Student Life Q&A and Videos

I'm in my last semester of my master's program. One of my professors asked me if I was interested in pursuing PhD. I like to write code and learn to build software rather than learning from theory. I like the idea of research, and I know if I pursue PhD focusing on ML, I will be able to learn a lot and break into the ML/AI industry much easier than my current state. I'm only worried about not being able to earn substantially for the next 4-5 years until I complete the PhD and join the industry. Given the current state of IT market, and also being an international student who eventually wants to remain in the US, I feel, PhD might be the right choice. Can someone help me evaluate the pros and cons.

Edit:
Some additional context that I think I should have mentioned. I love the idea of pursuing PhD. I have always liked research work. I'm not considering it only as an alternative. I just don't like the idea of a prolonged study while not able to earn as much during the same period.

The main question that I am trying to answer is: Will a PhD help me in the long run? How valuable is it compared to having work experience during the same time?

There is a very popular headline that has gone around and I remember this back when I was in high school. It was a theory that C students usually do better than A students. From your guys experience, is this the norm or is this an anomaly that is being overly glorified. I've been very curious about this and you guys have probably had more experience in the workforce and in life than me so I wanted to know your opinion. I feel like an answer to this can help get an idea of the relationship between academia and career. Also does this apply to all fields that are even outside of software engineering?

I wanted to ask do referrals guarantee an interview at a tech company?

Hi, I was creating a website for a local business this fall and was going to ask would you guys recommend using an online template that's already made or should I actually try to code in the template using CSS?  I know that using a template can be easier such as by using squarespace but am unsure of how that will come off on my resume.

I live in India, I aspire to work in a product-based company in the United States as a Senior Software Engineer.

There are a couple of approaches that I know of so I will jot them down:

1. Open-source: Contribute, talk to the community, and build a brand around yourself. This is the higher chance of getting noticed in the ecosystem. (I'm planning to do this in the coming months)
2. Freelancing for example use Upwork & target specific locations.

If there is a pathway or any other resources to follow please help.

Hi,

I am a MS in CS graduating this December and am looking for SWE or ML related roles in the USA. I am applying to many places but have not received followups in the form of an OA/interview. I had the same problem when I applied to internships last year and didnt have much luck even later. Since then I have improved my resume and have started applying early but still fear the same outcome.

It would be great if someone could help me with suggestions on why this is happening and some advice to overcome it.

I viewed the presented by Alex and Rahul, and in the video, Alex's resume was featured. It consisted of three sections: work experience, projects, and education.

For a recent graduate without any work experience, is it acceptable to have just the projects and education sections in their resume? Or does it seem too limited, potentially having a downside when applying for jobs?

I want to network with more senior engineers, especially those in the Taro community and within the companies I intern at, but I am scared to approach them.

I ask myself "what would make it interesting/fun/educational for someone to talk to me or mentor me?" (Rahul's advice ), but I can't really think of a reason why someone would want to talk to a college student like me. I don't want a coffee chat to feel like I'm just bombarding them with questions, but I also find it difficult to bring anything valuable to the table.

How can I effectively network with others with limited experience as a college student? What would make an engineer want to chat with and/or mentor a college student?

Lately, I have been finding myself with a lot of free time and am unable to shake this feeling that I am not "doing enough." After finishing my school work, I usually just go to the gym, hang out with friends, or play video games.

Is there anything else I can do to further improve myself as an engineer and set myself up for success later on? Perhaps some books or resources to read.

I've tried working on some side projects, but honestly find it hard to follow through with them due to lack of urgency with no deadlines and prior fatigue from working on school assignments.

I'm currently doing my 2nd internship, and I have time to do another one before I graduate (I'm currently doing a traditional ~4 year university Computer Science degree). What can I do to lock in a great additional internship for that last slot?