“What Career Path Should I Take with a 2.93 GPA and 3 Years of Software Engineering Experience?”
Background:
- 3 years of software engineering experience
- Previous experience in a top investment bank
- Computer science degree from a top Canadian school
- Laid off for almost a year
- Considering switching careers outside of tech
- Open to grad school but concerned about low GPA and age
Options:
- Keep trying to find software engineering positions
- Switch to a different field
- Consider going to grad school with low GPA
- Explore shorter-term educational opportunities
> I am not sure if I should keep trying to find a swe position as I have been laid off for so long and I am not sure the market will ever get better.
The market is unlikely to be your whole problem. Are you getting resume feedback? Are you getting interviews? Is location an issue? And so on.
> I would be open to going to grad school but with my low gpa not sure I could get into anything.
I don’t think your GPA is as important as being actually committed enough to follow through and do well. Are you seeing enough job openings in your area where an MS degree is preferred that you’re willing and able to commit to the investment of time?
Well. If you’re gonna switch you need to do it now.
At some point experience makes it impossible to leave.
With your schooling not sure what you’d do. If it were me I’d do an MBA and try to get in the business or sales side.
You are landing interviews and going to final stages, that’s a right path. I would say keep grinding if SWE is your interest. However if you are not interested in SWE, I would think about switching.
I would keep interviewing. It doesn’t sound like you have a backup plan, so keep pursuing what you’re already qualified for.
I saw your resume in another post, I think it definitely needs improvement and should be trimmed down to one page. You resume isn’t formatted well imo – Im just a random guy on the internet tbf.
In terms of jobs broaden your horizon. Most SWE pigeon hole themselves to SWE jobs, but knowing how to code and automate things makes you a TOP candidate for tons of jobs in IT/Security/Cloud/Data.
How many jobs do you apply to in a week? Are you on linkedin? Do you have a portfolio on your resume? Why no mention of projects on your resume?
Have you considered DevOps? If you have a good grasp of Linux administration and knowledge of DevOps tools like Ansible and Jenkins you could try and pivot in that direction.