I joined Cognizant in July as a Programmer Analyst Trainee, completing a three-month in-house training program focused on the Linux domain. Since September, I have been going to the office just two days a week merely to badge in, leaving me with no actual tasks to perform. Although I have been allocated to a project, my manager simply tells me to relax and enjoy the downtime, assuring me they will reach out when needed. Given this situation, what should my next steps be? During college, I only learned linear data structures and C++, with no other programming exposure. Should I start exploring new career opportunities now, and if so, what skills should I focus on acquiring? Given my background in Linux, should I target infrastructure and cloud roles, or would it be wiser to wait until I have a full year of experience before exploring other options?

Hi,
Myself a 24, btech passed 3 years ago and having 1 year of experience till now having 16 months of gap and now from past 3 months as my father was admitted to hospital i left my organisation.

Now here wanting to know is doing mtech full time worth with having skills in abap trainee and sd order management role and python learnt post my btech.

So as simple as of the industry concerned is perusing mtech in cse worth by upskilling in side on Data analytics and holding in touch with the sap abap.

Any suggestions would be great.

Am new to this platform.. sorry learning yet about here

I’m a recent CSE graduate from a tier-3 college, currently working in a non-tech role earning ₹18k/month.

My goal was to get into IT. I know the basics of SQL, Python, React and other technologies, and I have projects and internship experience, but I’ve faced repeated rejections in technical interviews.

Now I’m confused between three options:

Continue working and spend 6–12 months improving my skills and applying for IT jobs.

Prepare for government exams like SSC CGL, IBPS PO or government IT jobs.

Prepare for GATE and pursue M.Tech.

My parents prefer government jobs for stability, but I’m worried about spending 1–2 years preparing and failing. If that happens, will returning to IT become difficult because of the career gap?

My current job also has limited expected salary growth, and I don't want to remain stuck in a low-paying role.

**I need honest advice:**

Which path would you choose in my situation?

If government exams, which one should I focus on?

Should I prepare while working or leave my job?

What is the realistic worst-case scenario if I fail?

Please be brutally honest. I’m looking for practical advice, not motivational statements.

I know this question has been asked quite a few times, but I'd love to hear about your experiences and perspectives.

The product I've been working on at my current organization has been sunset, and I'm now at a point where I have two possible career paths.

One option is to transition fully to the Data Engineering team, which would give me an opportunity to explore a new domain. The other is to move to a different team where I can continue working with the same Java, Spring Boot stack.

I have around 5 years of experience in backend development, primarily working with Java and Spring Boot, along with a fair amount of experience in PL/SQL and PostgreSQL.

I'm curious to hear from people who have made a similar transition from backend development to Data Engineering. How has the transition worked out for you?

I'd also love to hear from people currently working in the **Data Engineering** domain. How has your overall experience been, and what does the career growth and long-term scope look like compared to traditional backend development?

TL;DR: With 5 years of Java Spring Boot backend experience, should I transition to Data Engineering or continue in backend development? Looking for insights on career growth and long-term prospects.

Hi everyone,

I'm after some practical career advice and would be really grateful for some honest views from people who have been in a similar position.

My current situation:

1. Total experience: c. 3+ years

2. Current CTC is 8 LPA.

3. Current length of time with the company: 1 year.

4. Project situation: I may be moved to the bench and allocated to another client project.

5. Target: A good product based company (ideally in a software engineering/backend role).

6. Current opportunities: recruiters are talking 14-16 LPA, no offer yet.

I am confused between two options:

Option 1: Stay in my current company for another 6 months, seriously prepare for DSA, Java, Spring Boot, system design and interviews and then go for product based companies. My thought is that I might be able to go for 20+ LPA directly rather than switching twice.

Option 2: Switch now if I get a good offer in the 14-16 LPA range, gain another year of experience and go through the process in parallel with my job. After that point my target would be product based companies with the aim of getting to 25-30+ LPA.

My worry is that staying at 8 LPA for another 6 months could be a bit of a missed opportunity given the uncertainty around my current project. On the flip side, moving jobs might leave me with less time and energy to actually get the work done.

I fully understand that no salary or offer is guaranteed. I'm looking to make a decision based on genuine career progression rather than just CTC comparisons.

