Techie with decade of experience in US struggles to find job in India: ‘Need to support aging parent’

A seasoned software developer with nearly a decade of experience in the United States is facing unexpected challenges while attempting to secure a job in India. In a candid Reddit post, the techie, who has worked as a full-stack Stack Software Developer at two universities for the past nine years, shared his struggles and noted that despite having an impressive resume and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, he he has only received one recruiter screening call, which was ultimately rejected by the hiring manager.

"I HAVE TO COME BACK as I can't leave my parents by themselves and there is still a 15+ year wait till I get my green card," he explained in a Reddit post, detailing his difficult predicament.

The developer's primary skill set includes Python, Django (along with Django REST), JavaScript, Vue.js, and Postgres. He has built web applications, data pipelines, and data visualizations. However, he believes that a lack of experience with cloud computing, Docker, Kubernetes, and message queues is putting him at a disadvantage. "Most devs in India already have this skill set (I am assuming)," he lamented, acknowledging the gap in his technical knowledge.

One of the major challenges he faces stems from his work environment. "It is tough to convince teams in university/research environments here to move beyond the software tools they already use," he admitted. As a result, he never got the opportunity to work on highly scalable applications, nor did he gain hands-on experience with modern cloud tools.

This lack of exposure has left him feeling unprepared for the Indian job market. "I have realized that not knowing key technologies that a senior developer like me should already know puts me at a significant disadvantage," he confessed. His work in academic settings has been safe and stable, but he now recognizes that it has also limited his growth.

Another concern is his proficiency in data structures and algorithms (DSA). While he has studied DSA, he admits that his knowledge does not extend to more advanced topics like topological sorting. "I feel like a failure who severely lags behind his peers," he shared.

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To address these gaps, he has recently begun learning AWS and is considering whether to spend the next six months upgrading his skill set before applying for jobs again. "Do you think my skillset and my experience will prevent me from landing a decent job in India? Should I just upgrade my skillset first in the next six months and then try for jobs?" he asked the online community, seeking advice and guidance.

Take a look at the post:

The post has sparked discussions on how professionals transitioning between different work cultures and industries can effectively bridge skill gaps.

A user suggested, “Join a company with India presence and ask for move to India”

Another added, “Its cut throat competition in India with horrible wlb unless you have contacts who can refer you”

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