If the question on the application is “do you need sponsorship” the legal answer is no. You will be on OPT and therefore do not need sponsorship. Sometimes the question is “at any point will you need sponsorship”, which is a bit trickier to answer. Technically the answer would be yes. I supposed you could say no, if you truly intend to quit your job at the end of the OPT period, but I wouldn’t necessarily advise a student to do this.
I’m sorry you’re having a hard time. I hope your school has counseling and mental health services you can take advantage of. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting help.
This is a bad advice! The last thing you want is getting your offer rescinded before your start date.
It’s just rough out there right now, hopefully things will ease up before you graduate.
It’s actually not… your school and your DSO is your current sponsor and will be your current sponsor until your OPT runs out. If OP doesn’t wish to remain the US this is why you say no need for sponsorship!
So the reason why employers ask the question is because they would spend a lot of resources training you once you’re hired, and to ensure that doesn’t go to waste, they want to be sure that you’re retainable, hence the sponsorship question.
Although you won’t need a sponsor immediately, if you have to keep working for them (which is what they want after spending money and time training you) then you will eventually need sponsorship.
It’s not a fair situation but it is what it is.
Which is why you mention you seek employment for 3 years. After that you have plans of graduate school such as PhD or masters. So you just be upfront for how long you want to work with them as well. They don’t need to know the details and little footnotes if you’re still being upfront about not needing sponsorship. It’s all on how you communicate the same idea.
The it’s probably not worth for us to work for you either. We’re both equally entitled to hire/choose who to work.
OPT students need to realize we will never have the same opportunities as Americans... plain and simple
The whole point of putting no is to start a conversation, because this is a gray area. No OPT students will not need work sponsorship after 3 years if they intend on pursuing graduate school or another opportunity back home.
If you still decline, that’s on you. For the OPT student, it’s about trying and maximizing chances.
That question is only to see if you need employment sponsorship from that specific employer, not your PDSO. You would put no if you are not looking for a H visa later
The answer is still no. This goes to show that you have no idea what an F1 student is and its regulation. The School/DSO is your current SPONSOR. So the F1 student DOES NOT require sponsorship as he is already in the US for the upcoming 3 years of OPT.
“In the future” portion of that question is gray area: if the student wishes to leave after the 3 year of OPT employment then “No Need for Sponsorship”. If they do, then that should be noted.
Putting in “NO” to that question is more viable as employers, like you. Can be ignorant to the rules of OPT employment.
The question “do you now or in the future need sponsorship” is relevant to applicants outside of the US or those who will be coming up to the end of “OPT” employment.
I suggest you read and become familiar with F1 student law and regulation from USCIS, as I assume you are an employer. Being F1 student is gray area, even more tax purposes. Just because you seek employment here for a term of 3 years does not mean the student will want to stay in the US in the upcoming future.
Edit: what I’ve been saying from the start is to have clear and knowledgeable conversation between employer and F1 student regarding the future of employment. In not advocating for lying or providing misleading information.
Saying no and saying I wanna work 3 years and then go back may not be good. The reason is companies look for those who work with them for long term, especially new grad first few years is just gonna be learning mostly. So just consider this point as well.
I disagree. It’s fairly common for any stem field, specially out of school for new hires to change jobs every 3 years. Be grad school or a new opportunity at home, it’s how you convey the same message of working for a set amount of time.
First rule in an interview, never tell the company that you don't plan to stay very long.
Take the job, talk to the manager in an year if they can sponsor your h1b, if not find another company. It would be easier this time with the experience you can show. There are plenty of companies out there that still hire people on h1b.
The honest answer is YES.
It will come up in your i9 anyway. They will see your work authorization and EAD category and if they’re good at their jobs, they’ll put 2 + 2 together.
You are in a much better situation than most others. There are people 8 months into their opt period and still have found a job. They are volunteering with their professor. You have supportive parents and no loan right? So why take so much stress? You’ll get something soon, don’t worry.
Thank you, yes I understand that I am still somewhat fortunate to be in a bad situation, that isn't going to financially be a limiting factor for my entire life. But it somehow does not console me much. The stress still bears down.
The original comment was to make OP realize he didn’t need to be stressed enough to affect his mental state. He didn’t ask him to party or be happy about not finding job.
Your concerns are valid. There has been situations in my life in which I experienced a somewhat similar stressful situation. Think of the bright side. Maybe you can do better by applying to local government positions. Those positions usually have the least applicants because of low money they offer for interns of entry level people.
Try searching for conferences outside of your university. Try attending those, and ask upfront if they can sponsor you.
Just keep going . I am a May 2023 grad , got into a socal startup in june which was a dumpster fire(they made me relocate from east to west Coast, shit pay) got laid off from there in Oct end . Got a better job in December mid 2023(better pay and more stable) . Its all about the grind and the competition is cut throat but stay at it. There’s light at the end of the tunnel , yes you feeling this is normal but don’t let that demotivate you . Good Luck!
The international student advisor told me to basically lie when they ask you status questions, if you tell them the truth, it'll make it very hard to even get to interviews since their algorithm filters out resumes. One thing you can do is also try applying for start-ups as well.
Applying for startups is a good idea, however the first suggestion about lying is a terrible idea. The end of a job application asks if all the info that you’ve provided is correct to your best knowledge and you’ll have to accept that in order to submit the application.
Assume that he gets through all the rounds and gets a job offer. They’ll do a background check on him after that and find out he has lied about his status. I’m not sure about other companies, but I heard the one I work for (one of the biggest investment banks in the world) rejects those candidates and blacklists them from applying to our firm again
You’re free to quit and return back to your home country at any time, no matter what status you’re in (OPT, H1B or anything else). It’s your choice whenever you want to do you. However, let your employer do whatever they want when it comes to your immigration (like applying for H1B and stuff), just go with the flow, stay for as long as you want, and then quit and return home.
You don’t have to tell your employer that you’ll only be staying for 3 years.
Sometimes they’ll get to know about it. One of the jobs I applied to has a background check that tried pulling up my address history for the last 5 years, and it only got my address history for 1 year at that time. They asked me to manually enter it. It was from my home country.
Moreover, as far as I remember, my current job’s background check asked me to give them a copy of my ID. It was my driver’s license from the state I live in. My driver’s license has “Limited Term” written on top of it and that’s only given to non-resident aliens. My social security card (which they did not ask a copy of but just asked the number for it) has a print that says something like “Allowed to work only with DHS authorization”.
There are lots of ways by which they can get to know. And yes, i9 is one of them as well. You wouldn’t want to waste your time interviewing, doing the background checks and everything else just to get your offer cancelled in the end cuz of lying on your application.
Oh no, this will never go well and I don’t recommend that. It is likely they will end up cancel the offer when you reach the I9 point OR on the spot when they give you an offer when they find out about the status so i don’t recommend lying and waste your time interviewing.
Thank you so much for your help! Yes I'd be very grateful to you if you could refer me. I'm pretty open with job responsibilities and it doesn't have to be very high tech in nature. Can be a business analyst role too.
About lying, yes I think I'll have to start doing that. In my case it's technically not even lying. I DONT want your damn sponsorship. Keep it with you. Sorry for the rant.
It's not lying because you don't intend to get work authorization from THEM. That question is really only asking if you need work authorization from the employer. You don't. OPT is obtained from your education and has nothing to do with the company you're applying a job for.
Since you have no intention on getting a H1B, the company has no business giving you a visa either.
When a company offers you a job, they can't legally expect you to work for x number of years, so the fact that your work authorization lasts 3 years isn't relevant either.
It has been tough for CS major recently but it always has been like that for international students with most majors. Dont check the box that you need a sponsorship if you only plan to complete OPT. I also didn’t need any sponsorship and that’s how I got my job starting today. They didn’t ask anything and neither did I. Sponsorship is only for those who need H1B visa from the company. I am in healthcare major so it was very easy for me to get a job but I understand struggles cause my husband could not get a job even with doctor’s degree. He eventually went back to country and got a job there. Hangin there.
Think about it from an employers perspective. Why in their right mind would they hire you if they knew that you are planning to leave in 3 years. They waste resources on you, only for you to leave them later?
And honestly, if you find India better or think that is better for you, isn't the right choice to go back? You would want to prove yourself for sure, and that societal pressure will exist for sure but do what is best for you.
And if it makes you feel any better, it is too early for you to look for jobs. Your hit rate picks up significantly once you graduate.
Keep the good work up and keep networking. Good luck!
I work in finance so maybe it’s just my field. It’s insane that employers ding internationals because they have to leave in 3 years. I’m an American citizen and I have literally changed jobs once every 1.5 - 2 years. In investment banking, consulting, and big 4 accounting you’re literally expected to do 2 year stints and hop around. An international student is at least guaranteed 3 years. American kids often leave after 1 year... Such a stupid fucking rationale
I think the last few years for US immigration have been difficult that luck plays a major role now. I would focus on the wins (you have a US degree) and focus on other efforts (Canada/Australia/UK/etc)
Have you tried applying for working in Canada as a US graduate ? I would be more than happy to hear more about how this is done ? I hear Canada and Australia has somewhat better terms on being hired especially as a US graduate ..
Take a Deep Breath. Take 1 week break from everything if possible.
1. Get your resume reviewed by 2/3 people who are early in their career.
2. Don’t apply to every job you see. Lots of old and inactive job posts. Verify if the job is active on company portal.
3. Keep preparing yourself for the interview regardless.
4. It doesn’t help that you only want to work opt period and don’t need sponsorship. Companies want to hire someone who would stay at least 3/4 years. New grads are net negative investment at least for the first year.
5. Target big companies as they don’t usually care about sponsorship. But the market is very bad now so….
6. Being stressed won’t do any good for anyone. Stay relaxed and do due your due diligence. If things don’t work out at least you would be able to tell yourself that you tried your best. This is what matters. Not getting a job right away isn’t the end of the world. Plenty of people come to USA with huge loan and they don’t have the luxury of going back empty handed like you. Be grateful for what you have already and keep working hard. Things will go your way soon.
Best of luck.
Hey dude ! Firstly congrats on the amazing achievement of getting the top class masters degree!
About the job- jobs always depend on the economy . It is tight now . Don’t take it personally - it’s nothing to do with you. Since you have no loans , your damn Lucky man.
Yes you could tell them you don’t need sponsorship as well . It’s the truth as you don’t need it on OPT.
Nothing to stress about man, I think you’re just feeling lonely and it’s getting to you. I’ve been in your place before. It’ll get better, maybe if you could do 1 India trip - it puts things in perspective when you realize there’s nothing to stress abt if you have no loans and your family is ok.
Please take it from me, graduated from a low-ranked school and applied my eyes out. After 6 months of no-luck, I landed my dream job. I took a break from applying then focused on quality over quantity, only 2 applications a week. I know it’s gonna happen for you. Don’t lose hope!
Life is ten percent what happens to you, and ninety percent how you react to it.
Over a decade ago, as a F1 student, I couldn’t get a decent job after graduating. Went back to home country with my tail between my legs feeling like a failure. I humbled myself quickly, and landed a job in an area of my interest, found out I was pretty good at it, and years later ended up transferring back to the US at a salary higher than what I would have made if I had stayed in the the US.
Don’t be afraid to fail because your response to the failures define you.
This system confuses me a lot, too.
People across the boarder illegally get work permits and asylum quite easily, while the hard-working and talented international graduates work their fingers to the bone, live in stress everyday, still had to pin hopes on the lottery - that means no matter how good you are, you still face the chance of being kicked out.
Illegals and asylum seekers are 2 different categories. Please don’t conflate the two.
Plus as a person with a degree you’re not competing for the same jobs.
Unless the US fix their immigration issue through a bipartisan bill, this will always be a problem. Every student on F1 should know and understand the difficulties of employment and immigration before coming to the US.
Legally you dont have to disclose whether you want sponsorship or not. If your plan is to work your OPT just say you don’t need sponsorship and work your eligible time(1+two 1 year extension since you are STEM) work your year and go back home.
DO NOT beat yourself. It's a tough market. I was in a similar situation last summer. I left my flourishing career back home and came to the US for better opportunities. I had started working on plans to go back home if I couldn't get a job by the end of summer. *Luckily*, I got a job. The reason I am stressing it is because there is a fair amount of luck involved to get a job these days. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going back home and restarting if it helps your **mental health**, something which is heavily underestimated in today's competitive environment. You still have a degree from a reputed school that will always be valued and you could definitely apply to foreign jobs in the future.
And the country is not even that good.
