A coder who has been in the United States for close to a decade is struggling to find a job in India even with their good qualifications. The person, a Master's degree holder from the University of Michigan with expertise in full-stack development, took to Reddit to post about their experience of job hunting.

“Returning to India and can’t get a single interview call!” – the coder, whose Reddit handle is Free-Length-683, complained in frustration. They mentioned that they were going back to India in May to look after their elderly parents, but had applied for dozens of jobs during the last half-year, got only one interview call, and that too turned out to be a rejection. 

Returning to India and can't get a single interview call!
by indevelopersIndia

Skills vs. industry expectations

The developer provided information on their skillset, which is Python, Django (and Django REST), JavaScript, Vue.js, and Postgres. They have developed web applications, data pipelines, and data visualizations, but feel that their lack of exposure to some newer technologies is keeping them back.

“I have never worked with cloud computing, Docker, Kubernetes, or message queues, and I see these technologies listed in almost every job posting,” they wrote. “Most developers in India already have this skill set (I am assuming). I have realized that not knowing key technologies that a senior developer like me should already know puts me at a significant disadvantage.”

To add to their problems, the developer pointed out that the extended waiting time for a US green card (15 years) necessitated their return to India.

Advice and reality check

Reddit commenters quickly provided advice and observations about the developer's situation. One commented on the competitive nature of India's tech field: “It’s cut-throat competition in India with horrible work-life balance unless you have contacts who can refer you.”

Another user, who is also a software engineer, speculated that the developer’s work history at universities in the US might be affecting their job prospects: “Has your entire career been spent working at universities? Such a work history would be considered a bit unusual in India, so that could be a factor.”

Other users offered different methods, such as seeking employment at Indian universities. “You can try to find a job at a college in India. That would give you a great advantage. But the salaries in the university/college sector, even though good, are not competitive with the IT industry,” a Redditor recommended.

Another practical advice was to get a job in a company that has an office in India and ask for an internal transfer, which could make the transition smoother.

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