Career Trends & Predictions 2022

If I graduated in last 2 years, my career strategy would be very different from what I followed in the previous decade. So much has changed (not just because of covid) that career planning needs to be rethought as well.

I am penning down some of the biggest trends I’m seeing on the horizon and the kind of changes we can expect to see in the short and long term. Let’s see if you agree with me.

1/Balance

Employers (esp in the West) are finally realizing that millennials don’t want to and don’t have to keep working 24×7. Internet has created opportunities that simply did not exist before. They can earn good money on the side while having fun. So, why would they dedicate their whole life to a mundane job? This means they have to offer better working conditions to attract and retain talent. 

USA and a few countries in Europe are feeling the brunt of ‘The Great Resignation’ – a phenomenon where in record number of employees (4.4 million in Sep 2021 and 4.5 million in Nov 2021 in US alone) are voluntarily quitting their jobs. Quitting in November is a strong trend because people usually don’t quit before the holiday season.

A Microsoft survey showed 41% of employees are considering resigning from their jobs in 2021, compared to 15% rates pre-pandemic.

The real shocker, for me, was to see Goldman Sachs saying that it is ‘working to improve the work-life balance of junior-most employees, known as analysts, by reducing their hours and other measures’. For those of us who have seen Wall Street’s ruthless working culture from close quarters, we were smiling to see this first-of-its-sorts acknowledgment that employers are not able to simply buy people off anymore.

But let’s dig deeper into what is driving this Great Resignation phenomenon. I believe the top reasons are that employees are:

  • experiencing post pandemic burn out
  • used to WFH and don’t want to go back
  • not considering job as their number one priority anymore
  • saw side hustles succeed and now they can actually afford to leave (power of the creator economy, see point no. 5)
  • not feeling valued at work and not willing to compromise on it

People are re-evaluating their options after Covid. It seems we are entering a new era of making different life choices. YOU, now, have a choice to pursue careers more to your interest and exploit your talents (even weird ones) – never before in history have we seen something like it.

Yes, we are still to witness this playing ou with same intensity in Asia. In fact, India has seen job market worsening since covid broke out.

However, the Technology sector (which was not affected by covid) is seeing increasing churn and even Indians are not considering salary as their primary motive in job seeking as discovered in this survey.

src: Mint

2/Quality of Education

India has an average PTR (pupils to teacher ratio) of 28 i.e. there is 1 teacher for 28 students (lower than China & Brazil). It indicates the burden on a single teacher of teaching multiple students as well as the lack of time that each student gets. Combined with the relative unattractive perks of teaching jobs, Indian education has always suffered from lack of teachers, more so, good teachers.

However, with a generous push from the pandemic, the way we consume education has already changed from fully offline to significantly online. Arguably, it is a welcome change. E-learning supports ~50% faster learning speed & 25-60% retention rate vs 8% in offline learning i.e. students can learn faster and retain more because of recordings and option to replay. Also, if students cannot understand a concept in college classroom, they have ton of online courses and videos to learn from.

This has leveled the quality of education accessibility for tier 2 & 3 locations. Further, poor quality of teachers is offset by the teaching talent online. Good for everybody. 

3/Value of Degrees

Most Indian graduates are not qualified to work and yet subpar colleges have survived so far. Why? Because employers wanted a degree. Will we see a future that does not care as much for formal education? In the long term, yes.

The change would be catalyzed by job opportunities that do not require a degree. FYI, Google, Apple, EY, Tesla and a few other firms have started hiring people without 4 year undergrad degrees. Time will see only more companies adopting this trend and give impetus to self-learned talent. This will force Universities to figure out their shit as well – why should students take on hefty education loans to pay tuition fees if they can simply compete for jobs without their degrees.

4/Tests

It took a pandemic for universities to realize that admissions can continue even if the applicants did not have SAT/GRE/GMAT scores. But what does it mean for the candidates? With no exam scores to compensate for lower gpa, will applicants with not so good acads suffer in applications? It is possible. But, in the long run, as degrees matter less (point 3), the supply and demand of candidates in college admissions might just balance out.