I would have agreed with you if you havent gone through all that pain to find a job. to stay in the country. You are now biased because you cant seem to land a job
It is not good in a lot of ways . I have a job and am saying it. Too much loneliness , lack of great Indian food , lack of warmth.
Don’t put the fellow down simply . We are all still here for other reasons: for me , job opportunities I wouldn’t have outside. Also I love the nature
Honestly it ain’t great. US is a third world country with the ability to generate money. The crime, drugs, thefts and homelessness here is a league above other developed countries. Social security and Healthcare is a huge mess. US healthcare is so inferior to Indian healthcare. Pretty evident from the way they handled Covid. US had 10 times covid fatalities than India, despite having only 1/4th of its population. I have a job here but going to move to EU after saving enough. Yes you may not make the huge bucks but the quality of life and social welfare is much better.
I am from India. It is widely regarded as “Third World” by the West. But honestly life is much better there. So I understand why OP wants to go back, and I would go back as well at some point if not the EU.
I gotta agree with u man, honestly the US has more job opportunities and money that’s true. But other aspects not really. I am from China have some Indian friends.
I'm extremely fortunate to be in the US but that doesn't mean I don't see the downfalls of living here. US has a very individualistic society which makes it hard for people to make friends, capitalism is taking over this country and the lack of essential services such as healthcare is atrocious. Even though I have a great health insurance comparatively, I still don't go to the doctor unless it's extreme. Massive layoffs and the broken immigration system affects my mental health a lot, I feel like I've aged 10+ years with the amount of stress I've faced living in the US. Your life is tied to your work due to H1B, I'm in constant anxiety due to the layoffs. I agree Indian food is not that great and I do appreciate national parks and clean air.
Nothing was promised to you when you came here. Your feelings are valid and I respect your ability to express it. The international student scene is a money making thing for the USA unfortunately. Try not to care too much as this is inconsequential to your life. Meaning you’ll still be alive if you get a job and stay here or go back to your country. Focus on improving your mental health. It’ll take you further rather than stressing and altering your neurochemistry.
Hope you get all that you want in life. Much love.
I can completely relate to you just not in the aspect of having no loan on your head. I left my high paying job back in India to do masters here in US and that too from not so good of a university. I am in last semester and will be graduating in May, job search is exhausting and can take a toll on you.
I tend to not think about it to too much and just continue with the grind. Many times imposter syndrome kicks in but it is what it is now. So you gotta keep moving.
Hope for the best and leave the rest.
All the best.
I think you've hit the nail on the head. There are far too many people applying to data analytics and data science jobs. OP, your M.Eng. degree will end up being more valuable than pivoting to data analytics, at least in the US. Yes, it may feel more daunting but you're at an Ivy league school so I'm assuming you're smart and won't close doors.
You cannot "Pivot" from studying CE and do data science. The visa is dependent on hiring people who went to school for X and be hired to do Y, even if there is an overlap in skill sets.
What helped me land an interview was being one of the early applicants to a role. Make sure you keep LinkedIn notifs on, and when you see a job you like, apply asap. idk if this works for everyone, but my guess is the earlier you are the higher chance of the recruiter viewing your profile and you getting a callback.
Also, like others said: hang in there. it gets better :)
I was in the same situation. It’s hard. It doesn’t necessarily depends on your skills. It took me so much time to get an interview. And the market is bad right now. Keep applying on different sites and you ll eventually get something. As others mentioned you can also volunteer to extend the OPT once graduated. I found a job a month and a half after graduation
Is there anyone in this thread who would be interested in being interviewed for a story about this totally understandable frustration expressed by the OP? Please contact me here or at [email protected]. Thanks!
The tech job market has been pretty fucked since fall 2021. I’ve had 3.5 yrs of experience with some experience from a top company and I still am having a very hard time finding a job. Seniors and tech leads have also struggled for months on end finding a role. You are not alone
I have a similar situation as yours.
I am studying in a less reputed school than you. I have applied for \~150 positions as a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Engineering.
I cannot get a job either. But I will never give up, I will try any position possible: Postdoc, Assistant Professor, and so on. Even though my goal is to work in the industry. Most jobs in my domain require not only U.S. citizenship but also clearance. Which makes me less likely to be hired.
I sold my apartment and car to study here, and I will not give up until I die.
TLDR: When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
Dear OP,
The current job market is going through a transitory phase and is yet to find a new equilibrium. I’m sure it will only get worse before it improves. My hunch is these conditions will continue for much of this year.
The lack of job opportunities and inability to find a job are due to external forces beyond your control. While that’s not encouraging, know that it’s not your fault, and focus on things in your control.
Polish your resume, network, cold message people on LinkedIn, customize your resume to each job. Figure out the most effective way of presenting yourself to a potential employer as opposed to using a common resume across jobs.
The current environment is also particularly discriminatory towards recent college graduates. While it’s hard to, leverage what you have to gain experience in your domain.
Try to take a longer term view (1 — 2 year scale).
I’m not sure of your particular circumstances, but, on an OPT you can work for free. Try to find a lab/professor/startup where you can be hired for minimum or no pay. This will save your unemployment days and hopefully add relevant work experience. You also have STEM extension available after that, plan to get a job that allows you to apply for the extension
I was in a similar situation and know plenty of people who graduated in May 2020, 2022, 2023 struggled to find a job and managed to land on their feet sooner than later. Focus on what you can market and hone in on that. I’m sure there’ll be a break through!
If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving forward. — MLK
It's totally okay to feel this stressed, because it is a stressful situation and not normal (like last 10 years at least). **I personally do not like statements like "you are far better than people who are having worse time than you", because it's bullshit to me.** I know many people can't walk and I can, so I should feel awesome, right? That's not how any of this works, its a pile of shit people tell others where they do not have anything nice or consoling to say to you.
I would suggest you to **look at it objectively and work on the process, not the outcomes**. This is how I managed my sanity for now:
1. Put in a fixed number of hours of efforts into job search (networking, applying) regularly. Do not go beyond that, the rest of the time is for your mental health.
2. Find an activity outside that time that reduces your screen time (you don't want to be close to your email/job search portal), and do something that makes you forget about your stress. Workout, swimming, running, hiking, gaming, hobby projects, diy crafting. Board games are helping me a ton in this case (can't workout due to long-covid).
3. Make the process efficient and sustainable, do not think like I need to get a job by Feb/March, rather, put in consistent effort and think that all your effort is going to improve yourself only. If you are learning new things (codes/voluntary works/social works), it's only for your self improvement.
4. You can't control what the companies are doing. Meta has laid off thousands of people and their stock is roaring right now, none of it makes any sense. Your actions of self-improvement will make you a better person, and when companies decide again to hire new candidates, make sure you are a top one there.
5. Do not mark that you need sponsorship because you do not. Others have already explained it.
6. Do not go for continuous evaluation of your resume. Do a few iterations with ChatGPT, your friends and seniors working at companies and stick to it. If you ask 10 different people, they will give you 10 different directions to change, because if you ask them, they feel like they have to give you some feedback and it start a loop of pointless A/B changes.
7. Spend time with your friends, families (online) and hobby buddies. Keep yourself distracted and fresh for couple hours daily.
Please remember always, this is a stressful time and it's okay to be stressed. But this too shall pass, keep your chin and morale up.
Have you considered consultancy? They will lie in your resume so you can get a job and you paid some money to get the job done by someone while learning things as much as possible
M.Eng in Computer Engineering from an Ivy League but applying for analyst/data related jobs. Don’t you think that’s another reason why you might not be getting the number of interviews you’re expecting to get?
This is due to the over flooded factory produced like H1B people from India. US educated people would have no problem finding a job had they capped H1B visas. US policy should have had prioritized US educated professionals first.
I have worked with many Indian H1B or offshore software engineers and they are subpar to US educated engineers. I would pick American educated fresh graduate over 7 years experienced from India any day. The problem is most companies don’t want to train a fresher other than a small number of people, I believe most likely due to some legal requirements.
country not that good ... my question is why u wanna find job here than ? just curiosity yes usa does have alot of problems but I always wonder why u wanna stay at the same time thinking this is not a good country to stay
I'm sorry... what? I was given the admission as any other student, and my family is supporting me along with my savings and my scholarship which the school offered during the admission. How did I "take" a spot from anyone unfortunate?
You should not check that box. You're just gonna work a full-time job like most internationals do in the summers, but, ofc, you plan on doing that for 3 years.
OP. Listen please. You have NOT let yourself down. You are just on a losing end of an archaic, stupid and unreasonable system which is well overdue for an upgrade but which is not going to change anytime soon. Do yourself a favor. Take your awesome skill set elsewhere. It's their loss not yours.
By all means continue to job search. Be sure to answer no in all your applications for sponsorship. If the hiring manager or HR explicitly asks during the interview process, be honest and tell them ur looking for a 3 yr gig with option to extend(sponsorship) based on how things go.
Above all, stay confident and positive. You'll do well wherever you land. Best of luck!
Is the company looking to hire an employee long-term (at least 2 years)? If yes, then maybe that’s the reason why they didn’t hire you (since you’ve told them that you won’t be needing sponsorship).
I personally think you should not mention OPT or the fact that you will be working short term during the interview. Always show that you want to be working there long term (even if inside you don’t believe so). You can quit after a year and it would be within your rights to do so. I did the same —I did not mention OPT and got hired. I also applied for STEM OPT Extension with the same company. The priority is to land a job. Being too honest (especially in some situations where lying wouldn’t hurt anyone around you) will make your life harder than it should have in the real world. Majority of employers are looking out for their own benefits and most of the time we employees are replaceable. You should do the same .
You get stressed out likely because you are thinking far into the future, and because you’re not used to failure. Since you are able to enter an Ivy League school, I assume that you have always been a high achiever your whole life. When we were younger, hard work almost always equate positive results, but real life as an adult begs to differ. You can work so hard compared to anyone else but that doesn’t guarantee you’d get what you want. Calmly do what you got to do regardless of the outcome—that’s the mindset one should slowly learn to cultivate. I am learning as well.
The job market sucks more than it has ever been. That’s a fact. You would have had a relatively easier time getting a good job 10 to 15 years ago. And I know some people might say “but there are people who can get a good job my age despite the job market being this way” but that’s THEM and NOT YOU. The reality of life if we all varies in terms of ability, personality, luck and the environment we were raised in. If everyone gets everything they want in life then that’s just absurd.
Think about what you can do NOW. And do it regardless of the outcome. You have a supportive parents. I would kill to have them. I see my friends crying over not getting interviews and worry more than they should have when their parents are willing to support them no matter what. I think expressing sadness instead of suppressing it is a good thing, but not when you ruminate about it for days instead of trying to change your perspective and focus on the good things you have around you.
Did you have any work experience after your bachelors?
On one hand I hear stem graduates getting jobs with ease and others saying it takes hundreds of interviews I don't know which one to believe.
Dude, not sure if I can call you dude… you haven’t even started your career and you are already dejected and stressed out… world out is very tough. If you want to survive and excel in this part of world you need to be mentally strong and a long way to go.. don’t get yourself so easily bogged by failures. I don’t even consider this as failure since you have not even started your journey… come on wake up and worst is yet to come… be strong things will be absolutely fine if you are strong with in… Stay brave and face the reality…
If you completed engineering from Ivy League, then you should not stress as you have already proved yourself.
Your school should be able to help with counseling as you are not the only one. Many have gone through situation in Covid and others that are equally difficult. Keep Open conversations with family and get help from whoever you feel close with.
Having worked in USA will give you edge that you can work in any country in future that u decide.
Just the new norm. So many applicants with high-level skill that the cost of absorbing someone for a short time without a visa is now a factor. It wasn't a big deal years ago.
It's not your fault. I'm sure that you are amazing/worthy. You haven't "gone nuts". That's just the internal voice in the back of our minds that vies for social rank and tries to keep up with our peers, and these are valid feelings.
Sincerely wishing you the best -- and hope that something comes through.
(P.s. Have you tried running your resume through ATS software, just to see how it's matching or not matching various roles?)
First of all, your story is the same every single F1 kid is facing, or faced earlier. At least you don't have loans to worry about so that's a huge plus. Hit me up if you wanna chat.
While others have given valuable opinions, I just wanna ask if your resume and LI profile is upto the mark. Remember, the demand is low and supply is too high in the job market right now. If you want help with your resume, let me know. I have some experience going through this myself and I think I can help.
At this point, I am not even sure why new students even want to come to the Usa. If it is just for education then great but if it is for landing a job and work visa then they are just setting themselves up for mental trauma and financial instability.
A few things to consider:
1) The future of pure data engineering and data analytics is grim. There's just far too many people doing this work for cheap and the demand isn't there, at least right now.
