Post by ItsMeYugi -- Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. This is going to be a long post, but I wanted to properly walk you through my journey and where I am today, because I think the full story matters for the advice I'm looking for. I'm at a genuine crossroads in my life and career, and I'd really appreciate honest, thoughtful opinions from people who understand this kind of situation.
Let me start from the beginning.
How it all started
Before moving to Ireland, I worked in India for about 2.5 years as a full-stack developer, mainly working with React, TypeScript, Node.js, and Java. It was a solid start to my career, and I enjoyed the work, but I wanted to grow further, gain international exposure, and build a stronger foundation in data and analytics, which is a field I'd become increasingly interested in. So I made the decision to move to Ireland to pursue a Master's degree.
I completed my MSc in Data Analytics in Ireland in March 2025. It was a big investment of time, money, and energy, and I was genuinely excited about what would come next. My plan was straightforward: finish my degree, gain some Irish work experience, and build a long-term career here as a developer, ideally in a role that combined my full-stack background with the data skills I'd just gained.
The job search begins
Once I completed my degree, I started applying seriously for developer and full-stack roles here in Ireland. That was about 1.5 years ago, and I have been consistently applying ever since, through every channel I could think of: LinkedIn, Indeed, IrishJobs, direct applications on company websites, and also through referrals from people in my network.
To make sure my CV wasn't holding me back, I even invested in professional CV writing services that specialize in the Irish job market, thinking that maybe the way I was presenting my experience was the problem. Unfortunately, even after that investment, the results didn't really change.
In the last 18 months, out of everything I applied for, I only managed to get 4 interviews in total. Of those 4:
- 2 companies simply ghosted me after going through the interview process, meaning I never even got a final rejection or closure, just silence.
- 2 ended in straightforward rejection.
That's the entire tally of interview outcomes over a year and a half of consistent effort, which has been really tough to process.
To stay active in the field and keep my skills from going stale while I searched, I also took on a few short-term freelance projects, most of them unpaid, just so I would have something recent to show and talk about, and so I wouldn't feel like I was standing completely still.
Where things stand today
As the job search dragged on without success, I had to make a practical decision to support myself financially. I did not want to depend on my family back home for money, so right now, I'm working as a Security Officer at an airport here in Ireland. I want to be clear that I'm genuinely grateful for this job. It pays the bills and gives me independence while I keep figuring out my next steps. But it has absolutely nothing to do with my actual field, and it's not something I want to continue doing for the long term. My real goal has always been, and still is, to get back into IT and settle into a proper software or full-stack development career.
About 10 days ago, feeling the pressure of time passing, I also started applying for developer roles in India in parallel, through platforms like Naukri, Indeed, and LinkedIn, just to explore whether that path might open up faster.
One important detail: my Stamp 1G visa here in Ireland is valid until April 2027, so I do still have some runway left, but it's not indefinite, and that clock is very much part of this decision.
The two paths I'm considering
At this point, I feel like I'm standing at a fork in the road, and I keep going back and forth between two options.
The first option is to continue staying in Ireland and keep trying for software and full-stack roles here, hoping that something eventually works out before my visa expires in April 2027. The upside is that I don't give up on the life and opportunities I've been working toward here. The downside is that every month that passes without a job adds to the growing gap in my resume, which makes me worry that I'll become a harder sell over time, not an easier one.
The second option is to move back to India around late August or early September of this year, and focus fully and aggressively on getting a job there by the end of the year. The upside is that the Indian tech market is one I already have real experience and context in, which might mean a faster path back into IT. The downside is that it would mean stepping away from Ireland after everything I've invested here, and starting over in a market with its own challenges.
A complication that adds to my confusion is this: when I do get interview opportunities for roles in India while I'm still physically based in Ireland, I worry that interviewers might assume I'm not fully committed, that I'll leave the moment something comes through in Ireland. I don't know exactly how much this perception affects their decisions, but it's a thought that's constantly in the back of my mind during those conversations.
The emotional and lifestyle side of this decision
Here's where it gets more complicated for me, because this isn't just a practical or financial decision, it's also an emotional one.
Honestly, half of my mind keeps pulling me back toward staying in Ireland, mainly because of work-life balance and quality of life. When I think about the long term, especially after marriage and eventually having a family of my own, peace of mind and the ability to actually spend meaningful time with the people I care about matter a lot to me. From what I've experienced and observed here, the work culture in Ireland is generally healthier. Working hours tend to be more reasonable, there's less pressure to be constantly available, and there's more respect for personal time and boundaries outside of work.
In contrast, from my own past experience working in India, the work pressure can be a lot more intense. Hours often stretch much longer than they should, and there's a stronger hustle culture where taking a proper break, or even just leaving on time, can sometimes be looked down upon. Beyond just work itself, everyday quality of life factors in Indian cities, like heavy traffic, pollution, and long commutes, eat further into whatever personal time is left, making it harder to relax, pursue hobbies, or simply be present with family and loved ones.
So a part of me genuinely feels that even though the job search here has been incredibly difficult, staying in Ireland could mean a better quality of life and healthier long-term balance. Moving back to India might solve the immediate problem of getting a job faster, but it could also mean stepping back into a lifestyle that's more stressful and leaves less room for the personal and family life I value.
Why this decision feels so urgent
This is really the core of why I can't just let this drag on indefinitely. Every extra month I spend outside of IT, whether in my current security job or just continuing to search without success, adds to the growing gap on my resume and pulls me further away from the field I've trained in and worked hard to build a career in. I don't want to look back a year or two from now and feel like I lost this time simply because I couldn't decide and act.
What I'm asking from you
I'm sharing all of this because I genuinely don't want to make this decision blindly, based on emotion alone or panic alone. I want to think it through properly, and hearing from people who have faced similar crossroads, whether you stayed abroad, moved back home, or took some other path entirely, would really help me see this more clearly.
A few specific questions I'd love your honest thoughts on:
- Based on everything I've shared about my profile and situation, which option do you think is more practical and better for my career right now: continuing to stay and try in Ireland, or moving back to India and focusing fully on that market?
- If you were in my position, what would you personally do, and why?
- How much does the work-life balance and lifestyle factor actually matter in the long run compared to just getting back into a stable IT career quickly?
- Any suggestions, personal experiences, or perspectives, especially from people who've navigated a similar visa timeline, career gap, or a survival job while job hunting, would mean a lot to me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this entire story. I know it was long, but I wanted to give you the full picture so that any advice you give is genuinely informed. I really appreciate any thoughts you can share.
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