5/Gig and Creator Economy

There are at least 59 m gig workers in USA as of 2021 – that’s 1/3rd of its workforce. Gig workers are people like freelancers who are hired for a special task and mostly work remotely. Gigs range from sophisticated work required by large enterprises to something as mundane as transcription or house cleaning. With companies like Urban Clap and Fiverr empowering the service professionals, more and more people are taking up gig working.

A parallel track is that of the creator and influencers who have sprouted like mushrooms on social media. I foresee a future where many students would not even sit for placement in colleges because they have already started their YouTube/IG channels and are making good money.

So, those are my broad comments on the year to come. We are truly living in an exciting time and I am forever bullish on the future. DO YOU AGREE WITH ME? Please share in your comments below, I am very curious to hear your thoughts!

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Yes, help me please

What does Biden victory mean for International students?

Now that the US marathon election result week has culminated in a Joe Biden victory, are you wondering what it means for international students? How will Biden shape the immigration policies that affect OPT, H1B and naturalization process? And finally, how should you plan your studies abroad in the wake of a new President in the White House? Let’s take a look in this post.

First of all, welcome to a non-Trump world!

Trump made it amply clear that he is driven by nationalist agenda at any cost. Even if it caused US universities to lose their share of international students. First, a ban of new H1B, then curb on online only international students and finally raising the minimum wages for H1B, he kept sending clear signals to attack the immigrants.

Is Biden better for international students?

Biden once said of his priorities, “Trump just ended H-1B visas the rest of this year. That will not be in my administration. The people who have come on this visa have built this country. Let’s streamline the naturalization process, make it easier for qualified green card holders to move through his backlog” 

Democrats are more open and lenient on matters related to immigration. The fact that Biden recognizes America as a nation of immigrants gives a lot of hope to those wishing to build their careers in USA.

However, the specifics of Biden’s stance remain unknown. He is definitely not likely to pass on rash curbs on work or student visas that Trump didn’t hesitate in doing. However, at another time, his campaign also said, “Biden will work with Congress to first reform temporary visas to establish a wage-based allocation process and establish enforcement mechanisms to ensure they are aligned with the labor market and not used to undermine wages.”

Wage based allocation process means qualifying for work visas only if your salary remains above the mentioned threshold. So, all depends on this threshold. As per the latest action by Trump administration, there was a ridiculous 40% hike in the minimum wages required for a H1B sponsorship. It is highly unlikely that Biden will continue or increase this limit.

In a nutshell…

While Biden is overall less anti-immigrant than Trump, there are no promises or specifics known yet. Given the times we are in when countries are struggling to grow their economies, sustain and create jobs for their people, it is understandable that they would tightly scrutinize the borders. International students should cheer after a Biden victory albeit with cautious optimism. 

However, no one can be as bad at Trump. Therefore, change of office and Biden’s victory is a lot of reason to celebrate for international students!

How to take care of your interests?

If you are vying for the top jobs and top companies, US is still the place to be. A 3 year STEM OPT extension plus 6 years on H1B gives you ample time to figure your next move. 

If you want to potentially immigrate to a new country after your studies abroad and don’t want the anxiety related to H1B visas etc, you can consider more immigrant-friendly countries such as Canada. If the Democrats end up not relieving the difficulty on work and student visas, the competition for US schools might dip a little, giving you a better shot at your dream Ivy Leagues. So, for those who are not so set on settling abroad, it is a good time to get into US. 

Anyway with so much changing in the world, who knows what lies next? Why worry for a future long down the line when you don’t know what tomorrow entails 🙂

Other interesting read on the topic: this Scroll article

USA needs International Students

US needs International Students

Last week, a tiny but significant news popped in on our feed.

91springboard ties up with University of Arizona to provide virtual courses to Indian students

Co-working operator 91springboard on 18 July 2020 said the company has tied up with the University of Arizona to provide virtual courses to Indian students at its shared workspace centres.

The University of Arizona, USA, and 91springboard have partnered to provide undergraduate and graduate courses to students and working professionals, the company said in a statement.

Src: PTI

Trump’s anti-immigration policies and rash acts against international students have irked the student community. But think of the universities as well, their business relies on foreign students who come and pay much higher out-of-state tuition fee. Indian and Chinese students make up for a large part of the student community in USA.

So, if Trump is making it tough for international students to come to USA, universities are now stepping up to explore other options. This partnership by Arizona shows that they are looking for ways to continue woo’ing foreign students.

