Should I leave my MNC QA job for a 1-year IIT Kharagpur research fellowship?
Currently I am working as a Quality Engineer in an MNC for the past 7 months as a fresher.
Now, I received a 1-year pre-doctoral research fellowship opportunity at IIT Kharagpur related to healthcare technology, embedded systems, and software application development.
Fellowship details are
Duration: 1 year
Stipend: ₹25,000/month + HRA
In-person full-time fellowship
No guarantee of MS/PhD admission after completion
My primary interest is in software development and building a long-term career in the IT/development field. Currently, I am pretty much confused whether I should continue in my stable MNC QA job or pursue this fellowship opportunity.
Will this IIT Kharagpur pre-doctoral fellowship add any strong value to my resume for future software development roles? Can this type of research experience help while switching to development roles later, or is continuing industry experience a better option?
Would highly appreciate honest advice from people working in tech or those who have taken similar opportunities.