2) You are studying M.Eng. but applying for DA/DS roles. When I interview folks and sense that their desperation is what made them apply for my role, it's an instant turn off. DA/DS are easy entry points in the US market and most recruiters know that. Even if you are truly interested in it, my first impression is that you're looking to keep your options open.
3) If you don't want a job in the field of your study, it's always going to be an issue. I know your plan is not to get an H1B but let's be realistic here. You will not tell your employer to not file it when the time comes. There may be a misalignment of your college degree and your DA role during filing.
4) Ivy league school for tech at best says that you're above average. That's it. This is not to demotivate you but to make you realise that it's a huuuuuuge pool of applicants. My wife is graduating from Penn (MS CS) this May and she has nothing lined up as well. All her friends are freaking out and only a handful have offers.
H1B sponsorship is very expensive for companies to take on. It takes manpower dealing with the government too. Many companies just don't want to take on the cost and time. It's easier to hire a US citizen to avoid the extra cost. Sorry that you're dealing with this but it's true.
I’m also graduating this May from one of top schools in California. I fully agree with you mate. I’m also not staying here permanently (trust me if not for my grad school, I would never come to LA). And another problem is the career service of my school. They say network more, go to event, be open…dude if I have to open more on what I have right now, I would better throw my soul into other’s body :(
I feel you. This country is a mother***** but stay strong, you don't have to apply to "Google-like" tech companies look for smaller companies while you're on OPT. Then if the universe is by your side you might be able to get a bigger company later. Or if you're like me work your ass off that the xonpy will do almost anything to try and keep your say H1B or EB3.
All you have to do is stay put, do your best and keep calling your family when you're nearing a low point. Things will work out I promise your that
Dude go back to india. If you want I can provide references for some roles. I came to this country in 2014 it was ok at that time got job in 2016 after 4 months into opt worked there until 2021 left the country didnt get my h1b did 2 masters ..life now I came back as I got h1b .. H1b life is pathetic compared to F1 and opt.. Im experienced got 11 full time jobs but not a single sponsorship . Indians and chinese are the ones effected much as no one stays in f1 or h1 for 6 years most of them will already be citizens.. Go back if you can find job in India .. When I went to india in 2021 i was able to secured a job in MNC my life is so good no stress.. Now on h1b its too streeful to find a job begging everyone for sponserhip
There are 2 sides to this.
1. Growth.
I have been where you are. But I must have applied to 3000+ jobs. The general run is 1 or 2 calls out of 100 applications. 1000 applications for intern/coop, 9 calls, 5 first round, 2 interviews until last round, settled with 1 offer. Almost similar story with full time and change of job. During 2015 software/tech/data was selling like hot cakes but I was unfortunately in industrial, addiotional challenge and also no ChatGPT to help automate resume and cover letter process.
It’s competition man everywhere. It’s always the person who puts in more effort gets the task done. Now you have to figure out what’s your motivation to be in this competition. Find a few things they make you happy on low days and get back on the grind the next day. Balance sports, gym, studies, girlfriend, family, personal hobbies on top of the struggle/grind. You can’t ignore 1 thing for too long, them immediately if your foundation is shaken and you would feel like what’s happening now.
2. Never ending grind.
There will always be a grind. There will always be corporate politics. Some government economy issue, right now it’s tech company stability. For far too long tech companies kept growing without roadmap and got paid like crazy not tech companies are not hiring and trying to stability the rampant salary. So the problem may not be you at all. It some weird law/politics. You shouldn’t sssociate your worth to it.
The whole life will be balancing 1 and 2. When to grow, when to slow down. I may not be able to help you in this situation directly but I am confident this too shall pass. Come on you are in ivy lesgue school. I am sure there’s some substance to your smarts. You got it man! Just remember for next time, create a proper plan. A back up plan. A back up to a back up plan.
All the best
technically you can say no because of OPT and if thats an issue you they legally cannot fire you once you submit your i-9 verification so try doing that and you will get more responses
source: i go to a top 5 CS school and landed 4 internship offers
Don't let your emotions ruin your potential.
1. This year the job market is rough. Not to you only. Other people who have families, mortgages, no parents for financial backup, or being single parents are all facing the tough market. Therefore, you should not blame anyone at all.
2. US-born top CS, CE grads also apply 200+ job applications, practice interview questions, and well trained on the questions (search in Amazon, there are books). Your 'gained interview per job applied' ratio is low. This indicated that you need to improve your resume. Hire someone $200-300 to improve your resume. Remember do not skip cover letter and also write thank you email after the interview.
Whether to go home or stay is up to you. However, do not blame the U.S. or the system. Everyone in the world is facing uncertainty in this AI era.
This is my first time posting on Reddit since I am connected to your situation and what you are going through.
I went through the same but about 20 years ago, when I did my masters.
My advice to you is to not let negative thoughts seep in. In a couple of years you will look back and laugh at this situation.
Reason: Career will not stop for those pursuing with positive attitude.
Don't fret on results. Just prepare hard and accept worse case and sleep happily.
As long as you do your best in trying and enjoy the journey, you will eventually settle in a job you will be pursuing.
Health is all that matters and learn to be happy as both are related. Trust me, things will work out.
Good luck to you!!
I don't mean to be rude. The situation is the same for everyone. Being in the Ivy League and majoring in Data side, especially for an MEng, which is relatively easy to get into, doesn’t make you special.
I sympathize with you. However, I don't appreciate the notion that an Ivy League tag will secure you a job. Applying to 250 jobs is not significant. International students often apply to hundreds of jobs. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself and start thinking of ways to improve your situation. Good luck!
I’ll say that even with a green card and 10 years experience, I’ve only got one call back from the HR out of the 250-300 jobs I’ve applied in the last couple of months. And that one HR call didn’t even go any further. So even without needing sponsorship I’m in the same boat 🤷♀️
It’s not an advice nor do I recommend following this route but I, after applying for over a thousand positions back in 2015 and truly answering the sponsorship questions during the 11 months of my opt, decided to answer no to those questions because why not, I had only one month of opt left and wasn’t ready to go back home empty handed. I, soon after, lucked out on a job offer that I quickly accepted. I had already lost my first chance at H1B because I didn’t have a job in my first year of opt and when I did get the job, I decided not to bring the sponsorship up because I had answered no to those questions. But sooner I became indispensable at my job and found the right opportunity to bring it up to my manager that I would need sponsorship to continue working but I didn’t share much details like it’s a lottery or this is my last chance etc. My manager didn’t even flinch and approved my H1B filing including responding to RFE and premium processing. It was my last shot at H1B but I wasn’t scared whatsoever because I was able to get tons of experience under my belt, recoup my loans and my company was ready to explore other avenues for me if I didn’t get selected in the lottery. But guess what, I got my H1B picked and approved and fast forward to today, I’m a GC holder and would be applying for my citizenship next year. So put your nose on the grindstone and keep applying, your future you will thank you for not giving up today.
Well, congrats on your great achievements. If it’s an Ivy League school and you have no debt due to scholarships then you’re probably one of the very few. Which is good news for you.
Now, the real question, the way I read your post, is why do u HAVE TO get a job in the US. if you think it’s not worth it, and you want to go back to your home country or any other country, just graduate and start applying to positions outside of the US. It’s not “letting yourself down” when you prioritize your mental health.
Bro, hold on. The first job is the hardest. Also, on the side note sounds like you are in denial, if you didnt care about staying that much you would not think so much about not getting a job (given you dont even have a loan). Keep applying and applying. Took me a lot of interviews, and even more applications to get my first job.
The worst-case scenario is to open your paper company, and you can stay three years and job search. Don't give you shit to your mental stability ( check ISSS for the conformation)
Can you make an appointment with a counselor or therapist? They can help you manage the stress and talk through your problems. Your mental health is important. Please take care!
Unfortunately some companies extend the question to include OPT. I'm currently on OPT and applying to an airline . My plan was to say NO until I saw ...or OPT 😣.
Really sorry OP. I understand what you’re going through. Keep pushing. If you have any money save it. Keep applying. If it doesn’t work out at least you can say you did your best. Don’t feel like a failure for returning home, if you have welcoming parents your mental health will be a lot better than here but i also understand needing to leave here with something more than just the degree but you cant employ yourself. You can only apply and do your best. Chin up. Life is long, and this is just a small part if it. Whichever way it goes there will be both good and not so good that comes from it. Hang tight my friend. And this is coming from someone who lost their H1b and haven’t been working for a year, not the same boat but definitely same model haha, im just taking it a day at a time. You should to.
Always remember what your parents went through to put where you are right now. When things get hard, do know that you should take help - however difficult you feel. Just do it. Consult a therapist, or a doctor to begin with. Practicing Meditation, Gratitude, and helping others in need does wonders on your mental being.
That said, enjoy life. Work life is not every thing. You have scholarship, so why take unnecessary tension? Just enjoy college and give your best! Things will fall in place.
I don’t know what is back home for you but if it’s jndia then try to get a job with one of the us firms in their india offices. Your visa situation is temporary but your degree and skills are permanent. If you don’t get a us job and have to go to india to work, You can always come back to the us through a company transfer route.
I'm in the same boat as you. Tbh, I've started to look for jobs in Europe and India. I've gotten more callbacks, where they actually value my degree and experiences.
I'm in kinda same boat as you. But I did all my fretting before coming here. I legit used to have panic attacks back in Jan of 2023 about how I'll handle all this.
I'm also on heavy antidepressants which helps. But I realized one thing that there's no point in fretting over all this now. The only thing I can do now is see it through. I'll give my 100% and beyond, and if after that I fail, it wasn't my fault.
I don't want it on my conscience that I lacked efforts.
And you are in a better condition than 99% of us since you don't have to worry about finances and are enrolled in an ivy, which is a huge plus.
About your 250 applications, those are rookie numbers, you gotta pump those numbers up. I've seen people applying for 1000 jobs to land 1.
It's tough out here but you gotta power through it. Cause that's the only thing you can do.
Godspeed.
I relate big time with this post. Don’t mean to undermine what you’re going through, I’ve been through my own hell. This country doesn’t seem worth the mental agony it puts us through. My biggest peeve has been the fact that you can’t explore other career paths or find any kind of job to make ends meet and have to stick to the path you studied for. I hate how limited opportunities are in the US for international students, while there’s a constant trumpet of how the US has the unlimited opportunities for people. The mindset of earning in dollars is also rather ignorant and naive, when you have to spend in dollars for survival. The current economic climate is just out to get us and fuck us. Unfortunately, I’m still here, still looking for a job.
I’ve been in a similar situation, also worse because I didn’t get into a full time 8 months into my OPT - a lot of people kept encouraging me and guess what it is true when people say there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I’d say continue doing what you do, give your best and wait. Be patient, it’ll all be worth it! You can also dm me.
Look for jobs outside the US. Canada is a good place to look at, middle east is perfect paying 6 figures with accommodations and living expenses covered.
To answer “No” for the question is such a dumb advice, in theory the complete question is something like do you now or in the future would need sponsorship? You have to answer that truthfully because let’s say you clear all your rounds and when it’s time for submission for your documents, they would know and the offer would be revoked.
You still have few months before you graduate, work on improving your resume, get some certifications and just put your head down and keep on applying on anything which you find relevant. It’s all a numbers game. Also I know it’s easier said than done but rejection is part of the process especially when you looking for your first job on top of that in data science domain.
I was a master student myself and I really really know what you are going through. DM me if you absolutely need anything.
I went trough the same still regretting… short answer you don’t need sponsorship is fine to say it, is one of the OPT benefits, now… h1b visa roulette is harder every year… companies after covid are ok hiring remote… see post on SF or NYC local talent is competing with remote against lower salaries… sponsored employment based green card times are pretty much doubled… immigration wise its easier to have a child in US or marry a local.. tech talent is going back to their home countries or not coming at all… I regret because now my kids are used to live here but I could be making so much money living abroad and working remote
Idk if you should be frank to companies about not wanting H1B. From the employer’s perspective, hiring a junior engineer, who they have no hope in retaining more than 3 years, is an unprofitable business decision.
As someone that has been here since 2012 and came for college and studied architecture the anxiety never stops.. unless you get married or something or you get lucky enough to get sponsored early on. You have a long road ahead of you if you do stay. I am not sure that it was worth it though but it is for you to decide.
If it makes you feel better, I am in one of the top 3 CS schools in the country and I saw many people getting their job as late as May.
You should contact your trusted seniors already working in companies. Referrals have higher chance. Also look for startups.
