u/ImmediateMatter6801

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a CS student at FAST-NUCES and have around 1.5 years of hands-on experience working remotely with a Canada-based client. My work has mostly involved a mix of Full Stack, AI/Data-related tasks, and general engineering support depending on project requirements.

Even though the remote work experience has been great and I’ve learned a lot from it, I still want to experience working in a proper company environment through an internship or junior role because I believe it will help me grow faster technically and professionally.

For the past few months I’ve been applying actively on LinkedIn, but it feels extremely difficult to even get interview calls because most postings already have hundreds of applicants within hours 😭

So I wanted honest guidance from experienced developers here:

• Am I applying the wrong way?
• Is the market really this difficult for juniors right now?
• What skills/projects make a candidate stand out for internships or junior positions?
• How important are referrals compared to cold applying?

If someone is willing to review my resume/portfolio and point out mistakes or improvements, I’d genuinely appreciate it a lot.

I’m continuously learning and currently focusing more on cloud/devops-related skills as well.

Any advice would genuinely help. Thank you ❤️

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a CS student at FAST-NUCES, my university has maybe decent or average value in market(idk much about that) and have around 1.5 years of hands-on experience working remotely with a Canada-based client. My work has mostly involved a mix of Full Stack, AI/Data-related tasks, and general engineering support depending on project requirements.

Even though the remote work experience has been great and I’ve learned a lot from it, I still want to experience working in a proper company environment through an internship or junior role because I believe it will help me grow faster technically and professionally.

For the past few months I’ve been applying actively on LinkedIn, but it feels extremely difficult to even get interview calls because most postings already have hundreds of applicants within hours 😭

So I wanted honest guidance from experienced developers here:

• Am I applying the wrong way?
• Is the market really this difficult for juniors right now?
• What skills/projects make a candidate stand out for internships or junior positions?
• How important are referrals compared to cold applying?

If someone is willing to review my resume/portfolio and point out mistakes or improvements, I’d genuinely appreciate it a lot.

I’m continuously learning and currently focusing more on cloud/devops-related skills as well.

Any advice would genuinely help. Thank you ❤️

Since i saw that people in this sub are really "real" and supportive ... Idk i am on that level or not according to my age but i just want to tell you that i just turned to 20 about a month ago... I have built an erp system as my project yet... About experience currently i am working with a canadian client performing multiple roles like data/ai/full-stack engineer.... I have also 4months of exp in diners company... I am also a tutor, teaches maths, Quran(i am hafiz), entry test preparation(nust, fast)... Now back to the topic why i am telling these things to you.... In one month summers will start and currently i am giving my exam also i am hunting junior roles or internships so that i shouldn't sit to home in summers since i am not financially stable so i have must to do work, i have a portfolio as well as resume... If any one can consider or refer me or intrested to see my profile obv i will share with them...

Thankyou also if you cant do anything i just want to say that thankyou again becuase you read my post

Hey buddies, since all the posts i saw giving me complicated vibes... So the thing is i am a student currently studying CS from a top tier uni of my country... Since i am also working as an ai engineer with a canadian client and earning some stuffs... So please someone guide me in simple words from where i should start in the etf and why should i consider etf

Hello, i am student of cs from Fast-Nuces, literally presentation and any other activities which involved to go infront of all is a nightmare for me, my legs starts shaking and my voice starts breaking when i try to speak... I am here to ask you that any academy of english which forces student to speak english basically i want an academy where they force to talk in english, there is a strong bond between classmates and all do conversation in english beyond the border of F/M, my aim is to boost my confidence and be fluent in english and thats only possible when you practise daily... I can write but i cant speak....

So please guide me if there is an academy in karachi which satisfies my requirements and if possible guide me with kts fee structure

Thankyou.

just asking that the new version is working ok or not? or the recent version have still some issues like agent terminating etc?

Posting here because I need advice from people who are actually in the Pakistani tech industry and have seen real career growth, freelancing, remote work, or foreign opportunities.

I am 20(turned just one month ago) years old and currently doing CS from FAST.

Alongside university, I have been trying very hard to build practical experience as early as possible because my financial background does not allow me to rely on the usual “graduate first, then slowly build career” route.

So far I have:

around 1.5 years of practical experience

worked as an intern in a local company

built a complete ERP system project

currently working with a Canadian client

handling work around research, data/AI engineering, and full-stack engineering there

I also teach Quran and Maths sometimes, so most of my life right now is basically university + work + trying to learn more.

