r/IOT

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I'm a 1st year B.Tech ECE student in India, currently in my 3rd semester, with around an 8 CGPA. I'm from a Tier 2 college and I'm thinking about going into Embedded Systems as a career.

The problem is that I'm basically a beginner in this field. I know the name "Embedded Systems" and I've heard terms like RTOS, but I don't really know what most of the things in this field actually are yet.

So I wanted to ask people who are already working in Embedded Systems or Firmware about what I should do from now.

What should I learn during my remaining college years?

Should I start with C and then move into microcontrollers? What should I learn after that? What are the important technologies or concepts that I should eventually know?

I'm not asking for every single thing I need to learn right now. I'd mainly like to understand the proper path from beginner to being job ready.

I'm also confused about what kind of projects I should eventually build. What would actually make an ECE student stand out when applying for internships or fresher jobs?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people working in India.

How difficult is it to get into Embedded Systems as a fresher?

Does coming from a Tier 2 college make it much harder?

Can strong skills and projects compensate for the college name?

What is the growth like in India in terms of salary and opportunities?

And something I don't see discussed much is the actual lifestyle.

How stressful is embedded work?

What is the work life balance like?

Is it generally a peaceful career or can it become very stressful because of deadlines and hardware problems?

Is remote or hybrid work possible?

What are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of choosing Embedded Systems compared with software?

If you were in my position, a first year ECE student with an 8 CGPA who is basically starting from zero in Embedded Systems, what would you learn over the next 3 years?

I'd really appreciate answers from people who are actually working in the field, especially people who started from a normal/Tier 2 college in India.

I want an honest answer, including the downsides, rather than just "learn these things and you'll get a job."