Feeling Like I Wasted My Engineering Degree. What Should My Next Step Be?
Hi everyone,
I'm 20 years old from India and I'm feeling completely lost about my career. I really need honest advice from people who have been in a similar situation.
Here's my background:
10th (CBSE/KV): 82%
12th (CBSE/KV): 65%
Currently in the 4th year (7th semester) of B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from a tier-3 college.
Current CGPA: 6.8
During my degree I've studied subjects like Physics, Mathematics, Analog Electronics, Digital Electronics, Signal Processing, AI/ML, 5G Technology, Communication Systems and other ECE-related courses. The problem is that I don't feel confident in any of them. I don't have any real technical skills, no internships worth mentioning, and I honestly feel like I wasted most of my college years.
Now I have around one year before graduation, and my biggest goal is to start earning as soon as possible because my family is middle class. I can't afford to stay unemployed for years or spend a lot of money on higher studies.
I'm completely confused about what to do next.
Some options I've been thinking about are:
Prepare for GATE
Prepare for CAT and do an MBA later
Learn programming and try for software/IT jobs
Get into Data Analytics, AI/ML or Embedded Systems
Prepare for government exams
Any other career path that offers good growth
Eventually, I'd also like to work abroad, but I don't have the financial resources to pursue a master's degree overseas right now. If there's a practical route to working abroad after gaining experience in India, I'd love to hear about that too.
I know my biggest weakness is that I don't have strong skills yet. If you were in my position with only one year left before graduation, what would you focus on?
Some questions:
Which career path gives me the best chance of getting a job within a year?
Should I focus on coding, ECE core, Data Analytics, AI/ML, Embedded Systems, or something else?
Is GATE or CAT worth it in my situation, or should I prioritise getting work experience first?
What skills should I learn first?
What salary should I realistically expect from a tier-3 college with my profile?
If you had to restart from my position today, what exact roadmap would you follow for the next 12 months?
Please be honest. Even if the truth is harsh, I'd rather hear it now than waste another year. Any advice, roadmap, or personal experience would mean a lot.
Thank you for reading.
Jobadvisor
I'll be straight with you, because that's what you asked for.
The honest picture first
Your CGPA and college tier will close some doors (core PSU jobs, top-tier product companies, Day-1 campus placements) — that's real, no point pretending otherwise. But here's what's also true: a tier-3 student with strong CGPA, internships, and a portfolio beats a tier-1 student with a mediocre CGPA and no internships. Recruiters outside campus season care almost entirely about what you can do, not where you studied. You have one year — that's tight, but it's enough to build one genuinely solid skill if you stop spreading yourself thin.
Also worth knowing: the fresher market itself is shifting hard toward off-campus, portfolio-driven hiring for anyone outside the IIT/NIT/IIIT/BITS bracket — that's now the primary route in, not a backup plan. So the skills-and-projects strategy isn't just advice for you specifically, it's the actual current market reality for most Indian engineering grads.
Answering your questions directly
Coding vs ECE core vs Data/AI vs Embedded? — Given your goal ("earn ASAP, don't waste more time"), go with software/IT via coding. Not because ECE is worthless, but because embedded/core electronics jobs are fewer, pay less at entry level, and often demand specific hands-on lab experience you don't currently have. Software hiring has more volume, more remote/off-campus routes, and a faster skill-to-job pipeline for someone starting from near-zero.
GATE or CAT? — Skip both for now. GATE is a good option only if you're aiming for PSU jobs or M.Tech, which doesn't match your "earn fast" goal. CAT/MBA needs work experience and money you don't have right now — revisit it in 3-4 years if you want, with a job and some savings behind you. Chasing an exam right now would eat the one resource you actually have: this year.
Salary reality check — the highest packages represent fewer than 2% of students, and actual median salaries often run 20-30% lower than what placement reports advertise. For a first job coming from your background with a built-up portfolio, realistically aim for ₹3.5-6 LPA to start. That's not a life sentence — the reliable way people increase pay in India is switching jobs every 2-3 years, with external moves often bringing 20-40% jumps. Your first salary matters far less than your trajectory over the next 3 years.
