College degrees: NIT engineer says job uses just 3% of degree, viral video sparks debate on skills vs education

A woman with a degree in chemical engineering from a National Institute of Technology has triggered a wider conversation online after speaking about the disconnect between academic learning and real-world corporate work.

The woman, identified as Manvi, shared a video on Instagram reflecting on her career journey, where she said her job uses only a small fraction of what she studied during her four-year degree.

‘Only a small part of my degree is used’

In the video, Manvi said, “I have a degree from NIT in Chemical Engineering and my job has just used maybe 3% of it.” She clarified that she was not dismissing the value of degrees but highlighting a reality she discovered over time.


She added that many of her batchmates are also working in fields unrelated to their academic specialisations.

“In college, I studied thermodynamics, mechanics, kinetics… But at work, I am just in Excel, meetings and figuring out things on the internet by myself,” she said.

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Focus on skills beyond academics

Highlighting what helped her progress professionally, Manvi pointed to communication skills and continuous learning.

“The only thing that got me ahead was communication and upskilling,” she said, adding that while her degree helped her secure interviews, career growth depended largely on individual effort.

Summing up her experience, she said, “Degree is just an entry ticket, it's not the whole ride,” and advised students to develop additional skills alongside their formal education.

Social media reactions echo sentiment

The video quickly gained traction online, with several users sharing similar experiences.

Many agreed that their current jobs are not aligned with what they studied, while others said engineering education often builds discipline rather than direct job skills.

Some users emphasised the importance of upskilling in today’s job market, while others said they wished they had received such guidance during their college years.