By offering virtual courses but partnering with physical co-working space can give a better than online-only experience to students. So, they are tapping into that market segment which was not going to USA.

Of course, it remains to be seen if such hybrid courses will prove better than what is already being offered online.

Students can choose from over 40 undergraduate (4 years) and 20 graduate (2 years) courses in engineering, computer technology, humanities, business management, and applied sciences, among others.

src: PTI

They are offering the most popular courses among international students. This way, they are also trying to expand their bases in college students – many of who can consider in-person MS later on.

Why are international students important to USA?

  1. They pay higher tuition fee, thereby subsidizing education for domestic students
  2. Almost 25% of the unicorn startups in USA have been founded by an immigrant student
  3. These students spend money on many other things, thus contributing to the economy

What does this mean for you?

If you are an international students, this is an encouraging news because it opens more options to you. You don’t have to worry about being in USA, travel bans etc. You are taking courses at lower price points.

What you should think about though is – are such courses going to devalue the degrees?

Our Analysis

This move can make education more widely available and affordable for a certain segment of international students. However, will it also negatively impact the MS in USA segment? Will it eat on the customer base who was likely to come to USA for their studies? Do they think the higher volume of students who can take such courses virtually from India will compensate for the lower revenues they can generate on such courses?

It definitely shows that the universities are getting desperate and are looking for options to keep the students interested.

In the end, success of any program is determined by its ROI. If and only if a course can help its students get placed in the industry in good roles, will it succeed. That is why Ivy Leagues had been commanding such fee because their degrees were seen as a pathway to successful jobs.

But all that can change. It is an interesting time indeed. The education industry is reinventing itself and we hope its for good.

MTech in India vs MS in USA – which is better?

Let’s cut the chase. Many applicants wonder if they should just go for an MTech in India instead of supposedly expensive MS degree in USA. Here are my thoughts on the same.

Whether you should go for GATE or not partly depends on where did you do your Bachelors from.

How helpful is an MTech degree?

Pros: MTech is cheaper than studying abroad and can make you eligible for placement in PSUs. If you did Bachelors from a low tier college and if you can do MTech from IIT/NIT/BITs (that means doing very very well in GATE), it will increase your employability and can give you access to top tier of employers in India.

Cons: Education quality in India is not good enough and the same is true for MTech. You have to, at the end of the day, deal with same kind of teachers and similar infrastructural constraints in colleges. That is why I said it depends on your college. If you did undergrad from a good college, MTech will give you only a little additional advantage in terms of job opportunities and I don’t think spending 2 years is worth it. Even if you get into a top tier institute in GATE, I feel that employers always have a higher demand for undergrads at these places and you might compete against not only your MTech batchmates but BTech guys as well. The fact is a Master’s from India is not considered that cutting-edge. So, if you think you are going to gain some major knowledge boost, that is wishful thinking.

Just to give you a perspective on how competitive GATE is, IITs offered < 700 seats in Computer Science for MTech in 2020. Even if we double the number of IITs and calculating for more branches, that is <10,000 seats for MTech in IITs when 7.5 lac+ people appear for GATE every year. So, 98.5% of the candidates appearing for GATE will end up not meeting the cut off or even if they do, they will get non-IIT kind of colleges.

Pros of doing MS from USA

  1. Education is just way way better than in India. At UIUC and NYU, I had the privilege of learning under Nobel Laureates, reputed award winner scientists and people who were truly experts in their fields.
  2. Starting salaries are quite high (read USD 85k and above) that you can earn so much more than what you will back in India. Many students have this myth about financial affordability but if you do the math, you can repay the loan in 2-4 years if you go to a decent enough school and work hard to get a good internship/job since CS folks are really in demand there.
  3. Besides the exposure to a foreign land, opportunities and learning to be independent are something that will make you a better person and professional in the long run. It will prepare you for a global career better than an MTech.

So, what to do?

In the end, it depends on your financial constraints but if you can manage a semester worth of fee, I highly recommend looking at Master’s from USA instead of MTech in India.

Agree/Disagree? Comment below!

ICE asking online-only international students to leave USA

International students to leave US

JULY 24, 2020: Update

Just last week, we saw Trump revoking his ban and just when we thought the storm is over, Harvard announced that the ban does not apply to incoming Freshmen. In simpler words, any undergraduate student who was going to enter USA for the first time for his studies on a F-1 visa will not be allowed since college courses are running fully online and the ban revoke does not apply to them.

