Long Term
3-Year Plan
2026 -- Foundation
- AZ-104 before March, then more certifications
- Go mastery and open source contributions
- LeetCode grind, interview prep
- Land 1L+/month job by June
- Build emergency fund, start investing
- Begin GATE preparation
2027 -- Growth
- Senior/platform engineer role
- Freelancing income growing
- GATE exam (February)
- GRE and IELTS exams
- Research and shortlist Masters programs
- Submit Masters applications (Q4)
2028 -- Leap
- Secure Masters admit
- Start MS program (Aug/Sep)
- 30-50L saved before departure
Masters Plan
Target Countries
| Country | Pros | Cons | Approx. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Best universities, high ROI | Expensive, visa uncertainty | 60-90L |
| Germany | Low/no tuition, work permit | Language barrier | 15-30L |
| Canada | Immigration-friendly | Moderate cost | 40-60L |
| UK | 1-year programs | Expensive | 40-70L |
Target universities: Georgia Tech (OMSCS), UT Austin, UIUC (USA). TUM, RWTH Aachen (Germany). UofT, UBC, Waterloo (Canada).
Prerequisites Checklist
- [ ] GRE: 320+ (Quant 165+, Verbal 155+, AWA 4.0+)
- [ ] IELTS: 7.5+ overall (or TOEFL 100+ iBT)
- [ ] 3-4 years work experience by 2028
- [ ] Open source contributions
- [ ] Certifications
- [ ] 30-50L saved or loan eligibility
- [ ] Statement of Purpose
- [ ] 3 letters of recommendation
- [ ] Official transcripts
GATE as Backup
If Masters abroad doesn't work out, GATE qualifies for MTech at IIT/IISc. Lower cost, still excellent education. Target: February 2027 exam.
Career Tracks
Three possible directions after reaching senior level:
- Technical: Staff to Principal/Distinguished Engineer. Deep expertise in cloud-native and platform engineering.
- Management: Engineering Manager to Director/VP. Building and leading teams.
- Entrepreneurship: Start a SaaS/DevTools company. Higher risk, higher ceiling.
Keep all three paths open until the decision point comes naturally.