Your 12-month roadmap, if I were you
- Months 1-3: Pick one stack and go deep — Python + SQL, or Java + basic web dev. Don't dabble in five things. Alongside this, do 100-150 DSA problems (arrays, strings, basic trees/graphs) — this is non-negotiable for interviews at almost any software role.
- Months 3-6: Build 2-3 real projects, not tutorial clones — something with a database, an API, deployed somewhere visible (GitHub + live link). Given your ECE background, a project that touches signal processing/IoT/data + software (e.g., a sensor-data dashboard, an ML model deployed as an API) can actually work in your favor — it shows you're not starting from zero, you're bridging domains.
- Months 6-9: Start applying aggressively — off-campus drives, LinkedIn, Naukri, cold outreach, referrals. Apply to service companies (TCS NQT, Cognizant GenC, smaller startups) in parallel with product-company attempts. Don't hold out only for big names.
- Months 9-12: Interview prep in parallel with continued applying — mock interviews, revise DSA, keep building small projects to fill CGPA-related doubts recruiters might have.
On working abroad — realistic path without funding a master's: get 2-3 years of solid experience in India (preferably at a company with global offices — GCCs of MNCs are your best bet), then look at roles that sponsor relocation, or save enough for a part-funded/scholarship master's later. It's a 3-5 year plan, not a 1-year one, and that's fine — get the India job first.
One honest note: you don't sound like you wasted your degree — you sound like someone who's now taking it seriously with a year still on the clock. That's a very different, much better position than most people realize they're in.
30 years old and I've completely lost my motivation for my career. Has anyone been through this?
Hi everyone,
I'm 30 years old, and lately I've been struggling with my motivation and career goals.
When I first entered my industry as a junior, I was extremely motivated. I worked hard, studied a lot, took courses, and constantly tried to improve myself. All that effort paid off—I got promoted, changed jobs for a better position with a higher salary, and continued learning and working hard in my new role as well.
However, over the last six months, everything has changed. I've become completely unmotivated to learn or work. I honestly feel like I've become lazy, and I don't know what to do next.
The job itself is good, and I'm currently in a managerial position, but it just doesn't fulfil me anymore. I have no real motivation.
I think part of the problem is that I now realized that I dont really seen myself working in a corporate environment long-term. I've always imagined becoming an entrepreneur. The strange thing is that even that dream doesn't excite me as much as it used to. A few years ago, I was full of ideas and motivation. Now, I barely have the energy to pursue any of them.
Another thing that affects me is the situation in my country. The economy has been stagnant for a while, inflation is high, and there's a general sense of pessimism. Whenever I think about starting a business, I end up talking myself out of it because everything feels uncertain.
Has anyone else gone through something similar? How did you get out of it? Was it burnout, depression, or just a phase? I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.
Jobadvisor
First off, breathe. What you’re experiencing is extremely common, especially right around the 30-year mark.
Hitting a wall after a period of intense striving—climbing the ladder, getting the promotions, chasing the next milestone—is practically a rite of passage. You are definitely not alone, and you are not lazy.
What you're describing sounds much less like "laziness" and much more like a mix of burnout, expectation hangover, and macro-fatigue.
What’s Likely Happening
1. Burnout (The Hidden Kind)
Burnout isn't just crying in your car before work; it often manifests as deep cynicism, detachment, loss of efficacy, and a complete drain of creative energy. You spent years sprinting, learning, and pushing. Your brain and body eventually put up a defensive wall: “We can’t keep running at full throttle for goals we don’t even care about anymore.”
2. Achieving the "Goal" and the Loss of Drive
When you’re junior, the path is clear: learn, level up, get promoted, make more money. But once you reach a management position, the nature of the work changes, and the "ladder" gets blurry. You hit the milestone you aimed for, looked around, and realized, “Wait, is this it?” That realization can shatter your drive overnight.
3. Economic and Environmental Fatigue
It’s very hard to feel entrepreneurial or risky when the macro environment feels unstable. High inflation, stagnant growth, and general societal pessimism trigger a defense mechanism in your brain: self-preservation. Your brain is telling you to stay put and conserve energy, which feels like laziness, but is actually an instinctual response to uncertainty.