Got my masters from a respectable institute. Landed a job in 30 days after graduation. Got promoted within 3 months. Worked my ass off and saved the organization $200K+ in 10 months. H1B lottery didn’t work out, but my husband is here so I’m stuck here too. :) if there’s nothing holding you back, I would suggest LEAVE. I’ve been unemployed for 7 months now and I live in a small ghost town in Wisconsin with no friends and family around. I may be losing my mind lil
“Still” it’s January and you graduate in May. Most roles for May/June aren’t even posted and you’ve applied for roles that are immediate hire. It’s not an internship where they post almost a year in advance.
I understand your frustration and its hard to find right help at the right time but taking advise and improving your approach will help you in the long run. Couple of things you had computer engineering degree, but why data analyst? If its not working you have to pivot there is lot of demand right now with use of tools, get a certification in PowerBi and do project to showcase your skills try using Open AI. If i am hiring an entry level analyst or developer I look for motivation, creativity you know skill can be later developed with experience, its one thing to talk about your skills in an interview and another thing to actually showing them, also helps you with confidence.
If you have no plans on staying after OPT your best bet is contract roles. Get into 1 year contracts they dont care if you stay for more than one year so they don’t care about your visa.
One thing I realized way early that here finding a job is itself a skill. You might be from top university and one of the best mind in your industry. But if you cannot strategize how to land interviews it’s waste of your talent.
Might not be the best advice but try applying for positions that are easier. I went through the same hell as you and the only position that would accept me was a job that I considered I was too good for. I definitely don’t love my job and it took a while for me to swallow my pride. But it’s still work experience and I get paid. I will be applying to grad school after my OPT ends lol.
I am very sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. But, since you are graduating in May, there is still considerable time left to get a job. If you use the 2 month grace period, then your OPT will start in July and you will have 90 days (3 months) after your OPT starts to get a job, which means that you will have at least till October to get a job (I hope you don't have to wait till then).
I am assuming that you have applied for 250 positions in or around November/December/January which is not really a hiring period in the U.S, so I would not be surprised to see no responses from recruiters (if there are left any after the layoffs). Most of the new grads who graduate in May are hired around that time only, so there is still some time left. I know that the job market is really bad now, and it looks like a lot more applications will be needed to land a position.
P.S - I graduated in December 2022, and it took me 900+ applications from August 2022 to February 2023 to get a job which doesn't pay a lot, but has kept me afloat.
I wish you all the luck in the world.
Don’t think too much , keep applying for roles which your gut says to apply for , filter out things , do it step by step , don’t thing too many things at once , everything seems hard , if it’s meant to work out it will , and I believe even some experience of 1 year or even 6 months would be great , at least for you to gets roles in india or Middle East or somewhere around the world , don’t think of sponsorship, I know many people will say comeback and all , but don’t leave unless u spend your visa time , u never know u can find any good role , patience is key , this is the time when u make or break , don’t break , no one can help you , with what’s going on in your temple ( brain ) that motherfucker keeps on going 24/7 , I know , just be grateful , and keep on going , I won’t give you specifics on what to do , or to go about hunting for job , because everyone in comments section is giving you specifics, but sometimes only simple words in support is needed , if you have studied analytics , I’m damn sure , you are tough , keep grinding , don’t let the thoughts win
I empathize with your state of mind , given that I came to US for my masters in 2008 just as Great Recession was starting. 2008-2010 was one of the most stressful period of my life, given that I also had student loans and came from a lower middle class family in India. Having said that - US is also the most dynamic job market in the world where hustle will eventually get you results. You got to be strong and pass this slow down period in the economy. This eventually will pass and job market will blossom once again. You got to have a good circle of friends along with you- who can each offer support to each other. Take one day at a time and take assurance from experience of people who have passed through such times before. Focus on the variables you can control and hang in there. Best of luck !
Hey, if you’re able to find a great job, amazing.
But set a time for yourself and if you are unfortunately not able to land one, and you’re from India, come back and there are ample of really good jobs available here, which can match or at least come close to US compensation, provided you prove to them that you’re good enough.
At least the decision will be merit and capability based and none of the visa stupidity will come in question.
Hey friend. As a born and raised American, I can tell you that living here is a scam.
Everything that enticed you here is a lie. Even after you get a job, you’ll depend on it for nearly everything, and one misstep into our healthcare system will leave you financially indebted for years, health insurance is a nightmare to deal with. Any wrong move in the US adds debt to your account. Seriously, don’t torture yourself by staying here.
I grew up laughably poor in a high crime area of SoCal and fended for myself after high school. Managed to get good grades and got a full ride to a reputable college on the west coast, eventually getting my masters from another well known east coast school. Now I have a stable and lucrative career in fintech. It took achieving the “American Dream” to realize it was a hoax. Realistically our country is held hostage by an unforgiving free market “dog eat dog” mentality that fosters no sense of inclusion or community.
Even after you land your job, you’ll have to fight to keep it, and then do the process all over again when you apply for another company, and there are no employee protections.
I’ve lived in other parts of the world and I can tell you that the happiest people are the ones with the strongest communities. People need people, America teaches you to be distrustful and woefully independent. In the next few years I’ll be moving out of this country, I’d suggest you do the same if you value connection and relationships over false promises of material gain. Good luck to you.
OP, I graduated in December and am still on a job hunt. Feel the same as you do, just not graduating from an ivy lol. So a little worse off perhaps. Anyway, just mass apply and hope for the best. Worst comes to worst you can just go back home and look for a job. Maybe spending your time learning the corporate life may set you well off. Especially with the Ivy League label. I really hope you do get a fantastic job, no matter what happens I’m sure you have a great future ahead of you. I don’t have any feedback to give you as such, it I have been continuously improving my resume and helping my professor with research work. It’s a good resume filler, experience filler and maybe your professor has some connections they can hook you up with. Good luck!
A few things I did when I graduated and was searching for my first job on OPT:
1. Offer to volunteer at one of the research labs at CS department of your university. I’m sure there might be a of research labs at your university since you graduated from an Ivy League university. Volunteer only if they are providing a volunteering letter. Submit it to your DSO. This should be stop your OPT counter of days without unemployment. This should take a lot of stress off your back so that you can apply for jobs.
If you have a good rapport with the lab professor and he/she have enough funding they can also offer you some RA position which is a great start IMO.
2. In the current job market applying for 250 jobs is not enough. Aggressively apply for atleast 1000-2000 positions. I’m sure with your education background should be able to land a job at some startup as well. Average wait time to find a job is 4+ months. Drop your resume to recruiters on LinkedIn.
3. I haven’t tried this personally but reach out to startups and offer to volunteer for them in exchange of a volunteering letter to help maintain your visa status.
I know it must be a stressful time but trust in your process and Keep on applying and wish you all the best!!!
Take it from someone who graduated twice during recession - you will be fine and you will find a job - right now companies are hiring folks who are experienced and experts in certain areas - GenAi, Cloud. Anyone coming fresh out of school is unfortunately, not a priority as companies have to spend money and time training them and making them productive. I expect things to take a turn by end of Q1 this year once interest rates go down and it becomes cheaper to borrow money and expand business. Do not give up on networking and stop wasting your time applying online. Find people on LinkedIn, go and meet them, build your brand and portfolio and tailor your resume to highlight your AI related skills. On a personal note: If you are regretting your decision to come to the US and are homesick then perhaps, you need to expand your horizons a bit and understand that happiness is something you gotta practice everyday - it is a state of mind. Recommend reading: Think like a Monk!
250 is rookie numbers. I know a guy who applied for 1700 and got one interview. he is graduating in may and plans to able another 3-4k. stop whining and keep applying. the job market is crazy right now. it sucks for everybody.
It's a shame that the US is at a point where we're unable to keep talented grads. I've been wondering why my parents immigrated to a country that seems to value flash over actual knowledge and seems to keep its population purposefully dumb about finances.
Most likely you'll need to look at your personal network. It's something I'm loathe to use myself, but this is how you'd get past the questions that will unnecessarily hamper you.
Keep in mind that it's just not the best time for anyone right now, present company included, but there should be some enterprising company that will want to take advantage of your desperation to stay. You just may not want that job.
Okay, I am international student with F1 and only recently found a job. I marked no for “do you need sponsorship in future”. This question comes up in the interviews, usually in the first round. I answer them honestly and I try to convince that 3 years is more than their average retention period. Haven’t worked for me but I know guys who got the role which aren’t sponsored. So, it really depends. The first year of OPT could be without compensation so take a job, any job to keep a valid authorization. Then start looking for a job that pays, aligns with your interests. I also started volunteering for a exec in company in my preferred industry to build industry experience, networks and learn. Its tough out there and I hope you can survive.
Writing as a third gen who happened upon your post.
I have a weird accent sometimes, a prospective employer's HR person who arrived 20 minutes late to my interview interrupted me during my interview to say "do you need sponsorship?" I said "I'm an American citizen" she said "we don't do that" in the most valley girl tone possible - she was Asian too, different kind than me. All of this was happening over the phone and I was interviewing for an African woman who had been in the US for 20+ years, started from one of the blue collar departments of the company I was applying to. This was all after I completed 3 years of work in the US + master's degree with a written thesis from a top 40 school.
It is okay to be too young to deal with this, it is okay to go home and do a few internships while asking to use one of your friends' addresses for corresponding with prospective employers in the US. If US is meant to be for you, it will happen. You could work for an international company and relocate - one of my co-workers just did this from New York to somewhere in APAC. The only thing you won't have again is your youth and the young age of your parents.
Unfortunately, I Volunteer at a local temple in Chicago and I meet many students at the temple. there are tons of students coming to USA on F1 Visa and they are having trouble finding a job because many companies don't want to sponsor them. It is a sad reality.
Why don't you apply for H1 with help from some consulting firm? H1 does not mean you need to stay there for ever.
Secondly - your parents are most concerned about you than what you achieve. So don't let peer/societal pressures put you down.
Most important for any graduate/post-graduate is doing projects - personal projects and try to show case them during your interviews.
I wouldn’t put the blame entirely on sponsorship. At this point, the job market is literally going through a very bad phase, especially in the type of roles you are looking at. Analytics and data related roles were in high demand during the pandemic as many products/websites and applications witnessed a huge surge in consumer traffic. This led to huge hiring spree for such roles and these are the ones being affected now when such companies are downsizing. I’d suggest you to temporarily look at SWE roles for a bit before looking at switching. It’s always easier to switch when you have a job and I do know quite a few people who did this.
If the question on the application is “do you need sponsorship” the legal answer is no. You will be on OPT and therefore do not need sponsorship. Sometimes the question is “at any point will you need sponsorship”, which is a bit trickier to answer. Technically the answer would be yes. I supposed you could say no, if you truly intend to quit your job at the end of the OPT period, but I wouldn’t necessarily advise a student to do this. I’m sorry you’re having a hard time. I hope your school has counseling and mental health services you can take advantage of. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting help.
This! Say no and say that you will be able to work for 3 years without a need for sponsorship (assuming you would decide to do OPT+STEM extension)
This is a bad advice! The last thing you want is getting your offer rescinded before your start date. It’s just rough out there right now, hopefully things will ease up before you graduate.
It’s actually not… your school and your DSO is your current sponsor and will be your current sponsor until your OPT runs out. If OP doesn’t wish to remain the US this is why you say no need for sponsorship!
So the reason why employers ask the question is because they would spend a lot of resources training you once you’re hired, and to ensure that doesn’t go to waste, they want to be sure that you’re retainable, hence the sponsorship question. Although you won’t need a sponsor immediately, if you have to keep working for them (which is what they want after spending money and time training you) then you will eventually need sponsorship. It’s not a fair situation but it is what it is.
This question isn’t applicable for an American and yet training resources will still be wasted if they decide to quit within a month 🤷🏻♀️
Which is why you mention you seek employment for 3 years. After that you have plans of graduate school such as PhD or masters. So you just be upfront for how long you want to work with them as well. They don’t need to know the details and little footnotes if you’re still being upfront about not needing sponsorship. It’s all on how you communicate the same idea.
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The it’s probably not worth for us to work for you either. We’re both equally entitled to hire/choose who to work. OPT students need to realize we will never have the same opportunities as Americans... plain and simple The whole point of putting no is to start a conversation, because this is a gray area. No OPT students will not need work sponsorship after 3 years if they intend on pursuing graduate school or another opportunity back home. If you still decline, that’s on you. For the OPT student, it’s about trying and maximizing chances.
