PART II – Survival In The Great Unknown
Recap-
Before we proceed on this journey, let’s recap a little. Bimal landed in America with only $3000, so maintaining a budget was his top priority. He selected a college that offered him the best for his choice of course, so the city was then a consequence of that choice. And now, he is finally in the land he dreamt of being in. But is it all rainbows and sunshine in this country of liberty? Let’s find out.
Introduction
Shake hands with Bimal Mirchandani once again. His journey has just begun, and so has ours. When you first land in America, we promise, the country is the same one you boarded the flight for, but it will be different from what you have seen in the movies. (Psst, there is actually no Captain America waiting with a shield to protect you while showing off his Chris Evans body, uhh hum).
But yes, the opportunities you are looking forward to present themselves here in more than one way. We understand it might be nerve-wracking – new country, new college – but we have your back.
Bimal experienced two emotions simultaneously. He was panicking, because sh*t got real, but he was also excited. One thing that played out well for Bimal was the presence of Indians in the tech world.
He agrees that is one solid stereotype but he felt at ease when he saw that at least 70% of the people there were Indians. He agrees that when you actually set foot in America, you feel you can only go forward and that there is no going back. But optimistically speaking, that is a good thing, right?
Shift and Transformation
One place is never similar to another. Moving from India to the USA is a shift that doesn’t even look simple forget about it feeling simple. But that doesn’t mean you can’t transform swiftly, at least not when we are here for you. I mean technically, Bimal’s here for you, but you know potato, patato.
If you are a student moving to America, then the major shift that you would not only face but have to ace is the education system. The education system in the USA is as similar to India as a mini skirt is to a Sari. Yup, different yet beautiful in their own ways.
And now, moving from the Indian education system to the American one is not easy, as the Indian system shaped your personality for the first at least 17 years of your life. But your growth lies in the shift. So transform.
Talking about the differences in the education system in both countries, Bimal puts his thoughts in view. He points out that the American system is more about the specifics, whereas the Indian education system makes you kind of an all rounder.
He believes the American system helps you to be a specialist right from the beginning. And if you, like Bimal, are interested in a field that can get specific to the core, like technology, it wouldn’t hurt to be called a cyber security “expert,” right? He shares his experience and says, when he was enrolled in an undergraduate program, it is pretty generalized.
According to him, the Indian system is designed to keep you growing in all the directions possible because they teach you all sorts of stuff. But this can be confusing as one might not realize what to do, where to go, and which direction would be perfect.
But things are different in America. The moment you step into a college or school (as the Americans call it, don’t be confused and blurt out, I graduated from high school back in India), they catch your strengths and try to build around them, so that you become an “expert” in it.
He further explains, “ They have these small, small silos created with different, different mentors and processes. So if you are good at second-factor authentication, (or) if you’re good at network security, (or) if you’re good at something like marketing design or whatever, they create these silos to try to train these small groups of people to be experts in that and not be generalized candidates”.
Although he explains things in terms of his field, they are generally true for the entire system. So find the course that is perfect for you and then try to recognize your field of interest in it further.
According to Bimal, it is important to have expertise in a certain field because he feels if one has that much of generalized knowledge, then one can’t get into a senior position soon enough. I mean, if you wish to debunk his claim, go ahead, and get that senior post even though you are not an “expert”, but remember, he wasn’t paid by the FBI to say this.
He continues to explain how education is imparted in America and how it is different from India. Bimal explains that it is easier to specialize in a certain field in America.
In the US, one can learn to be an expert and to specialize in one’s field. You get not only the practice but also the motivation and the curriculum, so you can easily figure out how to reach the top.
He, on the other hand, is of the view that in India, not just the work culture but even the education culture is quite similar across the entire country. Although things are changing, they still remain the same in India. He says, “Even Symbiosis, (which) is one of the good colleges, still” has “the same issue. You start teaching them 15 different languages, and now everybody’s confused. What should I do?”
He shares his experience of Symbiosis, saying that in the first semester alone, he had three languages, which made no sense to him. He had JavaScript, he learned Oracle, he learned Java. But he never understood the need to study them all.
He, however, mentions that what he settled on was a very detailed discussion back in the day in the college as well. He believes the Indian education system teaches you how to follow the map but not what the destination is for you.
The Real Deal
Hola, como ta le ta le vu, uhm, sorry for the distraction. We are allowed to be distracted, but you need to stay focused when you land in the country of opportunities. Bimal says life in the beginning might have been harder than what it is for him now.
I mean, considering that he owns a house and car now compared to $3000 when he landed, it has definitely been some success arc. If you think you could get a job just as soon as you land, sorry, but no. Bimal explains this is because of the kind of Visa you have.
He says his F1 visa said he was in America for a technical degree, computer science, STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. And since he was for a particular field he couldn’t work outside of that field.
