A third-year engineering student in Bengaluru sparked a detailed discussion on social media after sharing the unique challenges of being one. american Citizen who has lived and studied entirely in India. Despite holding a US passport, the computer science student expressed feeling “stuck” while navigating the global job market. The post was shared on an NRI forum on Reddit.
A US citizen’s post about studying in India has gone viral. (Representative photo). (unsplash)”US citizen, fully studied in India – not sure how to approach jobs abroad,” wrote a Reddit user.
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The student explained, “I’m an American citizen but I’ve lived in India all my life. I’m currently in my 3rd year of engineering (background in CS) in Bangalore. I’m trying to figure out my options after graduation. I’m feeling a bit stuck because: 1) Most of my education was in India. 2) India seems like a preferencing document. (Not sure).”
The person continued, “For NRIs or Americans who have studied outside the US – how did you apply for jobs abroad (US/EU/elsewhere)? Did you apply directly from India or through internships? Any advice would really help.”
What did social media say?One person suggested, “Well, first of all, there is no idea of a separate job portal or situation for American citizens. US companies do not hire interns from India, as it is logistically and cost-wise expensive for them for relocation and other expenses. You apply like any other job application and the advantage is that you don’t need sponsorship. It would be a wise situation to move to the US for your masters and figure it out.” The OP replied, “I was thinking along those lines. Thanks for the info!”
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Another commented, “Learn some skills and get a job in India. Apply for a job in the US a year or two after starting this job using the experience gained in the first job. Entry-level jobs in the US are drying up due to the impact of AI tooling, so get a leg up rather than being entry-level with your first job.” A third revealed, “Looks like you are doing B.Tech in India. Apply and do Masters in USA only after completing your graduation in India. There will be a job after education.”
A fourth wrote, “I think you should do a master’s degree from a decent but cheap US university. It will give you an easy ramp into American life and, at the same time, a US education to apply for jobs. Another option is to get into Infy, etc. and eventually ask for a US job. Considering you have US citizenship, you may get preferential treatment.” The OP replied, “I’m under the mindset that Masters will pay me back with a student loan, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted that. So why was I looking for a job straight away, I’ll see. Thanks!”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