“International freshmen will not be able to come to campus this fall due to federal visa restrictions,” Harvard’s Indian-American Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana wrote to undergraduates Tuesday.

We are trying to find if this applies to incoming Master’s students as well. For the moment, it looks like USA has still not found its peace with students.

In lieu of the above, shall you continue your study abroad plans to USA? Contact us if you need help planning your future. Nistha has been helping students make their decisions this year more than ever and we are always happy to assist you.

JULY 15, 2020: Update

The Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded its ban on international students who planned to take classes entirely online in the fall as university campuses remain largely closed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Details of the administration’s rollback came during a court hearing over a challenge brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in federal court. According to a court order, both sides had reached an agreement to rescind the policy, which was announced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, sending thousands of students into a panic.

JULY 9, 2020: Original News

USA asked international students to leave the country if they are on an online-only coursework. Our analysis below.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced all of a sudden that international students will face deportation if their schools switch to remote learning fully due to the pandemic.

Due to COVID-19, there was a temporary exemption that permitted nonimmigrant students to take more online courses than normally permitted by federal regulation to maintain their nonimmigrant status. This ruling by ICE revokes this exemption and basically states that if you are studying fully online, you cannot stay in USA ?

The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the USA enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status. If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.

It is devastating and cruel to say the least because online classes are not anybody’s fault. This comes after Trump banning issuance of new H1B visas last month ?

Who does it affect?

  • Current F1 students who are taking classes completely in online mode
  • Anybody planning to start Fall 2020 semester whose program is declared not hybrid cannot get F1 stamped or enter United States

Few options available to you:

  • Change your program of study such that they enroll in either hybrid or in person classes
  • Ask your advisor if there’s a way to enroll in courses which qualify for in-person credits – there might be certain project/independent study kind of courses that fulfill this criteria
  • Some people are talking about taking medical leave or transferring to another college but that is not feasible for everyone

Is there any hope on the horizon?

First, this turbulence is mainly caused by Presidential elections due later this year in USA. Things are expected to settle down after the elections.

MIT, Harvard, NEU have sued the govt for the same in order to protect the students.

India is also planning to raise the issue diplomatically to protect the students.

What are current students saying about it?

Nothing great to report.
Next year’s H1B is my last attempt, and with all the noise around, there is nothing promising to look forward to.
I love my job so that keeps me going and even though there are rumors of layoff, my team seems to be safe from being affected.
On a positive note, I feel lucky to have come here, did my MS and get a job before the pandemic hit.
Almost all the juniors who graduated last month from my college have active job offers, so that’s a great news.
The manner in which classes are being held (online) is a major drawback. Professors hate it, and attending a class in person is miles ahead of attending classes online. It’s not just the classes, but being have to be away from the University buzz is a major setback too.

The kind of support we are receiving from our faculty, and graduate associations (at CMU) is reassuring. But constantly being reminded by this administration that we are ‘aliens’ in this country, irrespective of our contributions, has consistently corroded our motivation to stay here for any longer than is needed. Before coming here last year I was of the opinion that every rule had a rationale that probably benefited the country’s economy or it’s politics. But now I am surprised to see how a country that was built by immigrants can be so xenophobic. Many of my friends are judiciously considering moving to other countries or going back home as soon as things settle. And it’s not only us Indians. An Australian colleague in my dept just sent his wife and 2 kids back home. I’ve heard from Chinese friends who want to go back home as soon as they graduate. I too am considering a future out of this country as soon as I graduate this December.

Colleges are trying to provide a hybrid model for current students so that they can stay. Apart from new i20 issuance (stating that we will be attending hybrid classes), nothing major is impacted for most of the universities (in hybrid mode). PS: College is supporting us in every way they can and Trump administration is doing the opposite. Keep calm and wait for November.

Rest, we are keeping an eye on the events very closely and will keep updating things here. You can also join our hyper active FB group to discuss the issues with fellow students.

Leave your comments and concerns below ?

Defer your Fall 2020 admit because of Coronavirus?

defer admit Coronavirus

Are you wondering if you should defer your Fall 2020 admit because of Coronavirus? Read on. At the end of this post, we share a great decision making technique that you can use for yourself.