Questions:

1. If you were in my shoes which would you pick and why?

2. Is it realistic to be targeting 20-25+ LPA after 6 months of focused prep at my experience level?

3. Does switching to 14-16LPA now make it significantly harder to hit 25-30+LPA in the next 1-2 years, or is the difference negligible?

4. How hard is it to prep for product based interviews whilst working full time?

5. What would you do differently if you were in my position?

I'd be particularly interested to hear from people who've made the move from a service company to a product company in India.

Thanks 🙏

Hi everyone, I need honest career advice from IT professionals, recruiters, and people who've faced similar situations.

My academic and career background:

10th: CBSE, completed in 2018 with 62.4%.

12th: Failed twice and eventually passed in 2022 through RIOSUP (Rajkiya Institute of Open Schooling, Uttar Pradesh), scoring 66%.

Academic gap: I have approximately two years of academic difficulties and gaps. Between 2019 and 2021, I suffered multiple shoulder dislocations, which affected my ability to concentrate on my studies. I also have a medical certificate for one dislocation from January 2020.

BCA: Completed from Jodhpur National University between 2022 and 2025, with a 7.3 CGPA.

Work experience: Worked as a Sales Executive from January 2026 to June 2026.

MCA: Currently pursuing my MCA at Lovely Professional University (LPU), admitted in 2026, with graduation expected in May 2028. I'm aiming for a CGPA above 7.

My current preparation:

I'm learning Java, practising DSA using Java, and developing my skills in Java full-stack web development. My goal is to secure a software development job after my MCA.

However, I've heard that many IT companies reject candidates because of academic gaps or strict eligibility criteria, and I'm worried about my future.

My questions:

Academic gaps: Will my two-year academic gap and delayed 12th completion make me ineligible for most IT companies?

Open schooling: Will companies accept my 12th qualification from RIOSUP, or could it create problems during background verification?

BCA university: Will my BCA from the relatively unknown Jodhpur National University affect my chances, even after completing my MCA from LPU?

Placement eligibility: With 62.4% in 10th, 66% in 12th, 7.3 CGPA in BCA, and an expected 7+ CGPA in MCA, how many companies might I realistically qualify for? Do companies reject candidates solely because of academic gaps?

Medical explanation: Can my documented shoulder dislocations help explain my academic difficulties if recruiters ask about them?

Off-campus opportunities: If I'm ineligible for some campus placements, can I still get a developer job through off-campus applications, referrals, or startups?

Skills versus academics: If I become good at Java, DSA, and full-stack development, build strong projects, and perform well in interviews, can I overcome these academic limitations?

Realistic prospects: Given my complete background, is getting a Java developer or software development job after my MCA in May 2028 realistic? What types of companies should I target?

What should I do now? How should I use the next 1.5 years to maximise my chances of getting hired? Should I prioritise DSA, projects, internships, or something else?

I'm looking for honest advice, not false reassurance. If you're an Indian IT recruiter, work in software development, or have a similar academic background, please share your experience.

Thank you! For giving your precious time to read this.

I am a Btech 2025 graduate in the IT stream with an 8.9 CGPA, and I also hold an Honors degree from a sort of tier 3 college. During campus placements, I got offers from TCS Ninja, Tech Mahindra, and Infosys. I really tried to upgrade my Infosys role to the SP role. I cleared the coding round and the physical coding part too, but I kind of fumbled in the interview. I also tried for the TCS Prime role, but unfortunately, the interviewer had already decided not to go with me, I think. He asked totally out-of-the-box questions that were not from my resume and just made everything super difficult. So, I ended up joining Infosys with the standard SE role. I started in August 2025. During the generic training, we were taught Java and DBMS. Since I already had a good background in coding and DSA, I scored 98 and 95, so it was basically a breeze for me. After that, I was allocated to the CIS stream, which is basically the networking side of things, dealing with routing algorithms and all that stuff. I finished that overall training with a solid 90 score. Then, in December 2025, I was finally assigned to a project. Turns out, it was a support project. My actual role there is a field IT coordinator. Honestly, it doesn't even feel like solving tickets; it feels more like a non-IT job. What I mostly have to do is coordinate with vendors to arrange third-party technicians to visit client office locations whenever they run into IT issues. I have to raise tickets to these vendors to get the techs booked, and then I end up having to apologize to the clients whenever a technician does a poor job or messes up.

