Left a ₹25 LPA job for a Master's abroad. Now what?

A software engineer earning ~₹25 LPA in 2023 left his job, pursued a Master's abroad, couldn't find a job there, returned to India, and is now struggling to get offers beyond his previous compensation.

His question was simple:
"What happened to the market?"

But it made me think about a different question:
When did we start treating education as a guaranteed return on investment?

A college degree was never just about the next job.

It gives you:
- Technical and soft skills.
- Friends who often stay with you for life.
- An alumni network that opens doors years later.
- A brand that compounds over decades.

Notice how the person still mentioned, "B.Tech IIT."
That's the thing about great institutions. You may leave the campus, but the brand rarely leaves you.

If you're considering taking a career break for a Master's, keep three things in mind:
1. Pick the college carefully.
Faculty. Placements. Fees. Alumni network. Batch size.
If you're already earning ₹25 LPA, the bar for your Master's program needs to be correspondingly high. Expectations should match reality.
2. Never underestimate the alumni network.
Great colleges are built over decades, and their alumni continue building them long after they graduate.
3. A Master's degree is not an escape from work/stress.
Many professionals believe life will dramatically improve after a Master's. Sometimes it does. Sometimes the stress simply changes shape.

Unfortunately, there is one variable none of us can control:
'Timing'
Some batches graduate during recessions.
Others graduate during hiring booms.
Two equally talented people can have completely different careers simply because they entered the market at different points in history.
The 2009-10 graduates experienced it.
The 2024-26 graduates are experiencing it now.

That's why the best investment before a Master's isn't just tuition money.
It's having enough financial runway if things don't go according to plan.

Education can improve your odds.
It cannot eliminate uncertainty.

And sometimes, that's the hardest lesson a degree teaches us.

PS: Reading this post felt personal! I wish I had someone to guide me during those days. Now I help professionals make better decisions in their careers as well as their financial lives.