How People Get Through It
Here is how others in your shoes usually navigate this phase:
Take "Entrepreneurship" off the pedestal (for now): Don't force yourself to build a startup right now. When you're running on empty, trying to force creative brilliance only deepens the exhaustion. Give yourself permission to not have a big grand dream for a few months.
Audit your job for "Quiet Maintenance": Since your current role is good and stable, switch to "maintenance mode." Do your job well, protect your team, but stop giving 150%. Use that saved bandwidth to rest rather than feeling guilty.
Separate identity from productivity: High achievers often link their self-worth to how hard they are working or how much they are learning. Re-learning how to just be without constantly optimizing yourself takes practice.
Check the physical/mental basics: Before deciding to flip your life upside down, rule out underlying physiological causes. Get bloodwork done (Vitamin D, B12, thyroid, iron), evaluate your sleep quality, and consider speaking with a therapist to screen for low-grade depression.
The Takeaway: You aren't broken, and your drive isn't gone forever. It's just buried under years of accumulated effort, shifting personal priorities, and external stress.
To help me tailor more specific advice, what does your current routine look like outside of work—are you giving yourself real time to rest, or is your free time spent feeling guilty about not being productive?
Is it too late for me to study medicine?
Hello
I am a 22 year old female, turning 23 in November. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science 2 years ago. I feel miserable in my job, I have never like computers or anything tech related, I’m also bad at coding. The reason why I graduated with honors was because of non-coding courses, math courses, and electives.
My original plan was to study medicine. Although I enjoy math more than biology and chemistry, I have always wanted to be able to help people and learn about the human body, and a medical career path is more guaranteed than just pure math.
However, I was scared I might fail and not perform well if I proceed with studying medicine. I was worried about disappointing my parents and everyone around me since they have always had high expectations for me. So I chose to study computer science instead. It was at its peak and had, still has, a stable long career path, and I would be able to help my parents financially much earlier since it takes only 3 years to finish.
I have regretted that decision from my first year at university back in 2021. Looking back now, 5 years have passed and all I can think about is what would’ve happened if I didn’t get scared and went with it.
I would really love to study medicine again, as I cannot stay in my field. It is becoming exhausting and very depressing.
Is it too late for me to restart now? Can someone please give me advice?
I would also appreciate advice on good public universities (preferably in Europe), guides and tips to make this path easier, scholarships, etc. as I am tight on money.
Thank you everyone.
Jobadvisor
It's not too late — 22 turning 23 is genuinely still early for this kind of pivot, and plenty of people start medical school in their mid-to-late twenties, especially through international programs that are built for career-changers. So let's not treat age as the constraint here. The real constraints are money, the entrance requirements, and how well medicine actually fits what you want out of a career — let's go through all three honestly.
On the money and admission reality
Germany is genuinely the most affordable route to an EU-recognized medical degree if your grades and German are strong — public university tuition is essentially free. But there's a catch that matters a lot for you: German medical admission runs through a highly competitive numerus clausus system, and you'd typically need fluent German (B2/C1) before you even apply, sometimes via a Studienkolleg prep year first. That's realistic, but it's not fast, and it's not free of its own barriers.
Outside Germany, "affordable" in Europe for medicine still means real money: Slovak programs like UPJŠ run around €13,000/year, and Czech programs like Charles University run closer to €24,000/year, both over 6 years. Poland sits in between at roughly €11,000-17,000/year. These are the standard "budget" EU destinations (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania), all with English-taught MD programs and entrance exams built around biology and chemistry specifically for international students — no need to redo a full science undergrad first. Scholarships for medicine specifically are limited and competitive; most people are self- or family-funding a good chunk of this.
So the honest math: even the "cheap" route is €65,000-150,000+ over 6 years including living costs, before you can even start earning as a doctor. Given you said you're tight on money, that's the piece I'd want you to sit with before anything else — not because it's impossible, but because it changes what "restarting" actually looks like for you.