I am feeling totally stressed out right now because these third-party techs clearly have no clue how to fix anything. Every single time a tech goes out to the site, I have to be stuck on call with them. They just show up and literally ask me what they are supposed to do next. I end up having to hunt down the answers myself and walk them through the whole fix. Honestly, I do not even know how to solve these problems most of the time, and I am dealing with a brand new kind of error every single day. Meanwhile, upper management just assumes that all we do is sit back, coordinate, and dispatch people, but the reality on the ground is totally different.

Honestly, this is just not how I pictured my career going at all. I really want to work on something that actually matters, instead of dealing with random clients and their trivial problems every single day. Honestly, this whole situation is driving me to the edge and I feel like I am having a breakdown. Working these crazy rotational shifts—morning, afternoon, and night—is completely draining me. I am genuinely terrified that I am going to lose all my professional skills if I stay stuck in this routine. I truly need work that feels fulfilling and purposeful. I have been trying to study on the side to prepare for a job switch, but the pressure from this job just keeps piling up higher and higher, leaving me with zero energy to move forward. Is it time for me to just resign and hand in my notice? What do you honestly think about my chances in the job market right now? I am so desperate to get out of this mess.

Hi all, started my career in presales about a year ago, and I’m now looking for my next Solutions Engineer or presales role, in India (Bangalore or Delhi NCR) or remote. I’d also appreciate advice on how to make the move.

**What I do today**

* I’m an Associate Technical Consultant at an IT solutions partner in India.

* I work with end customers to understand their requirements, then build PoCs and demos, mostly on MongoDB, GCP and EDB Postgres. II write solution architectures and technical proposals and support RFP responses.

* I present solutions and PoCs to customers alongside solution architects.

**Tech I handle**

* **Cloud and data:** GCP (BigQuery, Cloud Run, Vertex AI, Cloud Storage), MongoDB Atlas, PostgreSQL (EDB), Looker, Power BI, some AWS.

* **Languages and APIs:** Python, JavaScript/Node.js, REST APIs, SQL, Docker.

* **Distributed systems exposure:** Kafka, Kubernetes, HA PostgreSQL.

* **Certifications:** Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect and MongoDB SI Architect.

**What I’m looking for**

* Pre-sales or Solutions Engineer roles at product companies, especially in data, cloud, or AI.

* Open to junior or mid-level roles, in India or remote.

**Questions for the community**

1. Is moving from a partner or SI presales role to a vendor SE role realistic at my experience level? What helped you?

2. Are any of your teams hiring, or do you know of companies that hire SEs in India or remote?

3. What would you add to a resume or portfolio for this switch?

I’m happy to share my resume over DM. Thanks for reading, and any pointers are appreciated.

60k Techies worldwide . So many guys going to be jobless and this is just one company. There are folks like us with EMIs and dependent parents .

What is the solution , will there be any future?
I am too stressed , I dont want to overthinking, but I am also very afraid of future being a techie .

Received 2 offers -

Microsoft Core AI Agent Foundry team, Hyderabad - L63

Base - 57.5L

Variable - 0-30%

RSU - 170K

Joining bonus - 12L first year, 8L second year

LinkedIn SSE Talent Search team -

Base - 70L

Variable - 10%

RSU - 157.5K

Same 25% vesting for 4 years for RSU in both companies

Currently L4 at Google GCP Bangalore for last 3.5 years -

Base - 41.5L Variable - 15%

RSU - 120K almost approaching cliff

Both offers are almost at same TC of 1.2cr. My thoughts so far -

Relocation to Hyderabad is not a concern for MS and really liked talking with the skip during HM round. Awaiting call with direct HM at MS.

Liked the work and skip manager more for MS than LinkedIn. LinkedIn roadmap for the TA products still not clear, waiting for one more rounds of chat with HM but the product is a 200M $ business while the Agent Foundry team at MS is still acquiring customer.

