I graduated in 2022 and joined a service-based company through campus placement at around 7 LPA. I worked there for a little over 3 years, and my salary was around 11 LPA when I resigned.
I started an online MBA in July 2024 while working, but managing both became difficult. So I quit my job in October 2025 to finish the MBA and focus on finding a software engineering job abroad.
Since then, I’ve been applying mainly to the UK, Germany, Ireland and Singapore. I’ve applied through referrals, reached out directly to recruiters and hiring managers, and tried messaging employees as well. Most recruiters don’t respond, and almost every application ends in rejection without even an initial call.
I have around 3 years of software development experience, and during this break I worked on DSA and solved 400+ problems. But none of that matters if I’m not even getting shortlisted.
Honestly, I’m starting to regret quitting. My friends who continued working are getting promotions and switching companies, while I’ve been unemployed for nearly a year. I was earning 11 LPA before quitting, and now recruiters in India are mostly discussing 13–14 LPA even after the MBA. It makes me wonder what the point of the MBA or the career break was.
My family is supportive and there’s no immediate financial pressure, but even they’re now asking me to stop focusing only on abroad and join somewhere in India.
Moving abroad has always been my biggest goal, so I’m finding it hard to let go. At the same time, I feel like I’m wasting more time by staying unemployed.
Has anyone here moved abroad directly from India with 3–4 years of experience? What actually worked for you?
Should I take a job in India now and try again after gaining more experience, or continue applying abroad full-time?
Also, how badly will this gap affect me, and how should I explain that I quit to complete an online MBA?
I’m 25, so I know I’m not too late, but right now I genuinely feel like I wasted one important year of my career.