But this restriction doesn’t in any sense mean that you could have money back from home by the time you complete your degree and get a job. Because let’s face it, there’s a difference between being “GHAR KA RAJA BETA” and being an actual “RAJA BETA”.
Bimal says it is a kind of a burden from the first day, to earn so that you could survive in the Land Of Opportunities. Bimal says, since he came to America with $3000 his goal was to find a job before that amount of money was used up. He was determined to make sure that the way he lives in the USA was better than that in India.
You think you haven’t figured out anything yet? Who has? But Bimal has a piece of advice for anyone migrating to America from India. He says, it is not worth it to believe that Oh My God, I am in the USA, let’s enjoy this moment.
He says it is better to get to work the millisecond your shoes touch the American ground. Start your application to begin looking for paid work. He specifies not filling gas for Americans but rather finding a paid job in your own field.
He shares his experience. He landed in America on 30th of December, 2016, he then celebrated New Year’s and felt the American vibe. That was that. His college started on 9th Jan, but he was applying for internships from 2nd Jan. He talks about how he had limited knowledge and a “very rudimentary resume”.
He faced rejections, no one called him but he knew it was part of the process. He says it is okay to fail because trying is important. “But the goal should always be upfront because a lot of people are not going to be doing that. So as soon as you come in, start looking for it. And there are opportunities”, says Bimal. He mentions that people will say there are no opportunities but there are.
However, he is aware of today’s market, which has been affected because of AI, layoffs and other issues. But when he landed in America in 2017, even back then, the market wasn’t very healthy but it was “just enough”.
“And to give you an example, the moment I came in, one of my best friends back in the day, Shobit, started in August, a few months before me, in 2016, before I got there. He got his internship in April next year. I got there in January and had my internship on the 16th of February, two months before him. That’s what that thing does. The funny thing is, he’s the same guy who gave me that advice”, describes Bimal. So, start applying for jobs from day one; it will work out one way or another.
He further says that you should not hold back. Start applying, even if your college doesn’t allow you to work in the first semester. He explained that it is rare for you to get a first call back. The ratio is such that in the market, he elaborates, out of 300 applicants, only one or two get the callback.
During his time, it was one or two in every hundred applicants. Trust us, he is not scaring you but giving you a reality check so that you are mentally prepared because, as he mentions, the migrants today would definitely have a bigger challenge than he had back in the day.
Slumming the College Life
Money in college is something that is more precious than your life. Kidding. Or am I? When you go to a place that is one of the strongest economies in the world, you are allowed to think about saving as much money as possible.
Although finances in America will be in our next part, here we are talking about saving a few bucks on things like a mattress or TV, to help you sail through college life.
So as Bimal puts it, you have to make a lot of concessions. He explained that he bought a $60 mattress instead of a $300 one to have some extra few bucks in his pocket. He further describes how he didn’t actually have a bed but rather slept on the mattress on the floor.
He mentions he lived like that for 18 months. He did everything on the mattress, including studying on it, as he didn’t even buy a study table. He says he tried to save more money to put it in his loan repayment.
He continues to talk about how he saved money, even on groceries. He says there are many kinds of supermarkets in America, including Kroger’s, Publix, Walmart, Costco to name a few. He mentions he and his friends figured out that Kroger’s was 20% cheaper than any other.
He even gives a small example to show how much to save. Bimal takes the example of bread, explaining that it is “for $2 over there in Publix” and “for $1.60 in Kroger. So I’m going to Kroger.” You can adjust the small things in your life because bread is bread. If you’re eating wheat bread, that’s fine. There is only so much magic Publix can do for the extra 40 cents they’re charging. It’s the little things, Pushpa, little things.
Even Bimal knows that this generation can live without oxygen someday, but very few without liquor. He mentions that Jack Daniel’s is cheaper than double black in America.
He isn’t promoting alcoholism; neither are we. He is just mentioning that you should compare different brands of different products before you make a purchase and save a few cents. Do not lower your lifestyle standards, but maybe make some twitches in terms of wasteful expenditures.
Bimal also points out that sometimes, your decision to save money can actually cause you more trouble. You can make mistakes in that department, and while it is okay, it is also better to be safe than sorry.
He says, “ I would say about 20% of the savings expense things I did, (and) the steps I took were unnecessary and made my life even more difficult”.
He gives the example of going to an Indian grocery store. The store was 17 miles away from his place. He could have taken a $25 one-side cab ride, which would have taken him 30 minutes, or the train, which took him 90 minutes. He took the train to save money.
But now he says he realizes he “Should not have done that. That put us under more of a strain, trying to buy Indian groceries, carrying 10 kgs of rice and all that through the trains, and coming back home. It was not worth it, but you figure it out when you go along where you want to save the money.”
He describes the “beauty of the US” as being able to live a decent life from $800 to $4000 a month. So adjust your lifestyle according to your budget and still live a decent life. He says, “ But the point still remains: You can stay within your limits. Would it be a good life for you? Probably not. But that is kind of by design because you are here to improve your own life”.
