Ask HN: 500 citation MSc CS, stuck in a low-trust region. How to move forward? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: 500 citation MSc CS, stuck in a low-trust region. How to move forward?

#11

Post by throwawaysafely » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 10:31 PM UTC

fooker wrote: post #10

The easy way out for you is getting into a Phd program. You should have a easy way in if your research background is good. Now you might not want a PhD for various reasons, but tech jobs are a bit more tricky to navigate nowadays. I'd honestly not hire someone in your position, there is really no easy to do it. Given that, the difficult way out is starting a company, which has an entirely different set of challenges.

Yeah, PhD would be an overkill. On top of that, PhD at top labs are super-competitive.

Thanks for some check & balance.

Re: Ask HN: 500 citation MSc CS, stuck in a low-trust region. How to move forward?

#12

Post by nextos » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 10:52 PM UTC

throwawaysafely wrote: post #9

nextos wrote: post #8

A classic way to bridge the gap is to put a great academic brand on your CV. For example, you could work as a research assistant in CS for a famous university (e.g. Cambridge, Imperial, ETH). Since the salaries they offer are low, the competition won't be so intense, and they will offer support to relocate. Once you have a foot in the ground, you can apply to great industry jobs. A more elaborate plan would be to obt…

That sounds like a solid advice!! Thanks for pointing it out!! What if they reject me there too? What is the plan B in this situation?

Well, you have many options. Given that you seem to have a good publication record, I'd expect a couple of offers after making 5 or 10 applications.

If you are a good programmer, avoiding areas that are too hot (e.g. ML) and focusing on things that can make best use of your skills (e.g. compilers, verification) could be a good idea.

Research assistant positions are also great a backdoor to PhD offers, in case you are interested in that.

Re: Ask HN: 500 citation MSc CS, stuck in a low-trust region. How to move forward?

#13

Post by bollu » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 11:00 PM UTC

please send me an email . I'm a PhD student at cambridge, and might be able to put you in touch with folks who have positions to hire you as an RA if your research profile fits. even if there isn't an immediate fit, I'm happy to scout around and see if anything pops up. Best, Sid

Re: Ask HN: 500 citation MSc CS, stuck in a low-trust region. How to move forward?

#14

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 11:10 PM UTC

throwawaysafely wrote: post #11

fooker wrote: post #10

The easy way out for you is getting into a Phd program. You should have a easy way in if your research background is good. Now you might not want a PhD for various reasons, but tech jobs are a bit more tricky to navigate nowadays. I'd honestly not hire someone in your position, there is really no easy to do it. Given that, the difficult way out is starting a company, which has an entirely different set of challenges.

Yeah, PhD would be an overkill. On top of that, PhD at top labs are super-competitive. Thanks for some check & balance.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: 500 citation MSc CS, stuck in a low-trust region. How to move forward?

#15

Post by fenazego » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 11:23 PM UTC

throwawaysafely wrote: post #3

chrisjj wrote: post #2

> I lack the "signal" that makes international recruiters or local employers trust my expertise. And what is that signal?

Anything that would make my resume standout. I do not have that "wow" factor that screams, "I want to work with this guy." As a result, even for the jobs that I am qualified, I can't get an interview. It is average. Super average. Plus I feel that no one wants to work with me. Current work environment has made me question my skills. I believe I am sub-par at what I do.

I have a PhD, ~2000 citations, I earn a decent amount of money as a contractor doing ML research and development at startups and a large company, and I also feel subpar regularly. Although people don't usually talk about it, it's probably very common.

Remind yourself often of the achievements you are proud of.