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

18 points - yesterday at 5:09 PM


I’m reaching out here because I’ve hit a wall that feels insurmountable and I am looking for genuine perspective from people who might have navigated systemic barriers.

I have a Master’s in Computer Science from a European university and a research background with papers totaling over 500 citations. In my spare time, I’m a builder and I’ve developed web apps, games, and various side projects. On paper, I should have a solid career path, but my reality is the opposite.

I am currently back in my home country in the East due to circumstances I couldn't control. Despite my credentials, my degree feels useless here. I work at a decent-sized western company (fully remote), but the internal politics are volatile and I fear for my job security. More painfully, I feel a deep sense of prejudice; in daily professional conversations, I can hear the tone shift when people realize where I am based. It feels like I am watching others reap what I have sown, while my own investments in skills and projects feel futile.

The core of my problem is twofold:

    Geographic and Legal: The jobs I am actually qualified for are almost exclusively in the West, but there is no current legal path for me to migrate or secure a living there.

    The Trust Gap: Despite the citations and my portfolio, I lack the "signal" that makes international recruiters or local employers trust my expertise. It feels like I'm "cursed" by my place of birth.
I have stretched myself so thin trying to build products that don't gain traction, and I’ve reached a point where I feel like learning to code was a mistake. I love building things, but it isn’t putting food on the table or providing a future. I feel lost and, honestly, pretty devoid of hope.

For those who have been stuck in "low-trust" geographies or faced extreme systemic barriers despite having high-level skills:

How do you bridge the trust gap with Western companies when relocation isn't an option? Are there specific niches (Remote-first R&D, specialized consulting, etc.) where academic citations and a builder mindset actually carry weight?

I am looking for any genuine suggestions on how to leverage what I have to secure a life that doesn't feel impossible.

  • bollu

    yesterday at 11:00 PM

    please send me an email <siddu.druid@gmail.com>. 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

    • nextos

      yesterday at 8:12 PM

      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 obtain a PhD at one of those institutions, but that is quite time-consuming and the benefits might not offset the costs.

        • throwawaysafely

          yesterday at 8:46 PM

          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?

            • nextos

              yesterday at 10:52 PM

              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.

      • fooker

        yesterday at 10:24 PM

        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.

          • throwawaysafely

            yesterday at 10:31 PM

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

            Thanks for some check & balance.

              • yesterday at 11:10 PM

        • nkg

          yesterday at 5:36 PM

          It resonates with me. I live in a small country (luckily an European one) where investments do not flow into tech. I have talked with many of my fellow countrymen that feel the same. Maybe we will never reach our full potential (professionally) by working here. Remote work is part of the solution for now, but it remains rare and requires a trust signal.

          My only suggestion is to keep pushing until you make it.

          • inhumantsar

            yesterday at 6:54 PM

            tbh this seems to me like it might be less about career advice and more about emotional support. it's not uncommon for people to slip into a mindset where an external bias is internalized so thoroughly that they start holding themselves back in situations even when nothing external is.

            talking to someone, a therapist ideally but any honest, skilled active listener could do, about it can help you see things from a different perspective. might help you identify things you can do to counter the things you can't control.

              • throwawaysafely

                yesterday at 7:10 PM

                this is exactly what I was referring to. You are saying it is emotional without understanding the real circumstances of the situation.

                There is no legitimate way for me to migrate out or to get a position that is remote other than the one I have. I do not have skills that can attract any other roles to myside. The only skills I have is very specialized to a narrow field.

                I go to therapy and its hard. Even he agrees.

                • yesterday at 7:08 PM

              • chrisjj

                yesterday at 5:14 PM

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

                And what is that signal?

                  • throwawaysafely

                    yesterday at 5:26 PM

                    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.

                      • fenazego

                        yesterday at 11:23 PM

                        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.