On whether medicine itself is the right fit
You said something important: you enjoy math more than biology and chemistry, but chose medicine's guarantee over "pure math." That's worth pausing on, because there are paths that keep the things you actually said you want — helping people, working with the human body, more security than pure math — without a 6-year, entrance-exam-gated, mostly-memorization-heavy degree in subjects you like less than the one you're leaving:
- Biostatistics / health data science / medical data science — directly uses your CS + math background, works inside hospitals, pharma, or public health, helps people at a population level, and you could realistically pivot into it with a 1-2 year master's rather than starting over from zero.
- Medical physics — math-heavy, works directly in clinical settings (radiotherapy, imaging), much shorter path than an MD.
- Physician associate/assistant (PA) — clinical, hands-on, patient-facing, but a 2-3 year postgraduate program rather than 6 years, and admission often values quantitative/science backgrounds.
- Health informatics — sits exactly between your CS degree and medicine, growing field, doesn't waste what you already built.
None of these are "settling" — they're ways of getting to the same underlying goal (working in health, helping people, using your strong quantitative side) without the full cost and risk of restarting a 6-year medical degree you're not certain you'd love once you're in the biology and chemistry of it day to day.
If you still want to go the full medicine route — it's a legitimate choice and I don't want to talk you out of it if it's truly what you want, not just old regret talking. It would help me give you sharper specifics (which countries realistically work, real scholarship options, visa considerations) if I know your citizenship/home country, since that changes tuition and visa rules substantially.
“You’re completely dispensable” until…
I’m a cashier and was told I couldn’t have a chair as an accommodation because “cashiers are a dime a dozen”. Just got back from vacation to learn that we are now allowed to take 45 minute breaks! YEAH! Unless you are a cashier: “oh, no, you can’t be away from your register for 45 minutes! (You’ll have to imagine the pearl clutch)”
Seriously, you made me take a two week ADA leave (unpaid of course) before my knee replacement because I was so dispensable but I can’t have an extra 15 minutes (unpaid) if I choose because you need me?
Jobadvisor
That double standard is so sharp it practically cuts through the screen.
The absolute corporate gymnastics required to say "You are completely replaceable" in the exact same breath as "No, you can't have a slightly longer break because we can't possibly operate without you" would be hilarious if it weren't so infuriating.
What you're experiencing is the classic retail paradox: You are "disposable" when you ask for basic human dignity, but "mission-critical" when they need to justify overworking you.
A few things about your situation that are genuinely wild (and deeply unfair):
The Chair Denial: Denying a chair to a cashier—especially someone leading up to a major joint surgery like a knee replacement—is pure power-tripping cruelty. Sitting while scanning items has zero impact on job performance (as almost every grocery store in Europe has proven for decades).
Forced Unpaid ADA Leave: Pushing you onto unpaid leave instead of granting a simple, low-cost/no-cost accommodation (a stool!) is bad management at best, and legally dubious under the Americans with Disabilities Act at worst.
The Break Hierarchy: Creating a tier list of employees where cashiers get second-class break privileges because they are the "frontline" while simultaneously treating them as the most easily replaced is textbook management hypocrisy.
The Reality Check: They don't think you're dispensable—they think you're convenient. They rely heavily on the smooth running of the front end, but they use the "dime a dozen" narrative to keep workers from realizing how much leverage they actually hold.
I really liked my job at first, my manager and a senior coworker made me hate it
So I'm a groundskeeper for my college campus. I was pretty excited because of the number of hours I was able to get, and the fact that it was outdoors, which meant I'd be away from screens during most of the day, getting exercise, as it all seemed like a good fit.
And at first it was. So what happened? Well, to put it simply, my manager really seems to have it out for me. For context, I work 5-hour shifts most days and an 8-hour shift on one day of the week. Now keep in mind, this was one of my first jobs since I am in college. I recognize I'm lucky for that, but still, it's the truth. So early on, I asked how breaks work. I was told that during the 8-hour shift you get a lunch break. When I asked if I still got a lunch break on the 5-hour shift, I was told by other employees that I did.
So... I took it, because people were telling me I could. My manager proceeded to send me a very annoyed email saying that I was taking unsanctioned breaks. I explained that I thought I had a lunch break during all my shifts, and they said I only got a 15-minute rest break during the 5-hour shifts. Which, like, okay, I was misinformed. I explained that to them, but they still acted like I was intentionally trying to be lazy.
