What are Job Prospects in India after MS Abroad?

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What are job prospects after MS Abroad in India? We have seen one question asked again and again. Many students want to come back to India in the short to medium term, and they are, of course, anxious to know about their prospects of landing a great job in India if they have a good graduate degree abroad.

We will answer that question for you in-depth right here, today. As we always do, we will split our answer into two parts – the first is relevant to those who have a year or more of work experience abroad, and the second is for those who are looking to return to India immediately after completing their Master’s.

With Work Experience Abroad Before Coming Back to India

If you have at least a year of relevant, work experience in the US post your Master’s degree, the effect on your job prospects can best be described as transformative. Read on to find out how this can happen, based on our years of experience coaching successful candidates at Jamboree:

Your Interviews Are Often Mere Formalities

Once you have both education and work experience abroad, most recruiters assume that you have the knowledge and life skills to handle any professional situation in which you might find yourself. Therefore, you will see your interviews (whether they are over Skype or in-person) become much more like conversations and much less like hostile information extraction sessions. This helps both the recruiter and you – they are able to judge you when you are at your relaxed best, and you are able to be your relaxed best.

Your Job Offer Conversion Rate Goes up Dramatically

Job hunting in India after you’ve already worked in the US is a pleasant experience, in comparison. First, you are often able to transfer within the same company, in which case all you have to do is fill out a few forms and wait for a while. Second, you can be assured that every job you have applied to wants you approximately as much as you want it, which helps you focus on the few places you want to work at, and reduces the inefficiency inherent in applying to a huge number of companies in the hope that something will convert.

It Gives You a Boost of 5+ Years in Your Career

On average, we have seen that people with about 4 years in the US (2 years of an MS degree followed by a 2 year job) bypass a lot of waiting in their chosen industry. The best become middle managers when they come back to India, something which can otherwise happen only in the mid-30s for someone who was in India throughout. And everyone gets a definite boost up front, and at every promotion cycle, the fact that these candidates have global experience on their CV counts. A Master’s degree with work experience abroad is definitely the gift that keeps on giving.

Without Work Experience Abroad Before Coming Back to India

If you complete a Master’s in the US and return to India immediately, in search of a job, the best way to understand the impact of your Master’s on your prospects is as an accelerator. Here’s how:

It Reduces the Time You Need to Get Shortlisted

Of course, interviews may not necessarily be the cakewalk they will be if you already have work experience abroad, but lining up those interviews will definitely become much easier. Any recruiter will notice the foreign graduate school education, and it will become much easier for you to clear the shortlist, and move into the bracket of candidates whom the company is considering as probable for the vacancy they have.

It Improves Your Expected Salary Bracket by Up to 50%

As compared to someone without a foreign MS, you will be in a good position, even if you don’t have work experience abroad. In some exceptional cases, you will be eligible for a position that is one level higher than those of your peers who do not have the advantage of a graduate degree abroad – this, of course, will bring the highest salary differential. However, in every case, you will have a significantly higher value to the company as a potential hire, and that will give you some leverage as far as salary is concerned.

It Gives You Access to Jobs that, Without the Master’s, You Would Have Taken 5+ Years to Get Access to

Just having a foreign Master’s degree opens up a lot of doors that would otherwise have remained closed. Interdisciplinary courses and experiences are a big part of this – in case you have taken a lot of related courses in other departments during your MS, you could take this to its logical conclusion, and apply to jobs in India where you can apply your deep knowledge of two disciplines. You will also be considered for jobs where extreme specialization is required, and where only an MS student from a big-name international university will be even considered. Finally, all those nights spent completing assignments will pay off!

It’s a Huge Credibility Advantage

No matter what you do after completing your MS and returning to India – and we’ve seen people go into industry, join a completely different field, join the family business, start-up, go into research – the fact that you have a graduate degree acquired abroad will make a difference. Once you mention that important CV point, you will see that people automatically pay more attention to you and that you are given respect from that moment on. It never hurts to have an inbuilt advantage!

We hope that you found this Jamboree in-depth feature useful! In case you have any other query about a graduate degree abroad, rest assured that our expert faculty and career coaches would have answered these questions a hundred times. Book time to visit one of our centres or see for yourselves how we can get you through the first step in your journey today!

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