between my undergraduate (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and my undertaking course (Civil Engineering and Construction Management). It boosted my technical as well as my managerial skills. It made me successful in solving construction engineering and management problems in the field of engineering where earlier students used to opt either of the two. This programme has enhanced my career and has prepared me for a variety of employment opportunities in the construction industry. With the advent of rapid urbanization, a huge strain is laid on the construction industry to build structures not only good in strength but with effective and efficient planning, designing, controlling and coordination. This is possible only with the elements of construction technology, construction engineering and project management applied and studied together. 

Apart from my passion, the skills that made me take civil engineering with managerial knowledge are: 

• Decision making is an important skill for any civil and construction manager. As far as I am concerned the biggest decision I have made until now is pursuing engineering. My family wanted me to become a doctor, so initially, they refused to support me. But I had always wanted to become an engineer and I took this decision on my own. But after completing my graduation, everyone appreciated my decision and now most of the girls in my family have chosen engineering as their career option. 

• I have time management skills and have never left today's work on tomorrow. To counter that I always make a list of activities and I assign them subsequent time leaving half an hour extra for each activity. This is how I have always managed my time and work. 

• From my school time till graduation I have always submitted my assignments before the deadline. I have the capability of meeting deadline dates. 

• I can work individually as well as in a team. I have done all summer internships, events and presentations in a team and I have done my major project individually and have good grades. 

These two universities (Northcap and Heriot-Watt) made me achieve what I have always dreamt of. From my high school till graduation, I have always scored first class with distinction. During my final year in undergraduate course, I was the only student in my class who was given the responsibility and was relied upon by the department to do the major project “Urban Planning and Management of Gurgaon for the years 2031, 2041 and 2051” individually as I had to represent it as the best top five projects of the department at the annual project day (Techno-Vision, April 2015).

In my masters, I have done research on ‘Innovative concrete mixes with recycled waste materials and conductive concrete mix with graphite powder’ with the publication of two papers for my undergraduate and postgraduate researches. I have been a core team member of a society created by our department in collaboration with Michigan Technological University Houghton, USA “iSPACE” that held an International Conference on civil engineering. During industrial training in the sophomore year of my college, I was given the responsibility of being the project member for studying the Jharkhand Rural Water Supply and for suggesting the rainwater harvesting structures for the area.

In school, I was selected as the head at an intra-school Working Model Competition for making working chair lifting car model for mountainous regions and had to represent classes from III to VIII. Being the class representative for ten years, I had represented my class at numerous competitions and events and was also responsible for all the class activities and the discipline of the class. 

I have done my summer industrial training programs for the consecutive years in the following industries. At the end of I year, I have done my training in Modular Infra-tech Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon as a site trainee. At the end of my sophomore year, I did my training in Columbia Water Centre, Delhi and in it, I suggested rainwater harvesting structures for Jharkhand rural water supply. At the end of the 3rd year, I did my training at a CADD Centre, Srinagar and I have learned STADDPRO software also. 

I have a hold on software like AutoCAD, STADDPro, ETABS, Primavera and Microsoft project.

Currently, I am working in Derby Group of Companies Dubai (Collections Assistant-Consumer segment) for Du telecom, one of the leading telecommunication companies from the past 2 years as I was financing my master’s degree. This position has improved my communication and professional skills for best deliverability with target achievement to help me work in an environment under pressure to give the best results.  Though I am doing a job that isn’t related to my field of education but what I have learnt so far is that in order to bring out the best in myself I have to gain experience by being open to the available market opportunities.

As I will be holding a master degree by July 3^rd, 2019 so a question of what next is still there. As I have thought of never putting an end to learning, I would enhance my future career by having a hands-on experience with research skills by pursuing a Ph.D. in civil engineering.

About the Author:

Hi! I am Misbah Masoodi. I have pursued B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from The NorthCap University, Gurugram, Haryana & M.Sc. in Advanced Civil Engineering and Construction Management from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, UK (Dubai Campus). I am planning to pursue Ph.D. as I have the passion to learn more and to teach and deliver what I know and also to know what I don’t know in order to innovate new ideas and skills.