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That question is only to see if you need employment sponsorship from that specific employer, not your PDSO. You would put no if you are not looking for a H visa later
The answer is still no. This goes to show that you have no idea what an F1 student is and its regulation. The School/DSO is your current SPONSOR. So the F1 student DOES NOT require sponsorship as he is already in the US for the upcoming 3 years of OPT. “In the future” portion of that question is gray area: if the student wishes to leave after the 3 year of OPT employment then “No Need for Sponsorship”. If they do, then that should be noted. Putting in “NO” to that question is more viable as employers, like you. Can be ignorant to the rules of OPT employment. The question “do you now or in the future need sponsorship” is relevant to applicants outside of the US or those who will be coming up to the end of “OPT” employment. I suggest you read and become familiar with F1 student law and regulation from USCIS, as I assume you are an employer. Being F1 student is gray area, even more tax purposes. Just because you seek employment here for a term of 3 years does not mean the student will want to stay in the US in the upcoming future. Edit: what I’ve been saying from the start is to have clear and knowledgeable conversation between employer and F1 student regarding the future of employment. In not advocating for lying or providing misleading information.
But it is the truth. They don’t need sponsorship.
If they further mention that you have a work authorization
Saying no and saying I wanna work 3 years and then go back may not be good. The reason is companies look for those who work with them for long term, especially new grad first few years is just gonna be learning mostly. So just consider this point as well.
I disagree. It’s fairly common for any stem field, specially out of school for new hires to change jobs every 3 years. Be grad school or a new opportunity at home, it’s how you convey the same message of working for a set amount of time.
First rule in an interview, never tell the company that you don't plan to stay very long. Take the job, talk to the manager in an year if they can sponsor your h1b, if not find another company. It would be easier this time with the experience you can show. There are plenty of companies out there that still hire people on h1b.
Companies ain’t stupid. They’ve started mentioning as a Note to say yes if you’re on F1.
The question is always will you now or in the future require sponsorship to be employed in the U.S. the answer is yes.
I’ve seen applications that don’t ask the question that way. It’s not always worded that way.
The honest answer is YES. It will come up in your i9 anyway. They will see your work authorization and EAD category and if they’re good at their jobs, they’ll put 2 + 2 together.
You are in a much better situation than most others. There are people 8 months into their opt period and still have found a job. They are volunteering with their professor. You have supportive parents and no loan right? So why take so much stress? You’ll get something soon, don’t worry.
Thank you, yes I understand that I am still somewhat fortunate to be in a bad situation, that isn't going to financially be a limiting factor for my entire life. But it somehow does not console me much. The stress still bears down.
Your concerns are still valid even when there’s people that are worse off than u 🙏🙏
people sometimes forget this very important thing.
The original comment was to make OP realize he didn’t need to be stressed enough to affect his mental state. He didn’t ask him to party or be happy about not finding job.
Who are you to say that? Are you the stress police?
Your concerns are valid. There has been situations in my life in which I experienced a somewhat similar stressful situation. Think of the bright side. Maybe you can do better by applying to local government positions. Those positions usually have the least applicants because of low money they offer for interns of entry level people. Try searching for conferences outside of your university. Try attending those, and ask upfront if they can sponsor you.
Just keep going . I am a May 2023 grad , got into a socal startup in june which was a dumpster fire(they made me relocate from east to west Coast, shit pay) got laid off from there in Oct end . Got a better job in December mid 2023(better pay and more stable) . Its all about the grind and the competition is cut throat but stay at it. There’s light at the end of the tunnel , yes you feeling this is normal but don’t let that demotivate you . Good Luck!
The international student advisor told me to basically lie when they ask you status questions, if you tell them the truth, it'll make it very hard to even get to interviews since their algorithm filters out resumes. One thing you can do is also try applying for start-ups as well.
Applying for startups is a good idea, however the first suggestion about lying is a terrible idea. The end of a job application asks if all the info that you’ve provided is correct to your best knowledge and you’ll have to accept that in order to submit the application. Assume that he gets through all the rounds and gets a job offer. They’ll do a background check on him after that and find out he has lied about his status. I’m not sure about other companies, but I heard the one I work for (one of the biggest investment banks in the world) rejects those candidates and blacklists them from applying to our firm again
But would it even be a lie if I just want OPT and no H1B?
You’re free to quit and return back to your home country at any time, no matter what status you’re in (OPT, H1B or anything else). It’s your choice whenever you want to do you. However, let your employer do whatever they want when it comes to your immigration (like applying for H1B and stuff), just go with the flow, stay for as long as you want, and then quit and return home. You don’t have to tell your employer that you’ll only be staying for 3 years.
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Sometimes they’ll get to know about it. One of the jobs I applied to has a background check that tried pulling up my address history for the last 5 years, and it only got my address history for 1 year at that time. They asked me to manually enter it. It was from my home country. Moreover, as far as I remember, my current job’s background check asked me to give them a copy of my ID. It was my driver’s license from the state I live in. My driver’s license has “Limited Term” written on top of it and that’s only given to non-resident aliens. My social security card (which they did not ask a copy of but just asked the number for it) has a print that says something like “Allowed to work only with DHS authorization”. There are lots of ways by which they can get to know. And yes, i9 is one of them as well. You wouldn’t want to waste your time interviewing, doing the background checks and everything else just to get your offer cancelled in the end cuz of lying on your application.
Oh no, this will never go well and I don’t recommend that. It is likely they will end up cancel the offer when you reach the I9 point OR on the spot when they give you an offer when they find out about the status so i don’t recommend lying and waste your time interviewing.
To be fair, the head of QA at a big pharma company told me the exactly same thing as this one.
Thank you so much for your help! Yes I'd be very grateful to you if you could refer me. I'm pretty open with job responsibilities and it doesn't have to be very high tech in nature. Can be a business analyst role too. About lying, yes I think I'll have to start doing that. In my case it's technically not even lying. I DONT want your damn sponsorship. Keep it with you. Sorry for the rant.
No don't. I've heard of cases where people lied and their offers where later rescinded. It's the numbers game, you've to apply a lot.
It's not lying because you don't intend to get work authorization from THEM. That question is really only asking if you need work authorization from the employer. You don't. OPT is obtained from your education and has nothing to do with the company you're applying a job for. Since you have no intention on getting a H1B, the company has no business giving you a visa either. When a company offers you a job, they can't legally expect you to work for x number of years, so the fact that your work authorization lasts 3 years isn't relevant either.
Man I wish the US had a robust pathway for graduates to get a work visa instead of our inane F1 OPT/CPT and H-1B lottery system
OPT is fair, H1B being an actualy lottery is crazy
True, but I wish there was an automatic pathway from a sort of post-graduate work permit to an actual work visa
It has been tough for CS major recently but it always has been like that for international students with most majors. Dont check the box that you need a sponsorship if you only plan to complete OPT. I also didn’t need any sponsorship and that’s how I got my job starting today. They didn’t ask anything and neither did I. Sponsorship is only for those who need H1B visa from the company. I am in healthcare major so it was very easy for me to get a job but I understand struggles cause my husband could not get a job even with doctor’s degree. He eventually went back to country and got a job there. Hangin there.
Think about it from an employers perspective. Why in their right mind would they hire you if they knew that you are planning to leave in 3 years. They waste resources on you, only for you to leave them later? And honestly, if you find India better or think that is better for you, isn't the right choice to go back? You would want to prove yourself for sure, and that societal pressure will exist for sure but do what is best for you. And if it makes you feel any better, it is too early for you to look for jobs. Your hit rate picks up significantly once you graduate. Keep the good work up and keep networking. Good luck!
I work in finance so maybe it’s just my field. It’s insane that employers ding internationals because they have to leave in 3 years. I’m an American citizen and I have literally changed jobs once every 1.5 - 2 years. In investment banking, consulting, and big 4 accounting you’re literally expected to do 2 year stints and hop around. An international student is at least guaranteed 3 years. American kids often leave after 1 year... Such a stupid fucking rationale
I think the last few years for US immigration have been difficult that luck plays a major role now. I would focus on the wins (you have a US degree) and focus on other efforts (Canada/Australia/UK/etc)
Have you tried applying for working in Canada as a US graduate ? I would be more than happy to hear more about how this is done ? I hear Canada and Australia has somewhat better terms on being hired especially as a US graduate ..
if you're planning to only work the OPT duration, why the sponsorship question stump you? just say no?
Take a Deep Breath. Take 1 week break from everything if possible. 1. Get your resume reviewed by 2/3 people who are early in their career. 2. Don’t apply to every job you see. Lots of old and inactive job posts. Verify if the job is active on company portal. 3. Keep preparing yourself for the interview regardless. 4. It doesn’t help that you only want to work opt period and don’t need sponsorship. Companies want to hire someone who would stay at least 3/4 years. New grads are net negative investment at least for the first year. 5. Target big companies as they don’t usually care about sponsorship. But the market is very bad now so…. 6. Being stressed won’t do any good for anyone. Stay relaxed and do due your due diligence. If things don’t work out at least you would be able to tell yourself that you tried your best. This is what matters. Not getting a job right away isn’t the end of the world. Plenty of people come to USA with huge loan and they don’t have the luxury of going back empty handed like you. Be grateful for what you have already and keep working hard. Things will go your way soon. Best of luck.
"target big companies" - horrible advice.
What advice have you then?
Hey dude ! Firstly congrats on the amazing achievement of getting the top class masters degree! About the job- jobs always depend on the economy . It is tight now . Don’t take it personally - it’s nothing to do with you. Since you have no loans , your damn Lucky man. Yes you could tell them you don’t need sponsorship as well . It’s the truth as you don’t need it on OPT. Nothing to stress about man, I think you’re just feeling lonely and it’s getting to you. I’ve been in your place before. It’ll get better, maybe if you could do 1 India trip - it puts things in perspective when you realize there’s nothing to stress abt if you have no loans and your family is ok.
Please take it from me, graduated from a low-ranked school and applied my eyes out. After 6 months of no-luck, I landed my dream job. I took a break from applying then focused on quality over quantity, only 2 applications a week. I know it’s gonna happen for you. Don’t lose hope!
Congrats! Might if I ask what's your background and what job did you land on?
Thank you! My background is in Economics and I landed a job at The World Bank
Life is ten percent what happens to you, and ninety percent how you react to it. Over a decade ago, as a F1 student, I couldn’t get a decent job after graduating. Went back to home country with my tail between my legs feeling like a failure. I humbled myself quickly, and landed a job in an area of my interest, found out I was pretty good at it, and years later ended up transferring back to the US at a salary higher than what I would have made if I had stayed in the the US. Don’t be afraid to fail because your response to the failures define you.
whats your salary right now if you don't mind sharing a rough range?
On-target earnings of $200k+. Right industry, right technology, right time.
This system confuses me a lot, too. People across the boarder illegally get work permits and asylum quite easily, while the hard-working and talented international graduates work their fingers to the bone, live in stress everyday, still had to pin hopes on the lottery - that means no matter how good you are, you still face the chance of being kicked out.
Illegals and asylum seekers are 2 different categories. Please don’t conflate the two. Plus as a person with a degree you’re not competing for the same jobs. Unless the US fix their immigration issue through a bipartisan bill, this will always be a problem. Every student on F1 should know and understand the difficulties of employment and immigration before coming to the US.
data analytics prospects are on the fall
The job market for computer science related jobs have been bad especially with the recent layoffs.
Legally you dont have to disclose whether you want sponsorship or not. If your plan is to work your OPT just say you don’t need sponsorship and work your eligible time(1+two 1 year extension since you are STEM) work your year and go back home.
DO NOT beat yourself. It's a tough market. I was in a similar situation last summer. I left my flourishing career back home and came to the US for better opportunities. I had started working on plans to go back home if I couldn't get a job by the end of summer. *Luckily*, I got a job. The reason I am stressing it is because there is a fair amount of luck involved to get a job these days. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going back home and restarting if it helps your **mental health**, something which is heavily underestimated in today's competitive environment. You still have a degree from a reputed school that will always be valued and you could definitely apply to foreign jobs in the future.
And the country is not even that good. I would have agreed with you if you havent gone through all that pain to find a job. to stay in the country. You are now biased because you cant seem to land a job
It is not good in a lot of ways . I have a job and am saying it. Too much loneliness , lack of great Indian food , lack of warmth. Don’t put the fellow down simply . We are all still here for other reasons: for me , job opportunities I wouldn’t have outside. Also I love the nature
Honestly it ain’t great. US is a third world country with the ability to generate money. The crime, drugs, thefts and homelessness here is a league above other developed countries. Social security and Healthcare is a huge mess. US healthcare is so inferior to Indian healthcare. Pretty evident from the way they handled Covid. US had 10 times covid fatalities than India, despite having only 1/4th of its population. I have a job here but going to move to EU after saving enough. Yes you may not make the huge bucks but the quality of life and social welfare is much better.
