Recent CS graduate feeling uncertain about my career path and looking for advice

[u/Candid-Task-7542]

Hi everyone,

I'm a recent Computer Science Engineering graduate from India and I'm currently looking for my first job.

Lately, I've been feeling quite uncertain about my career direction. I enjoy technology and want to build a successful career in the field, but I'm struggling to figure out what I should focus on during this early stage of my career.

One of my long-term goals is to potentially work abroad someday, but I've never been abroad before and don't have a clear understanding of what paths are most realistic for someone starting from my position.

Right now, I'm trying to understand what would be the best use of my time and energy over the next few years.

Some questions I have are:

• What would you focus on if you were a recent CS graduate starting from scratch today?
• Is it better to prioritize getting any relevant experience first, or spend more time improving technical skills?
• What skills are currently most valuable in the job market?
• How important are projects, certifications, and networking compared to formal work experience?
• For those who eventually worked internationally, what steps helped you get there?

I'm genuinely interested in learning from people who have already gone through this stage. If there is anything you wish you had known when you graduated, I would love to hear it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any advice or experiences you're willing to share.

[u/lhorie]

feeling quite uncertain about my career direction

You need to fix that asap, and nobody can tell you what specializations to go into. Specifically, figure out on your own what specialization you're going for, and apply to jobs within that specialization. Ideally you have internships that can inform you about whereabouts to focus on. Obviously, build/have at least some level of understanding for that specialization, be it via side projects, freelance or whatever. Certs are usually useless, masters often don't improve your chances in entry level pipelines (seen many masters in AI ending up doing webdev).

As for immigration, first pick a country, and look at visa requirements. Typically you need to secure a job offer first in a company that is willing to sponsor/go forwards with an international hire. Second, you need to actually be able to move (e.g. having enough money for plane tickets, rent + any deposits, etc). Netherlands appears to be a popular destination. US and Canada are harder these days. For US, specifically, early career people usually go for masters to get F-1 OPT (but again, mind your bank account).