In our previous post, we discussed overall Covid impact on international students. We also saw 5 ways in which recruitment and job hunt will be affected.

Most of the schools including the mighty Harvard Business School has decided to allow its accepted applicants to defer their admits to next Fall. The other option is to accept the classes online. Some of the schools (eg UMass Amherst) have even offered the option to stretch the program to 4-5 semesters to ease the visa concerns.

Deferring to Fall/Spring 2021 – what does it mean?

Let’s look at the pros con of deferring your admission to next Spring or Fall

To SpringTo next Fall
No CPT for Summer 2021Delay in graduation
Situation may not change – 6 months not long enough to try somethingUncertainty continues for another year

Starting the classes online – what does it mean?

Many schools are giving the option to start the Fall classes online. Here are the pros and cons

ProsCons
Start on timeImpact on peer learning
No delay in graduationImpact on networking
Possible uncertainty on CPT for Summer 2021

Some people may not want to wait much longer since they already have enough work experience. In that case, considering to start the Fall sem online is a way out. Of course, they must reflect on what it means for their jobhunt.

How is the economy looking and what does it mean for your jobhunt?

How is US market looking?

Performance of DJI

The recovery of US markets has been impressively fast and solid. While it took 1 year+ for DJI to bounce back during 2008 recession, it recovered 33% of its losses in 3 weeks. Even the magnitude of decline has been lower.

Why did US market recover so quickly?

Senate approved $2 Trillion Stimulus in record time. It is hailed as the largest-ever economic stimulus package in U.S. history, amounting to 10% of total U.S. gross domestic product. The bill was much larger than the $831 billion stimulus act passed in 2009 as part of the response to the Great Recession.

Bottomline is US government acted rapidly (enacted within ONE week) and decisively. The impact of the stimulus is that 150M people are getting money deposited in their bank accounts. There are further proposals to support the unemployed for at least 6 months.

How is Indian market looking?

Sensex performance Nov 2019-May 2020

While Indian markets are mirroring the US markets so far, there are many question marks on the fundamental strength and wellbeing of Indian industries.

Moody’s had earlier cut the forecast for India’s GDP growth this year to 0.2%. And very recently, Goldman Sachs slashed it down further to -5%. This foreshadows trouble in Indian economy.

What are the markets telling us worldwide?

The US govt is prepared to do whatever it takes and is looking decisive about keeping the economy afloat.

India and rest of the world is simply mirroring what’s going on in USA. So, if there’s recession in USA, expect a worse recession in India.

What is happening at H1B front and will you get work visas easily?

Trump can resort to stricter immigration steps to improve his re-election campaign. As pointed out in my previous article, Trump is against the IT outsourcing companies sending their folks on H1B and NOT against students like you.

In May, we had a team of Democrat and Republican Senators proposing a H1B Reform Act which is a great news for people studying in USA. Read our detailed commentary on the same and what it can mean for you.

How might US Presidential election complicate things?

  • Trump means solid economy but tricky H1B visas
  • Democrats victory means softer economy but better H1B visa

Should you defer your admit because of Coronavirus?

At the end, you have to decide for yourself keeping all the above information in mind.

On one hand, US economy has strong foundation. Even if there is a slowdown in second half of 2020, the markets are expected to recover well and healthily in <1 year. Same cannot be said for India. The GDP is declining more than expected and job losses are mounting. Indian government doesn’t have the wherewithal to support everyone whereas US just did. They are putting money in bank accounts directly, they are prepared to act tough if required.

On other hand, there may be short term challenges if companies go shy in sponsoring H1Bs which directly impacts internships and jobs. Also, cutting back on funding may lead to fewer assistantships and scholarships – making it overall more expensive. Dollar however remains strong.

But keeping all these facts aside, it boils down to what matters the most to you. We share a great technique below that you can use to make this decision more wisely for yourself.

What is happening with H1B – should I apply for MS?

Ever since Trump was elected, there have been articles that blamed his policies on H1B for Indians being forced to exit US. Let us focus on facts and discuss how it impacts your MS plans.

