Internship @ Big tech vs Full-time @ Startup?

[summer blaze]

You can calculate Expected Value of each option based on a few things:

1. Likelihood of converting big tech internship to FTO

2. Likelihood of startup getting acquired / making it big

I also think you should choose whether to go to US / Canada and just have one goal, with the following in mind: Canada pays less, but residency / passport is possible. US pays more, but residency / passport esp. if you are Chinese / Indian is a huge gamble. Right now the wait is years (maybe a decade assuming you get H1B at all), and it can get worse depending on politics.

Find out likelihood of FTO by assessing market position of the company, how they handled interns in the last 2 years (probably rescinded offers and had no FTO conversions), and maybe asking others who interned there

Find out likelihood of startup success by looking at competition, who the big backers are, what stage the startup is in, etc.

[rocky torrent]

I would seriously consider doing the internship at big tech. A majority of startups don't make it, and unless you are joining a very early stage startup the upside is low. Even if the upside is high the chances of success are low. Of course it depends on the startup.

If you go to those big names you can get brand name on your resume. Will set you up to get more interviews in the future.

There is of course the layoff risks, but we have seen layoffs in both startups and big tech. Layoffs may be more common in startups especially since VC money has dried up quite a bit compared to the past.

As for a master I feel like this depends on what you plan to pursue. If it's AI/ML/Graphics related then a masters would have merit in contrast to if you are on a product team. Honestly, I have seen people with masters and regular CS bachelor and there is no difference in skill between the two.

Also for your #2, you will need to pass a test to get PR first in Canada. Getting PR might take you a year or two to get, then if you want to get citizenship you have to wait 3 years before applying to citizenship. Only then would you qualify for a TN Visa. So you basically have to spend 4-5 years in Canada if you want to go through that route.

I picked a startup instead of big tech as my first choice our of university and I regret it significantly. It is possible that I cash out when the company IPOs in 2-3 years, but I have a lot of doubts. Better to go with the guaranteed salary and benefits. Then once you have some prestige on your resume you can go gamble at startups as you like.

[summer blaze]

Terrible idea if you're also trying to get a visa

Why are you even thinking about that tbh? The types of jobs you're going for pay more than enough...

[summer blaze]

Then work on your own projects at home, but OE is just another thing that can get your visa cancelled