Need career advice as a fresher. Should I switch or stick it out?
Hi everyone. I graduated with a B.Tech in Computer Science in June 2025 from a tier-3 college in Bangalore. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get placed through campus because most of the companies that visited were hiring for non-tech roles.
After graduation, I freelanced from August 2025 to January 2026, and on April 1, 2026, I finally landed my first full-time job as a Junior Python Developer at a startup.
I’ve been here for almost three months now, and honestly, I’m struggling.
My workday is usually 10 AM to 7 PM in the office, but many days I have to continue working from home just to meet deadlines. I’ve already been assigned to a client project even though I’m a fresher with no prior industry experience, and the expectations feel very high. If work piles up, I also end up working on Saturdays.
The biggest issue is the lack of work-life balance. The constant pressure is affecting my physical and mental health. I’m stressed almost every day, I’m not sleeping properly, and sometimes I don’t even have the time or appetite to eat properly.
I also know I’m not an exceptional coder yet. I’m still learning and trying to improve, but it feels like I’m expected to perform at the level of someone with much more experience.
I’m now wondering what my next step should be.
Should I:
Continue here for a while longer to gain experience, even if it’s stressful?
Start applying to other companies that might have a healthier work culture?
Or take a step back and think more about what kind of career I actually want before making another move?
I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been in a similar situation, especially those who started their careers at startups. Is this level of pressure normal for freshers, or is this a sign that I should move on?