Returning home after earning a foreign degree should feel like success. For many, it is supposed to be the moment when dreams turn into career opportunities. But for one Reddit user, that excitement turned into stress and disappointment.
The Redditor shared that they completed a Master’s degree in the United States in May 2025. Like many graduates, they expected the job search to be difficult but not this difficult.
They wrote, “I spent several months job-hunting, referrals, networking, recruiters, cold emails, and everything possible within my means but nothing worked.”
Regardless of getting interviews at big tech companies and performing well, there was no progress.
The OPT job market crisis
The situation worsened because of the shrinking job market, especially for international students on OPT visas. Interview calls stopped coming, job postings reduced, and recruiters stopped responding. They explained, “The job market (especially for immigrants on OPT) kept getting worse.”
To remain employed and active, the Redditor accepted a Data Analyst contract role. While the job kept them busy, it did not match their skills or long-term goals. “My skill set was being heavily under-utilized,” they admitted. They worried that staying in the same position would push them further behind others in the tech race.
After months of emotional pressure, uncertainty, and career anxiety, the Redditor returned to India and restarted their job search in Bengaluru.
“I decided to move back to India recently and restart my job search from here with fresh focus and full energy.” Before going to the US, they worked for nearly two years in India as a Software Engineer. With a Computer Science background, they are now actively searching for SDE or Analyst positions, anywhere in India or abroad. “If you’re reading this and happen to know about any openings… anything at all would truly mean a lot to me.”
‘People on OPT aren’t immigrants’
Netizens posted their comments on the post. A user noted, “People on OPT aren’t immigrants. That’s literally definition of the F1 visa.” Another claimed, “The job market itself is bad… But, for the first time in the history of the US ( as far as I know ), the job market is like this for entry-level people. Good luck with your job search, and welcome back!”
“Not just entry level , even for experienced candidate as most of the companies stopped hiring H1B . Market is literally bad in USA too,” explained a user. “Job market is flopping in the USA . Many American citizens themselves are laid off and out of work. This may continue for a few years they predict. The world market has cooled,” stated another user.
“Try for openings on wellfound. Many VC websites also list openings ìn their portfolio cos.Also, if open to startups, DM your resume, and I can circulate in a few networks. Best of luck,” wrote a netizen.
(This story is based on a post shared by a social media user. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims.)
