India v. U.S. August 15, 2008
Posted by hardly Career Development
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Had a great conversation the other day w/a Sr. SDE in India who was pondering the following question:
Should I stay here and develop my career and skills, or should I go to the U.S. right now and do the same?
This question was about three things: 1) Is it a good time to start doing your own career development in the U.S. if you're not already living here because the economy is not the best; 2) Are there things here that one can learn in the U.S. that are difficult to learn in India; 3) What do I want to do?
There is certainly no question that the overall economy in the U.S. is troubled, but pull the covers back, and the software/internet sector is doing fairly well (exceptions being products that are related to housing, autos, finance, travel). So, for a Sr. SDE looking to work in a company that is focused on delivering technology-focused products, not such a big deal.
As to what such a person might learn that might be more difficult in India, that one is a tough call. India today is not the India of 20 years ago. If someone really needed to learn the U.S. market, or needed to integrate into the culture for some long-term benefit, that makes a lot of sense. Or maybe, to go get their MBA at a top-10 school. It's not the clear-cut choice it was 20 years ago, and ask any of the former expats who have returned to India (Happy Birthday, Nagesh!).
But the last point, "What do you want to do?" is the really big nag. My sense of it is that there are a lot of Indian Engineers who are torn between two stark realities. First is the rather traditional path into reputable companies, doing reputable things, thus building a reputable career. Your parents will be so proud! But, wow, talk about the stress on an Engineer! The other is the entrepreneurial zeal to start your own company.
These two choices are not mutually incompatible, of course. And, most importantly, they are not uniquely Indian choices - we all face these same choices.
So, what do you want to do with your life? What do you need to learn to get to what you want? Big world out there, just waiting for you!
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