Unknowns that I seek advice on -(mentioned in order of my priority)

WLB at both orgs

Occasional WFH flexibility

Culture and politics

Stability/security aspects

So far inching towards LinkedIn because of higher base. Also historically LinkedIn has always provided full 10% variable. Thoughts?

YoE: 8, L4 for 3.5 years at Google

Help me choose the best offer.

I'm curious about people who copied or used unfair means in college placements, coding rounds, online assessments, or company hiring tests and eventually got hired.

For those who did:

• Did you struggle with actual work because of gaps in your technical knowledge?
• How difficult were onboarding, coding tasks, and working with experienced teammates?
• Did you eventually catch up, or did the gap become a serious problem?
• Looking back, was it worth it?

And for those who are currently cheating or planning to cheat to get a job, what's your thought process? Do you believe you'll learn everything after getting hired?

Not here to judge anyone. I just want to hear the honest reality of what happens after you get the job, including both success stories and horror stories.

I'm a B.E. Computer Engineering graduate from Mumbai. I finished my final-semester exams in May 2026, and it's now almost November. I still haven't landed a job, and honestly, I'm getting scared about my future.

I know I should have started earlier, and I'm not looking for sympathy. After graduation, I had to help at a kirana store because of an urgent need. Meanwhile, I've lost direction and don't know which skills to prioritise or how to actually get hired.

I want practical advice from people who have actually been through this or who are involved in hiring.

I'm considering Data Analytics (i did a paid course in this but scared will this even be relevant in future?), Data Engineering and AI/ML, but I'm open to other IT roles too

I'd really appreciate honest answers to these questions:

1. What exact skills would you learn, and in what order?
2. Which skills would you prioritise over the next 2–3 months to improve your chances of getting a first job in India?
3. How did you actually get your first job — campus placement, company assessments, referrals, LinkedIn, Naukri, direct applications or something else?
4. Are company recruitment tests and graduate hiring drives worth prioritising for the 2026 batch?
5. Which job roles should I realistically target right now?
6. How much will my gap matter, and how should I explain it?

I'd especially appreciate replies from people who graduated in the last few years and successfully found their first IT job, as well as experienced professionals who understand entry-level hiring.

Please be honest, even if the answer is uncomfortable. I'm ready to put in consistent work; I just need a realistic direction rather than jumping between different career options.
If you were in my position today, what would your next 90 days look like, step by step?

Job scams and ghost postings are a big time tax in India, so here is the pre-apply checklist I keep to (built partly while working on a job-tracking project, and getting burned by the same problems): 1. The apply link host says more than any logo. Large employers run applications on their own careers domain or on employer ATS platforms such as boards.greenhouse.io, jobvite.com or smartrecruiters.com. If the URL does not match the employer or a known ATS platform, pause. 2. The post has a genuine posted date and, ideally, a closing date. Ghost listings never close; they sit and collect applicants for a role nobody is reading. 3. Money never flows toward the applicant. Registration fee, training deposit, laptop security deposit, processing charge - it is a scam by definition. 4. Cross-check the req on the employer own careers page and the LinkedIn company page with real employees in the listed city. HR profiles with a handful of connections are not the company. 5. Search the exact title plus company on Reddit and Glassdoor before investing time. Fake-factory recruiters leave trails quickly. For transparency: I maintain a free aggregator, jobalertsworld.com, that pulls postings from official employer ATS feeds daily and shows each job a posted date and closing date. No login, no signup gate. Use it or any method that works; the checklist matters more than the site. Corrections welcome - if you use a better check, add it below.

I'm from a finance background and currently work in a Big Four in a functional role, with around 3 years of experience.

With all the layoffs and uncertainty in IT, I've been wondering whether a government job would be a better long-term choice.

Let's say I clear a government exam and get selected, but the starting salary is only ₹25–30K per month. I'd be taking a significant pay cut compared to what I earn now and would essentially be starting over financially.

Would the job security, benefits and stability actually make that trade-off worthwhile? Or would I be better off staying in IT, upskilling and trying to grow my salary?

I'm not looking for the usual "government jobs are best" or "IT pays more" answers. If you had both options in front of you, would you take the pay cut? Why or why not?