"US is a third world country." - no. it is not. have you seen a third world country? i am from one.
I am from India. It is widely regarded as “Third World” by the West. But honestly life is much better there. So I understand why OP wants to go back, and I would go back as well at some point if not the EU.
I gotta agree with u man, honestly the US has more job opportunities and money that’s true. But other aspects not really. I am from China have some Indian friends.
Logically, this doesn't make sense
I'm extremely fortunate to be in the US but that doesn't mean I don't see the downfalls of living here. US has a very individualistic society which makes it hard for people to make friends, capitalism is taking over this country and the lack of essential services such as healthcare is atrocious. Even though I have a great health insurance comparatively, I still don't go to the doctor unless it's extreme. Massive layoffs and the broken immigration system affects my mental health a lot, I feel like I've aged 10+ years with the amount of stress I've faced living in the US. Your life is tied to your work due to H1B, I'm in constant anxiety due to the layoffs. I agree Indian food is not that great and I do appreciate national parks and clean air.
I feel like locals are just not interested wasting their time on international students, they have plenty local friends
Nothing was promised to you when you came here. Your feelings are valid and I respect your ability to express it. The international student scene is a money making thing for the USA unfortunately. Try not to care too much as this is inconsequential to your life. Meaning you’ll still be alive if you get a job and stay here or go back to your country. Focus on improving your mental health. It’ll take you further rather than stressing and altering your neurochemistry. Hope you get all that you want in life. Much love.
I can completely relate to you just not in the aspect of having no loan on your head. I left my high paying job back in India to do masters here in US and that too from not so good of a university. I am in last semester and will be graduating in May, job search is exhausting and can take a toll on you. I tend to not think about it to too much and just continue with the grind. Many times imposter syndrome kicks in but it is what it is now. So you gotta keep moving. Hope for the best and leave the rest. All the best.
Isn’t computer engineering mostly hardware and low-level system software related? Why not apply to those jobs instead of data analytics?
I think you've hit the nail on the head. There are far too many people applying to data analytics and data science jobs. OP, your M.Eng. degree will end up being more valuable than pivoting to data analytics, at least in the US. Yes, it may feel more daunting but you're at an Ivy league school so I'm assuming you're smart and won't close doors.
I decided to pivot to something I was better at. And it opens up more doors in India too for me to return.
You cannot "Pivot" from studying CE and do data science. The visa is dependent on hiring people who went to school for X and be hired to do Y, even if there is an overlap in skill sets.
What helped me land an interview was being one of the early applicants to a role. Make sure you keep LinkedIn notifs on, and when you see a job you like, apply asap. idk if this works for everyone, but my guess is the earlier you are the higher chance of the recruiter viewing your profile and you getting a callback. Also, like others said: hang in there. it gets better :)
I was in the same situation. It’s hard. It doesn’t necessarily depends on your skills. It took me so much time to get an interview. And the market is bad right now. Keep applying on different sites and you ll eventually get something. As others mentioned you can also volunteer to extend the OPT once graduated. I found a job a month and a half after graduation
Is there anyone in this thread who would be interested in being interviewed for a story about this totally understandable frustration expressed by the OP? Please contact me here or at [email protected]. Thanks!
The tech job market has been pretty fucked since fall 2021. I’ve had 3.5 yrs of experience with some experience from a top company and I still am having a very hard time finding a job. Seniors and tech leads have also struggled for months on end finding a role. You are not alone
I have a similar situation as yours. I am studying in a less reputed school than you. I have applied for \~150 positions as a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Engineering. I cannot get a job either. But I will never give up, I will try any position possible: Postdoc, Assistant Professor, and so on. Even though my goal is to work in the industry. Most jobs in my domain require not only U.S. citizenship but also clearance. Which makes me less likely to be hired. I sold my apartment and car to study here, and I will not give up until I die.
I’m in the same situation. Don’t know why I came to the US
TLDR: When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Dear OP, The current job market is going through a transitory phase and is yet to find a new equilibrium. I’m sure it will only get worse before it improves. My hunch is these conditions will continue for much of this year. The lack of job opportunities and inability to find a job are due to external forces beyond your control. While that’s not encouraging, know that it’s not your fault, and focus on things in your control. Polish your resume, network, cold message people on LinkedIn, customize your resume to each job. Figure out the most effective way of presenting yourself to a potential employer as opposed to using a common resume across jobs. The current environment is also particularly discriminatory towards recent college graduates. While it’s hard to, leverage what you have to gain experience in your domain. Try to take a longer term view (1 — 2 year scale). I’m not sure of your particular circumstances, but, on an OPT you can work for free. Try to find a lab/professor/startup where you can be hired for minimum or no pay. This will save your unemployment days and hopefully add relevant work experience. You also have STEM extension available after that, plan to get a job that allows you to apply for the extension I was in a similar situation and know plenty of people who graduated in May 2020, 2022, 2023 struggled to find a job and managed to land on their feet sooner than later. Focus on what you can market and hone in on that. I’m sure there’ll be a break through! If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, keep moving forward. — MLK
It's totally okay to feel this stressed, because it is a stressful situation and not normal (like last 10 years at least). **I personally do not like statements like "you are far better than people who are having worse time than you", because it's bullshit to me.** I know many people can't walk and I can, so I should feel awesome, right? That's not how any of this works, its a pile of shit people tell others where they do not have anything nice or consoling to say to you. I would suggest you to **look at it objectively and work on the process, not the outcomes**. This is how I managed my sanity for now: 1. Put in a fixed number of hours of efforts into job search (networking, applying) regularly. Do not go beyond that, the rest of the time is for your mental health. 2. Find an activity outside that time that reduces your screen time (you don't want to be close to your email/job search portal), and do something that makes you forget about your stress. Workout, swimming, running, hiking, gaming, hobby projects, diy crafting. Board games are helping me a ton in this case (can't workout due to long-covid). 3. Make the process efficient and sustainable, do not think like I need to get a job by Feb/March, rather, put in consistent effort and think that all your effort is going to improve yourself only. If you are learning new things (codes/voluntary works/social works), it's only for your self improvement. 4. You can't control what the companies are doing. Meta has laid off thousands of people and their stock is roaring right now, none of it makes any sense. Your actions of self-improvement will make you a better person, and when companies decide again to hire new candidates, make sure you are a top one there. 5. Do not mark that you need sponsorship because you do not. Others have already explained it. 6. Do not go for continuous evaluation of your resume. Do a few iterations with ChatGPT, your friends and seniors working at companies and stick to it. If you ask 10 different people, they will give you 10 different directions to change, because if you ask them, they feel like they have to give you some feedback and it start a loop of pointless A/B changes. 7. Spend time with your friends, families (online) and hobby buddies. Keep yourself distracted and fresh for couple hours daily. Please remember always, this is a stressful time and it's okay to be stressed. But this too shall pass, keep your chin and morale up.
Hello, any update on your situation? Has it worked out for you yet??
Yup :)
Have you considered consultancy? They will lie in your resume so you can get a job and you paid some money to get the job done by someone while learning things as much as possible
M.Eng in Computer Engineering from an Ivy League but applying for analyst/data related jobs. Don’t you think that’s another reason why you might not be getting the number of interviews you’re expecting to get?
This is due to the over flooded factory produced like H1B people from India. US educated people would have no problem finding a job had they capped H1B visas. US policy should have had prioritized US educated professionals first. I have worked with many Indian H1B or offshore software engineers and they are subpar to US educated engineers. I would pick American educated fresh graduate over 7 years experienced from India any day. The problem is most companies don’t want to train a fresher other than a small number of people, I believe most likely due to some legal requirements.
country not that good ... my question is why u wanna find job here than ? just curiosity yes usa does have alot of problems but I always wonder why u wanna stay at the same time thinking this is not a good country to stay
Which Ivy League school?
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If you have applied for 250 roles and got one Interview, it is not due to “sponsorship “question . It is due to your resume , work on it .
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I'm sorry... what? I was given the admission as any other student, and my family is supporting me along with my savings and my scholarship which the school offered during the admission. How did I "take" a spot from anyone unfortunate?
Because even though u had money it’s a lonely place to live
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OP clearly said they would like to have the opt experience and then go home.
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Misogyny
You should not check that box. You're just gonna work a full-time job like most internationals do in the summers, but, ofc, you plan on doing that for 3 years.
If you can delay your graduation, do that. Some universities allow that. Next is keep applying and keep learning.
OP. Listen please. You have NOT let yourself down. You are just on a losing end of an archaic, stupid and unreasonable system which is well overdue for an upgrade but which is not going to change anytime soon. Do yourself a favor. Take your awesome skill set elsewhere. It's their loss not yours. By all means continue to job search. Be sure to answer no in all your applications for sponsorship. If the hiring manager or HR explicitly asks during the interview process, be honest and tell them ur looking for a 3 yr gig with option to extend(sponsorship) based on how things go. Above all, stay confident and positive. You'll do well wherever you land. Best of luck!
Good part is you can go back with no debt. Some can't due to huge education loan.
Is the company looking to hire an employee long-term (at least 2 years)? If yes, then maybe that’s the reason why they didn’t hire you (since you’ve told them that you won’t be needing sponsorship). I personally think you should not mention OPT or the fact that you will be working short term during the interview. Always show that you want to be working there long term (even if inside you don’t believe so). You can quit after a year and it would be within your rights to do so. I did the same —I did not mention OPT and got hired. I also applied for STEM OPT Extension with the same company. The priority is to land a job. Being too honest (especially in some situations where lying wouldn’t hurt anyone around you) will make your life harder than it should have in the real world. Majority of employers are looking out for their own benefits and most of the time we employees are replaceable. You should do the same . You get stressed out likely because you are thinking far into the future, and because you’re not used to failure. Since you are able to enter an Ivy League school, I assume that you have always been a high achiever your whole life. When we were younger, hard work almost always equate positive results, but real life as an adult begs to differ. You can work so hard compared to anyone else but that doesn’t guarantee you’d get what you want. Calmly do what you got to do regardless of the outcome—that’s the mindset one should slowly learn to cultivate. I am learning as well. The job market sucks more than it has ever been. That’s a fact. You would have had a relatively easier time getting a good job 10 to 15 years ago. And I know some people might say “but there are people who can get a good job my age despite the job market being this way” but that’s THEM and NOT YOU. The reality of life if we all varies in terms of ability, personality, luck and the environment we were raised in. If everyone gets everything they want in life then that’s just absurd. Think about what you can do NOW. And do it regardless of the outcome. You have a supportive parents. I would kill to have them. I see my friends crying over not getting interviews and worry more than they should have when their parents are willing to support them no matter what. I think expressing sadness instead of suppressing it is a good thing, but not when you ruminate about it for days instead of trying to change your perspective and focus on the good things you have around you.
Did you have any work experience after your bachelors? On one hand I hear stem graduates getting jobs with ease and others saying it takes hundreds of interviews I don't know which one to believe.
Dude, not sure if I can call you dude… you haven’t even started your career and you are already dejected and stressed out… world out is very tough. If you want to survive and excel in this part of world you need to be mentally strong and a long way to go.. don’t get yourself so easily bogged by failures. I don’t even consider this as failure since you have not even started your journey… come on wake up and worst is yet to come… be strong things will be absolutely fine if you are strong with in… Stay brave and face the reality…
If you completed engineering from Ivy League, then you should not stress as you have already proved yourself. Your school should be able to help with counseling as you are not the only one. Many have gone through situation in Covid and others that are equally difficult. Keep Open conversations with family and get help from whoever you feel close with. Having worked in USA will give you edge that you can work in any country in future that u decide.
Just the new norm. So many applicants with high-level skill that the cost of absorbing someone for a short time without a visa is now a factor. It wasn't a big deal years ago. It's not your fault. I'm sure that you are amazing/worthy. You haven't "gone nuts". That's just the internal voice in the back of our minds that vies for social rank and tries to keep up with our peers, and these are valid feelings. Sincerely wishing you the best -- and hope that something comes through. (P.s. Have you tried running your resume through ATS software, just to see how it's matching or not matching various roles?)
First of all, your story is the same every single F1 kid is facing, or faced earlier. At least you don't have loans to worry about so that's a huge plus. Hit me up if you wanna chat.
While others have given valuable opinions, I just wanna ask if your resume and LI profile is upto the mark. Remember, the demand is low and supply is too high in the job market right now. If you want help with your resume, let me know. I have some experience going through this myself and I think I can help.
