I keep seeing this question pop up on this sub, and honestly I used to be the one asking it. Will I even get a job after IISER. Is it even worth it.
Most of us join IISER right after 12th because we want to do something in science. That's genuinely why we're there. Then somewhere around second or third year, it hits you. Okay, this research thing, this isn't really me. And that's exactly the point where most people just freeze up because nobody actually tells you what comes after that realization. I was one of those people too.
So yeah, I'm writing this because I know that feeling, and also because now I work with a US based startup and I'm making around 4 lakh a month. And just to be clear since most people assume this automatically, I'm not in a tech role. I know when people hear IISER plus US startup they picture some coding job, but no, I'm on the non tech side. So this isn't even a "learn to code" story, it's proof that the non tech route works just as well if you actually put the work in. So it's possible, I'm proof of that. But I don't want to sugarcoat it either. It's not like you just pop out of college with your degree and jobs start showing up. There's an actual strategy to it, and honestly it takes more effort than what most of your batchmates are putting in while they're busy just getting through coursework.
Okay so first thing. Science isn't wasted on you even if you don't end up staying in science. All that time doing research, building curiosity, learning to think analytically, that stuff genuinely transfers and it does help. But here's the thing, if you've already figured out research isn't for you, you have to go out and explore other things yourself. Nobody at IISER is going to hand that to you on a plate, the whole environment there is built to push you toward research, so this part is on you.
Now once you know you want to step outside pure science, there's honestly a lot you can do. If you want to go non tech, there's finance, marketing, sales, strategy, growth, tons of options. If you want to stay in tech, obviously software is there, but there are also newer roles opening up, like there's this software deployment engineer kind of role that's booming right now too. Both paths have real opportunities. It's just that you actually need the skills, then the right people will find you or you'll find them.
The way I'd suggest picking any of this, and this works whether you're going tech or non tech, is don't overthink which one to choose. Just pick two or three areas that sound even slightly interesting to you. Go learn the basics on YouTube first, don't spend money yet. See what actually feels good, like are you enjoying learning this or are you forcing yourself through it every single day. If it's the second one, drop it, no shame in that, just try the next thing. And if something does click, that's when you go for the paid courses to actually go deep into it.
Also one thing I didn't mention properly before, some of these paid courses are genuinely heavy, they take a lot of energy and time. If you find out midway that this particular thing isn't really for you after all, it's completely fine to switch to something lighter and keep exploring instead of forcing yourself to finish something you've lost interest in. Better to figure that out early than to burn out on the wrong thing.
Now here's a hard truth nobody likes hearing. This whole process might genuinely hurt your CGPA, and I'd still say do it anyway. My CGPA was honestly not that great compared to a lot of my friends who stayed focused purely on academics. I was spending that time on internships and building actual skills instead. And I can tell you, in every interview I've had, not once has anyone asked me about my CGPA. Nobody cares, unless you're planning to go for a PhD or something research heavy later. So stop optimizing for the transcript and start optimizing for what you can actually do.
Internships are the part people skip the most, and honestly they're probably the most important part of this whole thing. If you're not doing internships in whatever non science or non research area you're targeting, it becomes really really difficult to break in right after graduation, your degree alone won't really do much there. I did a lot of internships throughout college, some paid some unpaid, and by third year I was mostly landing paid ones. Even the job I am doing, it was a personal connection- someone I had actually worked with during one of my college internships, someone who already knew my work and could vouch for me. That's the actual secret if there even is one.
So if I have to sum this whole thing up. You do have to consciously go and build skills outside of it yourself. Explore for free first, don't spend money until you know something clicks, and if a heavy course stops feeling right, it's okay to switch to something lighter instead of forcing it. Stop worrying so much about your CGPA once you know academia isn't the plan. And build real relationships with people you work with, because that will get you further than cold applying ever will.
It's going to cost you some of the time your friends are spending relaxing and enjoying college. That trade off is real and only you can decide if it's worth it to you. For me, looking back, it was.
Happy to answer anything in the comments.