Relevant Anti H1B Bills proposed so far-

  1. Increase in minimum wage requirement to qualify for H1B
    1. A bill called Protect and Grow American Jobs Act was introduced to amend the original Act that created the H-1B program. It asks to raise the minimum salary requirement for H-1B workers to $100,000 a year, up from $60,000, and remove the Master’s degree exemption that allowed the replacing of American workers with foreign workers with master’s degrees. The House Judiciary Committee approved it in November 2017 but it is far from becoming a law at this point. Tech lobby is so strong, I’ll be surprised if this passes ever.
  2. Revoking work permits of H1B spouses
    1. A rule is proposed to revoke work permits of H1B spouses – popularly called H4 EAD. It is currently in “final clearance and review” process.

Bills approved and made into law so far-

None

Other impacts of Trump’s anti-immigration stance:

  1. Employers were wary of what rule might be proposed and hence, were more cautious in rolling out H1B applications for new employees. I have heard Amex managers etc thinking twice before hiring internationals.
  2. In October 2017, the USCIS made it so that H1B extension applications are subjected to the same level of scrutiny as on fresh visa applications. Earlier, if anyone made a mistake in the application, they could get an RFE (request for evidence). However, now USCIS can outright right reject with no obligation to send RFE.
    The ground reality is that some people are seeing a tougher time getting their H1B renewed especially if their real day to day work doesn’t justify the reasons for which the H1B was filed in the first place. If they are doing routine mundane tasks and not requiring higher skills, they are likely to be questioned and may even see revoking of H1Bs.

Who will Trump’s bias really impact? – outsourcing firms who are sending people on client side for no real reason. This was also reflected in the fact that the number of approved H1B petitions filed by Indian IT firms (Cognizant, Infosys) declined in 2017 whereas those by leading tech companies such as Apple, Amazon increased (as reported by NFAP).

Outsourcing IT firms have realized that they cannot bulk file for H1Bs now and there will be tighter scrutiny on applications. As a result, they are also more cautious and not filing too many H1B petitions now.

Quoting verbatim from the above NFAP report-

Emerging technologies, such as driverless vehicles, may also be increasing the demand for people with high levels of technical skill, including foreign-born researchers. Tesla (207 approved new H-1B petitions in FY 2017), Uber (158) and General Motors (179) all employ individuals in H-1B status.

It indicates a shift in preferring to grant H1Bs to direct employers rather requiring more sophisticated knowledge of technology than outsourcing IT firms.

Frankly, these are the only real things happening. I have seen articles claiming that people are leaving USA because of Trump’s policies and they are cherry picking evidence. The height of irresponsible journalism is when they cite reasons such as – H1B is too restrictive, you cannot work for anyone else, I did not get H1B 2 years after graduation. I wrote a big counter article on that which went viral and you must read it.

Let’s be objective. All this was happening before Trump as well. H1B was always restrictive (you could not start your own company on H1B), it was always harder for people graduating with questionable degrees from questionable schools, who did not learn any real skills.

At Scholar Strategy, I have heard from our students who got internships and fulltime employment at Tesla, Facebook, Amazon, Intel, Qualcomm, Google, Microsoft, Apple etc this very year. So, if you want to extrapolate Trump’s frenzy to a doomsday scenario for people who know their shit, all I have for you is ‘I don’t buy that.’

You may say many deserving people on H1B from outsourcing firms are now at risk. I say – yes, they are. But believe me, if you have good skills and are a good developer, Project Manager, Product Manager, software architect – you will never have dearth of opportunities – yes, you may have to work for it.

I advised a 34 year old woman, who was fed up of the IT firms politics and stagnation in career in India, get into MIT SDM program and she interned at Salesforce as a product manager this year. If she can do it, so can you.

But if you are trying to defend skill-less people sitting as managers in middle management layer in so many IT companies – you cannot. They were and are always at risk of being shoved out (even in India) – its nothing to do with H1B. After all, H1B is not a charity, it is a work visa with a specific purpose for its country.

I am not defending Trump by any means, but I am saying that there frankly has not been a damage to prospects of working in USA for good people. In fact, I would argue that going forward, it bodes well for people with advanced degrees from good institutes because they are the ones that will possess the requisite skills.

Updated thoughts after H1B report came out in Feb 2019-

20 Secrets to Successful Dating in Grad School

The time in Grad School (equally relevant to college) is not just critical for your career but also for personal relationships. Many a time, school life does not derail because of the decisions of mind but that of the heart.

