I have been a SWE for the last 2 years, am severely underpaid for having a BS in computer systems engineering. What other careers I can get into other than SWE since the market for SWE seems worse than other jobs…
I guess you already know that a master’s degree would certainly help you. However, here are some other career options that could work out but I still doubt if they will pay better than SWE
- Developer Marketing
- Sales Engineer
- Quality Assurance or Test Engineer
- Business/Data Analyst
- Project Manager
- Product Manager
- No or Low-Code Developer
- Database Administrator
- Data Engineer
I completely agree with @chaurasiajay7 here.
The list of the career options he provided are surely the best ones along with
DevOps Engineer.
But here’s the thing, SWE in long term will potentially increase your earning but the other fields might become stagnant after some point.
Getting a Master’s degree is always a good option to always standout from the rest applicant.
Hi, could you please tell me about what led you to go abroad for your masters rather than studying here in India?
And how did you get any scholarships too?
@r.nikam0707 @chaurasiajay7
Frankly, I started to prepare for MS in the US due to my friend group who were all coming to the US for their masters.
However, during preparation, I learned that GATE which is usually treated as the entrance exam for master’s in India and many government jobs is a tough test, master’s courses in India are sub-par except if you pursue from IIT, and the job opportunities for my branch (mechanical engineering) were limited and pathetic (we were offered 10-15K per month in Mumbai which doesn’t align with cost of living)
I earned my master’s from Arizona State University but did not receive any scholarship from that university. However, there are a few other universities that offer scholarships. I had received 50% scholarship from University of Texas, Dallas but chose not to pursue that (in hindsight it was a bad decision).
You can search for RA/TA positions that will help you waive tuition fees, take a student loan, work on-campus, try and get internships, and keep your expenses low to make it work.
Hey @Hrithik52,
Hope you are doing good.
I personally did check the college websites I was interested in. Do remember the application for scholarships ends earlier than normal applications.
Googled about how other people received a scholarship & what does University look for in the applications.
Used a tried and tested formula of proving your worth & how you need financial help and what could be the outcomes of me receiving a scholarship and how it benefits the society.
It’s very rare of people getting scholarships but as @chaurasiajay7 mentioned you can reach out to professor’s with your resume & how it relates to their field of work. If they are in need of a TA they will definitely approach you. Just like the job search.
One more thing I would like to add to what @chaurasiajay7 mentioned in his last few lines is look at the college fees & the cost of living in combined. Don’t separate them out hoping you’d cut down on your expenses.
I had went into a kind of comfort zone back in India. The job was going perfect, Manager was too good to me more than I can ask for. Life was moving slowly there. I wanted to explore & was always fascinated by US & Germany. So just out of curiosity gave the GRE & TOEFL, and got admits and moved here to US.
Regretted the decision few times during Job Search since the market was not good, but finally it all worked out well !!
Based on your background, here are some alternative career paths you could take:
Data Analytics/Science — Put your programming skills to use as a Data Analyst or BI Analyst.
Product Management — Use your SWE background to help drive the product.
Cloud/DevOps Engineering – Focus on automation and infrastructure.
Robust systems security as a Security Analyst or Pen Tester
Tech Consulting — Assist companies in optimizing their technology strategies.
Even Salesforce/CRM Specialist roles are in high-demand so you could work in these positions.
AI/ML Engineering — Use your coding background to create intelligent systems.