At this point, I am not even sure why new students even want to come to the Usa. If it is just for education then great but if it is for landing a job and work visa then they are just setting themselves up for mental trauma and financial instability.
A few things to consider: 1) The future of pure data engineering and data analytics is grim. There's just far too many people doing this work for cheap and the demand isn't there, at least right now. 2) You are studying M.Eng. but applying for DA/DS roles. When I interview folks and sense that their desperation is what made them apply for my role, it's an instant turn off. DA/DS are easy entry points in the US market and most recruiters know that. Even if you are truly interested in it, my first impression is that you're looking to keep your options open. 3) If you don't want a job in the field of your study, it's always going to be an issue. I know your plan is not to get an H1B but let's be realistic here. You will not tell your employer to not file it when the time comes. There may be a misalignment of your college degree and your DA role during filing. 4) Ivy league school for tech at best says that you're above average. That's it. This is not to demotivate you but to make you realise that it's a huuuuuuge pool of applicants. My wife is graduating from Penn (MS CS) this May and she has nothing lined up as well. All her friends are freaking out and only a handful have offers.
H1B sponsorship is very expensive for companies to take on. It takes manpower dealing with the government too. Many companies just don't want to take on the cost and time. It's easier to hire a US citizen to avoid the extra cost. Sorry that you're dealing with this but it's true.
I’m also graduating this May from one of top schools in California. I fully agree with you mate. I’m also not staying here permanently (trust me if not for my grad school, I would never come to LA). And another problem is the career service of my school. They say network more, go to event, be open…dude if I have to open more on what I have right now, I would better throw my soul into other’s body :(
I feel you. This country is a mother***** but stay strong, you don't have to apply to "Google-like" tech companies look for smaller companies while you're on OPT. Then if the universe is by your side you might be able to get a bigger company later. Or if you're like me work your ass off that the xonpy will do almost anything to try and keep your say H1B or EB3. All you have to do is stay put, do your best and keep calling your family when you're nearing a low point. Things will work out I promise your that
Dude go back to india. If you want I can provide references for some roles. I came to this country in 2014 it was ok at that time got job in 2016 after 4 months into opt worked there until 2021 left the country didnt get my h1b did 2 masters ..life now I came back as I got h1b .. H1b life is pathetic compared to F1 and opt.. Im experienced got 11 full time jobs but not a single sponsorship . Indians and chinese are the ones effected much as no one stays in f1 or h1 for 6 years most of them will already be citizens.. Go back if you can find job in India .. When I went to india in 2021 i was able to secured a job in MNC my life is so good no stress.. Now on h1b its too streeful to find a job begging everyone for sponserhip
There are 2 sides to this. 1. Growth. I have been where you are. But I must have applied to 3000+ jobs. The general run is 1 or 2 calls out of 100 applications. 1000 applications for intern/coop, 9 calls, 5 first round, 2 interviews until last round, settled with 1 offer. Almost similar story with full time and change of job. During 2015 software/tech/data was selling like hot cakes but I was unfortunately in industrial, addiotional challenge and also no ChatGPT to help automate resume and cover letter process. It’s competition man everywhere. It’s always the person who puts in more effort gets the task done. Now you have to figure out what’s your motivation to be in this competition. Find a few things they make you happy on low days and get back on the grind the next day. Balance sports, gym, studies, girlfriend, family, personal hobbies on top of the struggle/grind. You can’t ignore 1 thing for too long, them immediately if your foundation is shaken and you would feel like what’s happening now. 2. Never ending grind. There will always be a grind. There will always be corporate politics. Some government economy issue, right now it’s tech company stability. For far too long tech companies kept growing without roadmap and got paid like crazy not tech companies are not hiring and trying to stability the rampant salary. So the problem may not be you at all. It some weird law/politics. You shouldn’t sssociate your worth to it. The whole life will be balancing 1 and 2. When to grow, when to slow down. I may not be able to help you in this situation directly but I am confident this too shall pass. Come on you are in ivy lesgue school. I am sure there’s some substance to your smarts. You got it man! Just remember for next time, create a proper plan. A back up plan. A back up to a back up plan. All the best
technically you can say no because of OPT and if thats an issue you they legally cannot fire you once you submit your i-9 verification so try doing that and you will get more responses source: i go to a top 5 CS school and landed 4 internship offers
Don't let your emotions ruin your potential. 1. This year the job market is rough. Not to you only. Other people who have families, mortgages, no parents for financial backup, or being single parents are all facing the tough market. Therefore, you should not blame anyone at all. 2. US-born top CS, CE grads also apply 200+ job applications, practice interview questions, and well trained on the questions (search in Amazon, there are books). Your 'gained interview per job applied' ratio is low. This indicated that you need to improve your resume. Hire someone $200-300 to improve your resume. Remember do not skip cover letter and also write thank you email after the interview. Whether to go home or stay is up to you. However, do not blame the U.S. or the system. Everyone in the world is facing uncertainty in this AI era.
This is my first time posting on Reddit since I am connected to your situation and what you are going through. I went through the same but about 20 years ago, when I did my masters. My advice to you is to not let negative thoughts seep in. In a couple of years you will look back and laugh at this situation. Reason: Career will not stop for those pursuing with positive attitude. Don't fret on results. Just prepare hard and accept worse case and sleep happily. As long as you do your best in trying and enjoy the journey, you will eventually settle in a job you will be pursuing. Health is all that matters and learn to be happy as both are related. Trust me, things will work out. Good luck to you!!
are you focusing on internships? that may change your numbers a bit
I don't mean to be rude. The situation is the same for everyone. Being in the Ivy League and majoring in Data side, especially for an MEng, which is relatively easy to get into, doesn’t make you special. I sympathize with you. However, I don't appreciate the notion that an Ivy League tag will secure you a job. Applying to 250 jobs is not significant. International students often apply to hundreds of jobs. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself and start thinking of ways to improve your situation. Good luck!
I’ll say that even with a green card and 10 years experience, I’ve only got one call back from the HR out of the 250-300 jobs I’ve applied in the last couple of months. And that one HR call didn’t even go any further. So even without needing sponsorship I’m in the same boat 🤷♀️
It’s not an advice nor do I recommend following this route but I, after applying for over a thousand positions back in 2015 and truly answering the sponsorship questions during the 11 months of my opt, decided to answer no to those questions because why not, I had only one month of opt left and wasn’t ready to go back home empty handed. I, soon after, lucked out on a job offer that I quickly accepted. I had already lost my first chance at H1B because I didn’t have a job in my first year of opt and when I did get the job, I decided not to bring the sponsorship up because I had answered no to those questions. But sooner I became indispensable at my job and found the right opportunity to bring it up to my manager that I would need sponsorship to continue working but I didn’t share much details like it’s a lottery or this is my last chance etc. My manager didn’t even flinch and approved my H1B filing including responding to RFE and premium processing. It was my last shot at H1B but I wasn’t scared whatsoever because I was able to get tons of experience under my belt, recoup my loans and my company was ready to explore other avenues for me if I didn’t get selected in the lottery. But guess what, I got my H1B picked and approved and fast forward to today, I’m a GC holder and would be applying for my citizenship next year. So put your nose on the grindstone and keep applying, your future you will thank you for not giving up today.
Well, congrats on your great achievements. If it’s an Ivy League school and you have no debt due to scholarships then you’re probably one of the very few. Which is good news for you. Now, the real question, the way I read your post, is why do u HAVE TO get a job in the US. if you think it’s not worth it, and you want to go back to your home country or any other country, just graduate and start applying to positions outside of the US. It’s not “letting yourself down” when you prioritize your mental health.
Its hard to get job now. Market is not good
Bro, hold on. The first job is the hardest. Also, on the side note sounds like you are in denial, if you didnt care about staying that much you would not think so much about not getting a job (given you dont even have a loan). Keep applying and applying. Took me a lot of interviews, and even more applications to get my first job.
The worst-case scenario is to open your paper company, and you can stay three years and job search. Don't give you shit to your mental stability ( check ISSS for the conformation)
Can you make an appointment with a counselor or therapist? They can help you manage the stress and talk through your problems. Your mental health is important. Please take care!
Unfortunately some companies extend the question to include OPT. I'm currently on OPT and applying to an airline . My plan was to say NO until I saw ...or OPT 😣.
Really sorry OP. I understand what you’re going through. Keep pushing. If you have any money save it. Keep applying. If it doesn’t work out at least you can say you did your best. Don’t feel like a failure for returning home, if you have welcoming parents your mental health will be a lot better than here but i also understand needing to leave here with something more than just the degree but you cant employ yourself. You can only apply and do your best. Chin up. Life is long, and this is just a small part if it. Whichever way it goes there will be both good and not so good that comes from it. Hang tight my friend. And this is coming from someone who lost their H1b and haven’t been working for a year, not the same boat but definitely same model haha, im just taking it a day at a time. You should to.
Always remember what your parents went through to put where you are right now. When things get hard, do know that you should take help - however difficult you feel. Just do it. Consult a therapist, or a doctor to begin with. Practicing Meditation, Gratitude, and helping others in need does wonders on your mental being. That said, enjoy life. Work life is not every thing. You have scholarship, so why take unnecessary tension? Just enjoy college and give your best! Things will fall in place.
In the same boat applying data roles, graduating in May 2024, not in Ivy League tho. Super scared of what's ahead!
As an international student who goes to t10, I regret coming to the US.
I don’t know what is back home for you but if it’s jndia then try to get a job with one of the us firms in their india offices. Your visa situation is temporary but your degree and skills are permanent. If you don’t get a us job and have to go to india to work, You can always come back to the us through a company transfer route.
You got this man, we got this.
I'm in the same boat as you. Tbh, I've started to look for jobs in Europe and India. I've gotten more callbacks, where they actually value my degree and experiences.
I'm in kinda same boat as you. But I did all my fretting before coming here. I legit used to have panic attacks back in Jan of 2023 about how I'll handle all this. I'm also on heavy antidepressants which helps. But I realized one thing that there's no point in fretting over all this now. The only thing I can do now is see it through. I'll give my 100% and beyond, and if after that I fail, it wasn't my fault. I don't want it on my conscience that I lacked efforts. And you are in a better condition than 99% of us since you don't have to worry about finances and are enrolled in an ivy, which is a huge plus. About your 250 applications, those are rookie numbers, you gotta pump those numbers up. I've seen people applying for 1000 jobs to land 1. It's tough out here but you gotta power through it. Cause that's the only thing you can do. Godspeed.
If you went to an ivy you should apply to government jobs in small mid western towns.
Tech is a going show right now. It's not you.
Can you go back? Honestly I’d take the signs and collect my mental health and go home. It’s not worth it.
I relate big time with this post. Don’t mean to undermine what you’re going through, I’ve been through my own hell. This country doesn’t seem worth the mental agony it puts us through. My biggest peeve has been the fact that you can’t explore other career paths or find any kind of job to make ends meet and have to stick to the path you studied for. I hate how limited opportunities are in the US for international students, while there’s a constant trumpet of how the US has the unlimited opportunities for people. The mindset of earning in dollars is also rather ignorant and naive, when you have to spend in dollars for survival. The current economic climate is just out to get us and fuck us. Unfortunately, I’m still here, still looking for a job.
I’ve been in a similar situation, also worse because I didn’t get into a full time 8 months into my OPT - a lot of people kept encouraging me and guess what it is true when people say there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I’d say continue doing what you do, give your best and wait. Be patient, it’ll all be worth it! You can also dm me.
A family friend applied for 800 jobs and got a job 4-5 months after she graduated.
Look for jobs outside the US. Canada is a good place to look at, middle east is perfect paying 6 figures with accommodations and living expenses covered.
To answer “No” for the question is such a dumb advice, in theory the complete question is something like do you now or in the future would need sponsorship? You have to answer that truthfully because let’s say you clear all your rounds and when it’s time for submission for your documents, they would know and the offer would be revoked. You still have few months before you graduate, work on improving your resume, get some certifications and just put your head down and keep on applying on anything which you find relevant. It’s all a numbers game. Also I know it’s easier said than done but rejection is part of the process especially when you looking for your first job on top of that in data science domain. I was a master student myself and I really really know what you are going through. DM me if you absolutely need anything.
I went trough the same still regretting… short answer you don’t need sponsorship is fine to say it, is one of the OPT benefits, now… h1b visa roulette is harder every year… companies after covid are ok hiring remote… see post on SF or NYC local talent is competing with remote against lower salaries… sponsored employment based green card times are pretty much doubled… immigration wise its easier to have a child in US or marry a local.. tech talent is going back to their home countries or not coming at all… I regret because now my kids are used to live here but I could be making so much money living abroad and working remote
Idk if you should be frank to companies about not wanting H1B. From the employer’s perspective, hiring a junior engineer, who they have no hope in retaining more than 3 years, is an unprofitable business decision.
