Search Job or go to US for MS ? Will experience in India count for higher salary in US after MS ?

I was asked by one of our readers,

“hi, i read all ur posts in ur website..u doing great job..keep it up.. i am fresher.. i completed my B.E (ECE).. i wanted to come to us this fall 2010..But seeing ur posts it seems this is not the right time to come…here in India job market for fresher’s is not yet increased.. Every one r expecting more opportunities in coming Feb. and march… i got placed in Siemens but they have not yet called   and it seems they will not call early also…  so searching job in other companies..Coming to us is my childhood dream.. I just wanted to ask u one thing “if i work here for 1.5 year in a company and then apply for ms for fall 2011…will it be a wise decision? And when i complete my ms and apply for job there, will my experience count and get a higher package in the beginning itself.. ?  please suggest me… Knowing my present status, if u want to advise me then please do advice…I am confused what to do…”

Some of you might be in a similar situation. I do not know if the reader has admission or not for Fall 2010. But, irrespective of it, the analysis does not change. Firstly, before I answer, the goal of the reader is to come to US, that is his dream. This analysis is based on his personal goal. Here is my perception of things and what I would do. Let us break down the questions into three parts what can happen?

1. Job Market in India after Feb improves and You get Job before July/ August.
2. Job Search in India after Feb does NOT improve and you do NOT get a job.
3. You have an option to take loan. Loan Cost vs Benefit of graduating before
4. Will my experience in India Count for Higher salary ?

Job Market in India after Feb improves and You get Job before July/ August.

This is an ideal situation, there is no financial  or time risk involved here. You look for job and you get the job. You work in India for one year and save some money to come to US for doing MS in Fall 2011.  Hopefully, the situation in US improves in coming one year or so and there is higher funding to state Universities which in turn increases funding chances in State schools.

Job Search in India after Feb does NOT improve and you do NOT get a job.

This is a worst case scenario, you tried hard but things did not work out. You have looked for job for 5-6 months and nothing is going your way. You have one more year ahead of you. I assume the person has graduated and looking for job.  Imagine the worst case that can happen, your valuable time of 6 months has been wasted and you do not know the future. There is lot of uncertainty involved.  One of the most important things in life is time, and it never comes back. You have to value your time as life and money.  Your goal should be that ‘your time is not wasted in the next one year’. One thing is, you can come to US by taking loan, despite the bad situation for funding, you can always study with your money. If it is hard, do not hesitate to look for a job that may not be right fit for you.  People think, I am an engineer and I have to do only Programming. In reality, that is not true. It how we perceive jobs. In America, the college students work philosophy is different, Most of the college student works in Restaurants, malls, etc for paying fees. They tend to continue doing part time work until they find job. May be you can look in areas like Call center jobs or something similar. It is an option if you do not have any financial support as loans and you do not want to waste time. Also, you can go for another degree in Universities in India. If education is not your passion, then this is not an option.

You have an option to take loan and you did not find job. Loan Cost vs Benefit of graduating before

Lets say you have an option to take Loan and come to US for MS. Then the answer would be, Yes you should come to US for fall 2010 because you could not find a job and your valuable time is getting wasted. Lets look financially, you take loan of 10 Lakhs and with interest it adds up to may be 11 lakhs by the time you graduate. Depending on the job you get, you can clear your loan in US anywhere from one to 2 years. But, the good thing is , all the time is counted as work experience and there is progression to your career. Remember, money can be earned, but time cannot be. You can make money ! Also, if you study immediately and then work, you are entering the market with higher qualification and knowledge, it may help you go up the ladder and imagine that 2 years helps you become a manager 2 years ahead of time, you make more money in long run. Getting a masters will not necessarily make you a manager, just your perception of things and knowledge can make you smarter.

Will my experience in India Count for Higher salary ?

This is a YES and a NO. It depends on the company. But most of the times, if you have work experience in India, you can put in on your resume and interview for a one level higher than entry level position with one or two years. It does help you start off in a better position.  It depends on the kind of work too.  If you have an internship from US, that helps you better.  Students typically get hired based on their performance in Internships.  Bottom-line, it does count depending on company, may be not all times and it is tricky based on your MS degree and kind of work you did, and job you are looking for.

Anyways, what I am trying to tell is, “You can make money anytime, but your time of two years and education progression will be good if you can afford loan.” Also, you will have to consider couple of things, the rules for H1B are getting stricter day by day, you can read the latest H1B news, we do not know the future about work visas in 2 years. But, there is Optional practical training (OPT) , that you can use for 12 to 29 months. OPT can help you at least pay out your loans( worst case scenario), though you may not make money, but at least you will be break-even if times get worse and work situation in US turns bad for H1B workers.  I have given you all the options giving the best and worst options. Your decisions should be based on your how much financial and time  risk you can handle. Also, your perception of things. Take a wise decision !

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