The Indian Stuff in America
One question that pops up in an immigrant’s mind is if you will get everything that an “Indian” might need. From spices to brands like Dabur, trust us when we say it’s America; they will get you covered.
In Bimal’s words, “I think everything is here. At least everything I need. I’ve heard a couple of people talk about some specialized items. But these days,” even those things are available. “Dabur was not one of the items that was available back in the day… So I’m going to go ahead and say everything is accessible.”
Bimal says, “You can find anything you want that you get in India.” He says he no longer feels the need to pack and bring stuff back from India.
Yes, Rahul, pack that “Achaar”; they have it there, but not the homemade one. There might also be some items that you would want to carry from India. Not because you can’t get them in America, but to save those bucks.
It is obvious that certain items will be cheaper in India than in America. But this doesn’t mean you will take your entire house, pay those extra luggage charges, and spend more than saving. Be smart. We know Rahul. It might be difficult, but try.
Bimal suggests getting a pressure cooker back from India. He mentions that it can cost around $100 to get it in America, so getting it from India is better. You can also get cleaning supplies. But he also mentions it is cheap in America as well.
He mentioned bringing food items or anything he thought would save him money. But he also mentions that the weightage of the bags must also be considered.
So pack accordingly. Of course, these are just some tips Bimal finds helpful while packing your bags. But if you want a more extensive list of the hows and the whats of ‘packing your bags to immigrate to the US,’ we have a “list of things to pack for USA from India“ guide for that, too!
Check out our free packing guide for the US!
(And we separated things for him and her, so you don’t have to.)
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Getting Them Dollars
You are not going to study forever in America. Or are you? You will definitely need a proper job not only to survive and pay off your debt but also because that is the next step.
As boring as it might sound, Bunny, a job is an option after studies. Sure, be the entrepreneur, but you need money for that too, so earn and save through a job, maybe?
Bimal says he was lucky to get his internship within a month in America and is still in the same company. Calm down, it might not have happened to him, but he has friends (unlike you, oops, direct attack) who went through the process of securing a job after college.
You could either take the internship route, as Bimal did, or take the college employment route. His friends took that route because that saved 40% of the tuition. He mentions that assistantship pays around a thousand to fifteen hundred dollars.
He further mentions, “ If you feed the 40 percent of the tuition, that’s a good start for a first semester.” Bimal mentions he “could not find one, so” he “had to settle for a student assistantship that does not take away the 40 percent tuition.”
But he says that it gave him an additional stipend for the month, which was about eighteen hundred to two thousand. “But for others, I always recommend going for it. It’s GRM because of the 40 percent tuition reduction. It matters a lot”.
He still recommends that you start an application for the job the moment you step foot in America. You have to furnish your resume as it is the one thing that throws you out 80 percent of the time because your resume, most of the time, is not being validated by a person. It’s being validated by an AI.
So, use the AI to furnish your resume. Beat them at their game with their tools. He mentions that SEO is important to rank on Google, and the same is true with a resume. You have to put in certain things that are not only good but apt enough for AI to pick them up, and you get a call.
He suggests taking Linkedin Premium might help, “you are not ready to go ballistic on applications.” He means at least a hundred applications a day. He says although it might seem unrealistic he has seen people create automated bots to apply for them.
He mentions that your expertise might also define the ease or difficulty you might face getting a job. He says one should not limit themselves. He suggests that engineering shouldn’t restrict you from getting into solution architecture or project management.
He, though, believes that one should stay in one’s field, STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, as he talks about, which is a big field. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one field from which you came back. And he says a lot of people made that mistake.
They worked off their resume and showed, OK, I am willing to do this. But are you willing to learn something new that opens up a boatload of opportunities for you that people miss? So, don’t just show what you can do, but also show the willingness to learn something new and broaden your horizon.
Bimal says, “I came from system engineering and went into cyber security. My previous experience is not that relevant. I was a front-end guy, and now I’m working in the back-end industry completely. Overall, I have about 12 years of experience now. But if you look at it, it was a very individual and very different experience because I was willing to learn something, and that gave me an edge and put me in front of a company for an internship that other candidates were still struggling for. So don’t limit yourself. That’s the key thing”.
Conclusion
So, now, we know what it is like for a college student to survive in the jungle. Of course, getting the first internship, landing a well-paying job, and everything in between is an individual experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from others’ experiences.
Now, you are no Captain America or Shaktiman, so you would never fall sick. Wait, they actually got sick too, didn’t know. Go search. But yes, you will fall sick. You will need savings, a car, and eventually, a house. But how do you do all that? How is it possible? Well, it is. Not because we wrote and they are golden words, but because an Indian immigrant just like you did it.
The next part, Part III A, “Monetary Ride in the Jungle,” will be up soon. In the meantime, go drink some water and hydrate. Maybe eat a pancake, too?