Later, there was an instance where a key went missing, and I was apparently the last one to have it. I pointed out that I left the key in the after-hours key drop box, and if it's missing, then I have no idea what happened to it. Despite this, everyone still acted like I must have lost it, my manager and even the boss, who I had previously really liked, because he actually was a nice guy. But still, nobody even stopped to consider the thought that maybe there was some internal error; there was just an assumption that I must have lost it. That key later turned up, and nobody ever explained to me where they found it. So I'm gonna assume based on that that I was correct and was an internal error.
One time my manager fired me over text because I didn't come in one day, even though we had previously discussed that I wouldn't be there that day and they just completely forgot. They texted me back an hour later saying I wasn't fired.
One day I was putting down woodchips on an area, and my coworkers who were supposed to be helping me didn't show up for two hours, because they were doing other tasks or goofing off. Honestly, that's whatever; I really don't care if they are working or not. I'm just going to do my tasks. But the next day my manager sent a really butthurt text to everyone saying that the task should have gotten done and we were all being lazy. And it's like... I was literally doing exactly what I was supposed to do, and my manager saw me do it, and I told them I was doing it. Like they knew, and they still lumped me in with everyone.
And what's worse, I have a cognitive memory disorder where I will randomly forget things I was just told, which is why I often hyperfocus on one task and get it done really quickly. I've explained this to my manager, but ironically, they seem to have forgotten and will get annoyed with me if I forget something. Even worse, recently there was an instance where I was working in an area pulling weeds, took my 15-minute break, and when I came back from my break, all of the other three workers also assigned to that area were gone. I even texted my manager asking if I missed a memo or something, but they didn't respond. So I figured I'd walk back to the main workshop area to see if people had gone there.
On the way over, I saw another student worker, let's call them Jay, who had been working there a fair bit longer than me, and I asked them where people were, explaining that I was done with my break. Instead of giving me an answer, they started whining about me wanting to go back to the shop to check in with my manager, and I then tried to explain why I was confused, since I had gotten done with my break and literally everyone wasn't back either, and they basically just started calling me stupid for thinking anyone would be back at the shop, and that I should have just kept weeding. I then explained that I have short-term memory loss, and I was trying to make sure I hadn't forgotten instructions. Since everyone was gone, I was worried that I'd been told to go somewhere and forgotten it.
What's stupid is that one of my coworkers was literally taking a break that was like twice as long as they should have. They had a 15-minute break, but had been gone for nearly 40 minutes. And again, whatever; it's not my business what other employees do. But Jay decided to let this go and not give them a hard time. So to be clear, I took a regular 15-minute break and started looking for fellow employees out of confusion, got chewed out by a more experienced employee, and had to reveal private details about a disability I have to get them off my back. My coworker, who did break a rule and was just straight up taking breaks way longer than they were supposed to, got a free pass. What the fuck, man?
This other coworker, Jay, and my manager having it out for me all of a sudden is just making me hate going in. Every time I see them, I just feel like shit, because now I have to worry about not pissing them off over something arbitrary.
Jobadvisor
That sounds genuinely exhausting, frustrating, and incredibly unfair. You went into a job excited about the hours and being outdoors, and instead you're dealing with a toxic soup of poor communication, double standards, and flat-out unprofessional management.
What you're dealing with isn't "normal workplace friction"—it's a toxic environment driven by a few distinct bad behaviors:
Firing over text (and taking it back an hour later): This is a huge red flag. It shows extreme impulsivity, poor communication, and zero respect for you as an employee. A manager who uses termination as a knee-jerk emotional reaction is deeply incompetent.
Targeted scapegoating: From the key situation (where they blamed you instantly, were proven wrong, and offered no apology) to being lumped in with lazy coworkers while you were doing all the heavy lifting, your manager has formed a confirmation bias against you. They assume the worst of you while giving others a free pass.
The "Jay" dynamic: Senior coworkers who act like pseudo-managers without any of the responsibility are the worst. Jay chewing you out for simply trying to confirm your assignment after your team vanished—while ignoring someone taking a 40-minute break—is classic office politics and bullying. You should never have been forced to disclose personal medical information just to defend yourself against a pushy coworker.