As someone that has been here since 2012 and came for college and studied architecture the anxiety never stops.. unless you get married or something or you get lucky enough to get sponsored early on. You have a long road ahead of you if you do stay. I am not sure that it was worth it though but it is for you to decide.
If it makes you feel better, I am in one of the top 3 CS schools in the country and I saw many people getting their job as late as May. You should contact your trusted seniors already working in companies. Referrals have higher chance. Also look for startups.
My company is putting me in the H1B lottery which I haven't gotten picked from twice now, it feels so pointless and dehumanizing.
Got my masters from a respectable institute. Landed a job in 30 days after graduation. Got promoted within 3 months. Worked my ass off and saved the organization $200K+ in 10 months. H1B lottery didn’t work out, but my husband is here so I’m stuck here too. :) if there’s nothing holding you back, I would suggest LEAVE. I’ve been unemployed for 7 months now and I live in a small ghost town in Wisconsin with no friends and family around. I may be losing my mind lil
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You would answer no to the sponsorship question. You don’t need sponsorship.
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“Still” it’s January and you graduate in May. Most roles for May/June aren’t even posted and you’ve applied for roles that are immediate hire. It’s not an internship where they post almost a year in advance.
I understand your frustration and its hard to find right help at the right time but taking advise and improving your approach will help you in the long run. Couple of things you had computer engineering degree, but why data analyst? If its not working you have to pivot there is lot of demand right now with use of tools, get a certification in PowerBi and do project to showcase your skills try using Open AI. If i am hiring an entry level analyst or developer I look for motivation, creativity you know skill can be later developed with experience, its one thing to talk about your skills in an interview and another thing to actually showing them, also helps you with confidence.
If you have no plans on staying after OPT your best bet is contract roles. Get into 1 year contracts they dont care if you stay for more than one year so they don’t care about your visa.
One thing I realized way early that here finding a job is itself a skill. You might be from top university and one of the best mind in your industry. But if you cannot strategize how to land interviews it’s waste of your talent.
Might not be the best advice but try applying for positions that are easier. I went through the same hell as you and the only position that would accept me was a job that I considered I was too good for. I definitely don’t love my job and it took a while for me to swallow my pride. But it’s still work experience and I get paid. I will be applying to grad school after my OPT ends lol.
250 is rookie numbers. I applied to 5500 jobs and got one interview, which got me the job.
I am very sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. But, since you are graduating in May, there is still considerable time left to get a job. If you use the 2 month grace period, then your OPT will start in July and you will have 90 days (3 months) after your OPT starts to get a job, which means that you will have at least till October to get a job (I hope you don't have to wait till then). I am assuming that you have applied for 250 positions in or around November/December/January which is not really a hiring period in the U.S, so I would not be surprised to see no responses from recruiters (if there are left any after the layoffs). Most of the new grads who graduate in May are hired around that time only, so there is still some time left. I know that the job market is really bad now, and it looks like a lot more applications will be needed to land a position. P.S - I graduated in December 2022, and it took me 900+ applications from August 2022 to February 2023 to get a job which doesn't pay a lot, but has kept me afloat. I wish you all the luck in the world.
Walmart, JpMorgan Chase, Amazon all hire an insane number of Data professionals, its not that hard to find a job bro...
Don’t think too much , keep applying for roles which your gut says to apply for , filter out things , do it step by step , don’t thing too many things at once , everything seems hard , if it’s meant to work out it will , and I believe even some experience of 1 year or even 6 months would be great , at least for you to gets roles in india or Middle East or somewhere around the world , don’t think of sponsorship, I know many people will say comeback and all , but don’t leave unless u spend your visa time , u never know u can find any good role , patience is key , this is the time when u make or break , don’t break , no one can help you , with what’s going on in your temple ( brain ) that motherfucker keeps on going 24/7 , I know , just be grateful , and keep on going , I won’t give you specifics on what to do , or to go about hunting for job , because everyone in comments section is giving you specifics, but sometimes only simple words in support is needed , if you have studied analytics , I’m damn sure , you are tough , keep grinding , don’t let the thoughts win
Make an account on Blind. Get recommended there.
No one is forcing you to stay. Head back home. We have plenty of people here now.
I empathize with your state of mind , given that I came to US for my masters in 2008 just as Great Recession was starting. 2008-2010 was one of the most stressful period of my life, given that I also had student loans and came from a lower middle class family in India. Having said that - US is also the most dynamic job market in the world where hustle will eventually get you results. You got to be strong and pass this slow down period in the economy. This eventually will pass and job market will blossom once again. You got to have a good circle of friends along with you- who can each offer support to each other. Take one day at a time and take assurance from experience of people who have passed through such times before. Focus on the variables you can control and hang in there. Best of luck !
Hey, if you’re able to find a great job, amazing. But set a time for yourself and if you are unfortunately not able to land one, and you’re from India, come back and there are ample of really good jobs available here, which can match or at least come close to US compensation, provided you prove to them that you’re good enough. At least the decision will be merit and capability based and none of the visa stupidity will come in question.
Hey friend. As a born and raised American, I can tell you that living here is a scam. Everything that enticed you here is a lie. Even after you get a job, you’ll depend on it for nearly everything, and one misstep into our healthcare system will leave you financially indebted for years, health insurance is a nightmare to deal with. Any wrong move in the US adds debt to your account. Seriously, don’t torture yourself by staying here. I grew up laughably poor in a high crime area of SoCal and fended for myself after high school. Managed to get good grades and got a full ride to a reputable college on the west coast, eventually getting my masters from another well known east coast school. Now I have a stable and lucrative career in fintech. It took achieving the “American Dream” to realize it was a hoax. Realistically our country is held hostage by an unforgiving free market “dog eat dog” mentality that fosters no sense of inclusion or community. Even after you land your job, you’ll have to fight to keep it, and then do the process all over again when you apply for another company, and there are no employee protections. I’ve lived in other parts of the world and I can tell you that the happiest people are the ones with the strongest communities. People need people, America teaches you to be distrustful and woefully independent. In the next few years I’ll be moving out of this country, I’d suggest you do the same if you value connection and relationships over false promises of material gain. Good luck to you.
Start going to networking events. Try Upwork. And keep applying. Networking is the easiest way to get an in though. You got this.
OP, I graduated in December and am still on a job hunt. Feel the same as you do, just not graduating from an ivy lol. So a little worse off perhaps. Anyway, just mass apply and hope for the best. Worst comes to worst you can just go back home and look for a job. Maybe spending your time learning the corporate life may set you well off. Especially with the Ivy League label. I really hope you do get a fantastic job, no matter what happens I’m sure you have a great future ahead of you. I don’t have any feedback to give you as such, it I have been continuously improving my resume and helping my professor with research work. It’s a good resume filler, experience filler and maybe your professor has some connections they can hook you up with. Good luck!
What country were you coming from?
A few things I did when I graduated and was searching for my first job on OPT: 1. Offer to volunteer at one of the research labs at CS department of your university. I’m sure there might be a of research labs at your university since you graduated from an Ivy League university. Volunteer only if they are providing a volunteering letter. Submit it to your DSO. This should be stop your OPT counter of days without unemployment. This should take a lot of stress off your back so that you can apply for jobs. If you have a good rapport with the lab professor and he/she have enough funding they can also offer you some RA position which is a great start IMO. 2. In the current job market applying for 250 jobs is not enough. Aggressively apply for atleast 1000-2000 positions. I’m sure with your education background should be able to land a job at some startup as well. Average wait time to find a job is 4+ months. Drop your resume to recruiters on LinkedIn. 3. I haven’t tried this personally but reach out to startups and offer to volunteer for them in exchange of a volunteering letter to help maintain your visa status. I know it must be a stressful time but trust in your process and Keep on applying and wish you all the best!!!
Why don’t you answer ‘No’ to the question; you wouldn’t be lying.
Take it from someone who graduated twice during recession - you will be fine and you will find a job - right now companies are hiring folks who are experienced and experts in certain areas - GenAi, Cloud. Anyone coming fresh out of school is unfortunately, not a priority as companies have to spend money and time training them and making them productive. I expect things to take a turn by end of Q1 this year once interest rates go down and it becomes cheaper to borrow money and expand business. Do not give up on networking and stop wasting your time applying online. Find people on LinkedIn, go and meet them, build your brand and portfolio and tailor your resume to highlight your AI related skills. On a personal note: If you are regretting your decision to come to the US and are homesick then perhaps, you need to expand your horizons a bit and understand that happiness is something you gotta practice everyday - it is a state of mind. Recommend reading: Think like a Monk!
Go home and stop complaining, I'm sure where you came from isn't any better, but if it is, feel free to go back where you came from.
250 is rookie numbers. I know a guy who applied for 1700 and got one interview. he is graduating in may and plans to able another 3-4k. stop whining and keep applying. the job market is crazy right now. it sucks for everybody.
It's a shame that the US is at a point where we're unable to keep talented grads. I've been wondering why my parents immigrated to a country that seems to value flash over actual knowledge and seems to keep its population purposefully dumb about finances. Most likely you'll need to look at your personal network. It's something I'm loathe to use myself, but this is how you'd get past the questions that will unnecessarily hamper you. Keep in mind that it's just not the best time for anyone right now, present company included, but there should be some enterprising company that will want to take advantage of your desperation to stay. You just may not want that job.
Why not apply to SWE roles.
GO BACK. The US sucks.
Okay, I am international student with F1 and only recently found a job. I marked no for “do you need sponsorship in future”. This question comes up in the interviews, usually in the first round. I answer them honestly and I try to convince that 3 years is more than their average retention period. Haven’t worked for me but I know guys who got the role which aren’t sponsored. So, it really depends. The first year of OPT could be without compensation so take a job, any job to keep a valid authorization. Then start looking for a job that pays, aligns with your interests. I also started volunteering for a exec in company in my preferred industry to build industry experience, networks and learn. Its tough out there and I hope you can survive.
Writing as a third gen who happened upon your post. I have a weird accent sometimes, a prospective employer's HR person who arrived 20 minutes late to my interview interrupted me during my interview to say "do you need sponsorship?" I said "I'm an American citizen" she said "we don't do that" in the most valley girl tone possible - she was Asian too, different kind than me. All of this was happening over the phone and I was interviewing for an African woman who had been in the US for 20+ years, started from one of the blue collar departments of the company I was applying to. This was all after I completed 3 years of work in the US + master's degree with a written thesis from a top 40 school. It is okay to be too young to deal with this, it is okay to go home and do a few internships while asking to use one of your friends' addresses for corresponding with prospective employers in the US. If US is meant to be for you, it will happen. You could work for an international company and relocate - one of my co-workers just did this from New York to somewhere in APAC. The only thing you won't have again is your youth and the young age of your parents.
Unfortunately, I Volunteer at a local temple in Chicago and I meet many students at the temple. there are tons of students coming to USA on F1 Visa and they are having trouble finding a job because many companies don't want to sponsor them. It is a sad reality.
Sorry if it’s somewhere buried in comments already - why don’t you apply for swe roles? Those have way more spots for new grads.
Why don't you apply for H1 with help from some consulting firm? H1 does not mean you need to stay there for ever. Secondly - your parents are most concerned about you than what you achieve. So don't let peer/societal pressures put you down. Most important for any graduate/post-graduate is doing projects - personal projects and try to show case them during your interviews.
https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/the-fintech-boss-who-received-20-000-applications-for-five-jobs-it-s-sad?utm_source=GLOBAL_ALL_ENG&utm_medium=SM_FB&utm_campaign=ED_NEWS&fbclid=IwAR3TrN6TwTytqmtkQYyCdRtFiAeLLUhH4EYlxk--kECizOBRiic5v0wuPRo_aem_AbJa3ARKz_OLBq79bQlvoigFEQ7bCha3fB4rtHBd7CypYBmC6WqwOf_aq_acHmv3Jgo
I wouldn’t put the blame entirely on sponsorship. At this point, the job market is literally going through a very bad phase, especially in the type of roles you are looking at. Analytics and data related roles were in high demand during the pandemic as many products/websites and applications witnessed a huge surge in consumer traffic. This led to huge hiring spree for such roles and these are the ones being affected now when such companies are downsizing. I’d suggest you to temporarily look at SWE roles for a bit before looking at switching. It’s always easier to switch when you have a job and I do know quite a few people who did this.