A healthy approach to relationships is a must have. Here are 20 tips to keep you emotionally sane-

1. Enjoy dating with an open mindset

Meeting multiple people gives you a better idea of your own preferences before you start seeing someone more seriously. And no, you are not supposed to be dating many people at the same time (glad you clarified).

2. A successful relationship is about compatibility and that goes beyond how cute someone is

I know, I know. Hormones. After a while, you will stop noticing the cuteness but if the person has a habit that annoys you (not making their bed, bad at losing in board games), it will become hard to ignore.

3. Break up is not the end of the world

For whatever reason, if you have to break up (or your partner initiates it), it is okay. No, seriously. You would think that it is the end of the world and you will never find anyone so good again. But usually, your mind is just reacting to the insecurity of ending up alone. Breaking up sucks but being stuck with a wrong person is a torture beyond comprehension.

4. Don’t date assholes, narcissists and control freaks

Self explanatory. Quit if the person is abusive, tries to make you feel bad for his/her problems, feels manipulative, does not pay attention to your needs or talks down to you. There is no reason big enough to justify staying with such people.

5. Kindness is the most important trait to look for

Yes, it is shocking but in the end, if your partner cannot be kind to you when you behave differently from what they expect, you will run crazy trying to please them. It is not a battle you can ever win. Romance will cool down, you have to pay bills and do unpleasant chores when you live together. There will be days when the world seems wrong. You need a kind partner to get through those days.

6. Don’t chase anyone, move on

If someone is breaking up again and again with you and coming back, stop. If they don’t value you, they are not worth keeping.

The longest relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself. You are the most important person in your life. Have some self-esteem.

7. Career and relationships are equally important

No amount of wealth can fill in for loneliness and no amount of company can fill in for emptiness. You can have a balanced family and professional life. Go for it. Don’t compromise on your dreams and always be there for your partner. Find that delicate balance — it is hard but it is so worth it.

8. Don’t try to change anyone

Everyone holds some beliefs and values in life. Some of those are non-negotiable. Unless you understand what you can and cannot live without, how can you find the ‘one’ for yourself? If your plan depends on changing your partner so adjust to your values, think again. Can you change for them?

Examples are known where deep incompatibility in religious beliefs, political beliefs, financial values corroded the relationship over time. If you are a spiritual person and that is core to your existence, you won’t be able to thrive easily with someone who is agnostic, materialistic and contrarian to your values. People usually don’t change when it comes to such core values. Exceptions may occur but you don’t want to hold your breath on it.

9. Backpack test

My favorite advice came from Richard Muller on Quora, “Take a week long backpack trip together. Before you get married, you want to experience stress together, ideally over an extended time.” How do you hold together in stressful moments will tell you if you are right for eachother or not.

10. Never cheat

Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Don’t cheat — not because someone will find it out but because you are much better than that. One never sleeps peacefully when one is worrying about being caught.

11. Read relationship books before you fuck it up

You will fuck it up, trust me. But to avoid making it a catastrophe, educate yourself. Relationships can be understood by reading about human psychology and communication. I know 20 something people think it ludicrous to be reading about relationships. But you will be thankful later when you end up not losing a great person because of your ego. Or, when you get rid of a toxic person. Despite how smart you feel you are, you are naive and books can help.

Here are the three books I can recommend to start off with-

1. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie — Because you need to learn how to be a likable person to be in a relationship
2. “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” by John Gray — Because it helps to understand different mindset of men and women (avoid generalizing too much though)
3. “Nonviolent Communication” by Marshall Rosenberg — Hands down the best material I have found on how to avoid miscommunication that kills so many relationships

12. Long distance is hard, not impossible

Any relationship needs investing time. If you can do that, distances may matter less. But don’t overtly romanticize the notion of making long distance work. As you move to a different country/place to study or start a job, you are going to change — whether you like it or not. You should take time to decide if that old relationship of yours is still the right one for you. In a good relationship, both people grow simultaneously.

And if you can grow from distances apart and keep the commitment and integrity alive, you can have a relationship that will truly stand the test of time. And if not, it is better to let go.