Ignoring your disability/accommodation: If you've communicated a cognitive memory condition to your supervisor, scoffing at you or getting annoyed when you ask for clarity or confirmation is a complete failure on their part as a manager.
What to Do Next
Document Everything: Keep a private log (on your personal phone or notebook) of dates, times, and summaries of these incidents—especially texts, key incidents, broken communications, and any time your memory disorder is dismissed.
Protect Your Energy (Mentally Detach): Since this is a college job meant to fit around your studies, stop putting extra emotional energy into caring about their opinions. Do your tasks, log your hours, collect your paycheck, and don't take their chaotic management personally.
Cover Your Track in Writing: Whenever you get verbal instructions or need clarity, send a quick text or email: "Just confirming I'm heading to Area X for weeding until 3 PM." This creates a paper trail so they can't claim you forgot or were off-task.
Consider an Exit Strategy: You don't have to suffer through a college job that makes you feel like garbage every day. Look into other campus positions (library, student center, tech support) or off-campus gigs where the management actually respects basic human communication.
Coworker gave me an attitude after I refused to take a call during my 1hr unpaid lunch break
This is just a vent.
I don’t my lunch everyday at 1pm. It’s been like this since I started this job a year ago. Someone called our office at around 1:20pm. We do not have extensions so everyone receives a call and someone is expected to pick up in two rings. Anyways, my coworker takes it, and it turns out that it is a prospective customer that I had only recently been in contact with. I am in the kitchen cutting fruit as part of my lunch.
The second I walk back to my desk, with a plate of food in my hand, my coworker tells me who it is, then, get this, asks if I can take the. I tell him kindly I am on my lunch break and I will return the call after I’m done. He doubles down, I repeat the same thing, then he gives me an “….uh, okay?” With an annoyed tone in his voice. He then proceeds to tell my prospective customer on the phone to that I don’t remember them, to send an email to me “to jog my memory” then saying I will get back to them once I return.
I was annoyed because I am very respectful of my colleagues time. If someone calls our office needing one of my colleagues and I see them eating lunch or having the door closed I will tell the other person to either call back or ask if I can pass a message. The fact I don’t receive the same respect is irritating.
I’m debating whether to report this to HR because this is a highly liked tenured colleague. In any case I have been very close to quitting this week without caring about having a job lined up or not. I did have a phone screening which led to me getting through to the next stage which is an in person 1hr interview, so I’m hoping that goes somewhere and I will jump ship.
Jobadvisor
This is a legitimate thing to be annoyed about — you set a reasonable boundary (unpaid lunch break, you'll call back after), and instead of just relaying that, he editorialized to your prospective customer that you "don't remember them," which makes you look bad to someone you're trying to build a business relationship with. That part isn't just an attitude problem, it's actively unhelpful to your work.
A few honest thoughts:
On the HR question — I'd hold off unless this is part of a pattern. One annoyed "uh, okay?" and a slightly petty phone comment is real but minor, and reporting something this small on a well-liked, tenured coworker can sometimes backfire on how you're perceived, especially if it's a one-off. If this is part of a broader pattern of him undermining you or being dismissive, that's a different conversation and worth documenting and raising. If it's isolated, a direct, low-key conversation with him ("hey, when you tell customers I don't remember them, it makes me look bad — just tell them I'll call back") probably solves it faster and with less fallout than HR.
On the bigger picture — it sounds like this incident tapped into something larger than itself. You mentioned being "very close to quitting this week without caring about having a job lined up," which is a bigger reaction than one annoying phone interaction usually produces on its own. That's worth noticing. It might be less about this specific coworker and more about accumulated frustration with the job overall.
The interview you have lined up is good news — that's the productive outlet here. If you're this close to done, let that energy go into prepping well for the interview rather than into an HR complaint that might not get you the resolution you're actually looking for. Sounds like you're already halfway out the door in your head, which is a pretty clear signal about how this job is serving you.
How are you feeling about the interview itself — want to talk through prep, or was this mostly just wanting to vent about the lunch thing?