A 25-year-old AI graduate is weighing a difficult career decision after completing his master’s in Artificial Intelligence from Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States. With a strong academic background, research experience, and limited industry exposure, he now finds himself at a crossroads between continuing his job search in the US and returning to India with a solid job offer.
In a detailed post shared on Reddit, he explained his academic and professional journey. He completed his MS in AI with an 80 percent scholarship through a research assistantship and also worked in a university lab with a stipend that helped manage expenses. He has cleared most of his education costs and currently has around ₹5 lakh left in student loans.
Despite actively applying for roles in artificial intelligence and data science in the US for the past two to three months, he has not received any interview calls. In contrast, he has secured a Data Scientist role in India with a compensation of around ₹20 lakh per annum and must respond by the end of July.
He wrote, “I just don’t want to make a decision based on fear and later regret not giving the US job search enough time. At the same time, I don’t want to reject a solid offer based only on the hope that something might eventually work out.”
Weighing stability against opportunity
The dilemma, he added, is not about willingness to return to India but about timing and long term impact. With limited responses in the US job market, he is unsure whether extending his search is worth the uncertainty, especially when a stable offer is already in hand.
He also mentioned that his parents are teachers in India and that moving back does not feel like a setback, but rather a practical choice if required.
How social media reacted
Responses ranged from practical to cautious. One user advised him to accept the India offer, saying, “Take the 20 LPA job. You will learn a lot and can always try for the US again later. Without experience, getting a US job right now will be very difficult.”
Another comment pointed to financial security, stating that staying without a job in the US could lead to greater uncertainty, while the Indian offer provides immediate stability and a clear path to repay loans.
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Others suggested that the US market is currently tough for fresh graduates and encouraged him to focus on gaining experience first, regardless of geography, before revisiting international opportunities later.
(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.)