13. Don’t commit before you feel ready

This is an extension of point 3. If things are not great, quit. A right relationship is not supposed to be okayish, or just-good-enough; it is supposed to be great. It should make you feel not starry-eyed but calm from inside. ‘Yes, this is the person for me!’

So, if you are not feeling this way, don’t feel an obligation to commit just because you have dated each other long enough.

14. Discuss important things instead of sexting

Do you want to live abroad or in your home country? Do you want kids? Do you want to keep working after the marriage? Would you wish to take care of parents together after marriage? These are the questions that matter and yet most couples never discuss it until after the wedding.

15. Interracial relationships face extra challenges, are you prepared?

Asian cultures are ultra-conservative and a western person may find many of the customs strange. While Anglo-Indian, Jewish-Muslim marriages are not unheard of (and I personally know successful couples), they require that much stronger foundation to withstand the extra complications.

16. The only good reason to marry someone is love and compatibility

Definitely not peer or family pressure.

17. Best friend may not make best spouse

Intimate relationships need more than friendship to thrive. Read point 16.

18. Keep a good circle of friends and don’t let your life revolve solely around your partner

Grad School is a perfect place to meet super intelligent and interesting people. There are awesome things to do academically and socially. The worst thing to do is to miss out on this chance because you and your partner isolated yourselves socially.

What seems very intimate in the beginning can seem like an extra burden of expectations on each other. If your whole life revolves around your partner, there is more probability of getting disappointed when the other person cannot give what you want. It is not fair on either of you.

19. Nothing good will get away, don’t be desperate

Don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens. The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away — John Steinbeck

Read this wonderful letter containing relationship advice by John Steinbeck to his son.

20. Do not carry on if you know it isn’t going to work

Respect your partner’s time and break up gracefully and let them move on. Never hurt anyone with your careless attitude. Whatever you throw out to the universe will come back to you. Karma never forgets.

I have seen brilliant people dropping courses and grades and barely managing to study because they were involved in dramatic relationships. While there is no algorithm to find the right person (wouldn’t OKCupid pay billions for that?), the right relationship will feel right. And the right person will elevate you instead of letting you drown in the dungeons of insecurity and longing.

A long life lies ahead. Take time to study well, make the career that you dreamt. Attract a person that enjoys same things as you do and live happily ever after 🙂

 

Why every Grad Student should have a website?

One thing that baffles me is that only a few people going to pursue Master’s put serious efforts into building their own website. You are overlooking a lot of advantages if you do not yet have your website!

Why should you blog?

A lot of companies and recruiters search for your name online before the interview. While a good LinkedIn profile is a must, additionally having a website can put you at edge especially when you are looking for a job at startups. I got my startup job in NYC mostly because of my blog. Yes, you read that right. Writing online showcases-

  1. You are knowledgeable – writing about a topic requires researching and fact finding. If you are writing informational posts, it shows you are an active reader and know about your field.
  2. You are confident – showing your work to the public requires having confidence in yourself. Whether righting informational posts or opinions, you project yourself as someone who is ready to take charge.
  3. You are intelligent – yep, if you write well, most people correlate it to a higher intelligence and IQ.

Employers value your knowledge, creativity, and intelligence. A good weblog is a great way to show that. 

And more importantly, once you start writing, you will be forced to learn more so that you can write better. It is a very rewarding exercise.

Blog or website?

Now, the question is some people find writing to be a very daunting exercise. It is okay. As I said, you can gradually build upon it. But even if you are not actively blogging, you can still create a static website with your updated resume (even a creative version to grab your employer’s eye!), list of projects with details, references and any interesting things you are up to. It can be your online diary and the good thing is half of it can come from your LinkedIn profile anyway. Secondly, your university is giving you free server space anyway, so why not create a quick page there?

But I do encourage you to start blogging about your field little by little. There are many ways to start it and I will post a new article on it soon. It always helps to have other websites link to you and this is where we can help you. If you write a good article related to grad school life or your field, we will be happy to guest post it on Scholar Strategy website. Already have something? email us at scholarstrategy@gmail.com 🙂

Show me an example!

I like this simplistic website of Mr. Joel Jean who I hope won’t mind me using him as an example. He is focusing on the text and work rather than making it flashy. And if someone is really interested in peeking inside his mind, he has a separate link to the blog. Looks professional, to the point and seriously impressive!