The issue is:

despite doing all this, I constantly feel behind.

My CGPA is not where I want it because balancing FAST with all this is hard.

And mentally I have this nonstop pressure that I need to become financially strong very quickly.

For context, I come from a very middle-class family. My mother passed away in 2020. I am the only son. My father earns less than 30k from a small shop, and family support is the reason I am even able to study at FAST.

So naturally my brain is always in acceleration mode.

I want to settle my father while he is still active enough to enjoy life. I want to get married as soon as possible. I want to move my family into a much better financial class. And I honestly want to do this before 22-24 if possible.

Maybe this is unrealistic, maybe not — that is exactly why I am here.

Because from inside tech, I keep seeing too many options and get confused:

should I go all in on remote foreign jobs if yes the main ques is how?

should I focus on networking with overseas founders?

should I plan Masters abroad as escape velocity?

Sometimes I feel like doing everything at once is making me progress and panic at the same time.

I know I am ahead of many students in exposure, but I still do not know if I am moving in the smartest direction.

So I want brutally practical answers from seniors here:

If you were in my place, what exact 2-3 year roadmap would you follow?

Which skill lane today has the fastest realistic financial growth for someone in Pakistan?

Is trying to “make it” before 22-24 stupidity or actually achievable with the right moves?

Should I ignore CGPA now and prioritize industry?

Where should my money/time go from this point?

Any harsh reality checks are welcome. I would rather hear truth from seniors than keep running blindly.

I do not usually open up like this, but maybe I need real words from strangers who understand Pakistani realities better than motivational videos do.

I am 20(turned just one month ago) years old, studying CS at FAST.

And honestly, I feel mentally exhausted all the time because there is this constant pressure in my head that I need to become successful very quickly, otherwise life will slip away in front of me.

I come from a very middle-class background.

My mother passed away in 2020. I am the only son. My father works in a very small shop and earns less than 30k a month. Even my FAST fee is mostly managed with the support of my father’s brother because scholarship/document systems never really worked in our favor.

So from a young age I think my mind stopped believing in “slowly things will get better.”

I always feel like if I do not force life to move faster, nothing will happen.

This is why I keep pushing myself in every direction possible.

Along with FAST, I have worked as an intern before, built a complete ERP system as a project, and currently I am working with a Canadian client where I handle research, data/AI engineering and full-stack related tasks. I also teach Quran and Maths at times.

So it is not like I am sleeping or wasting my youth.

I am trying. Genuinely trying harder than my body sometimes allows.

But the problem is my mind is never satisfied.

My CGPA is suffering. My stress is increasing. I keep comparing timelines.

I keep thinking:

by 22 I should be earning very well, by 23 I should have something big, I should settle my father, I should buy him comfort, I should get married as soon as possible, I should have my own car, I should become someone people respect.

And every time I look at Pakistan’s normal salary growth, normal job market, normal pace of life, I start panicking.

It feels too slow for the responsibilities and dreams I carry.

Sometimes I start chasing every possible door:

remote work, foreign opportunities, migration thoughts, building stronger networking, even social media/personal branding because I feel maybe any one thing can change everything.

Then I stop and ask myself:

am I being smart, or am I just becoming desperate?

This is the reason I am posting here because I want practical Pakistani advice, not just “sabr karo” or “you’re still young.”

I know I am young. But pressure does not care about age.

I want honest answers from people older than me:

Am I destroying myself by trying to rush success?

Is it actually possible for someone from my background to change financial class by 22-24 through tech?

Should I focus only on one lane instead of chasing many?

Is migration/remote foreign work the only realistic accelerator?

How would you invest the next 2-3 years if you were me?

Is this hunger healthy or dangerous?

And please be brutally honest.

I do not need sugarcoating. I need direction.

Because some days I feel motivated, and some days I feel like I am mentally drowning while smiling in front of everyone.

I never thought I would write such a long post on Reddit, but I think I genuinely need honest words from people who are ahead of me in life, especially Pakistanis who have seen both Pakistan and abroad realities.

I am 20 years old, doing CS from FAST.

From outside maybe I look like a normal student, but mentally I feel like I am standing at a very uncertain and pressured point of life.

I come from a very middle-class family. My mother passed away in 2020. I am the only son of my parents. My father works at a very small shop and his monthly income is less than 30k PKR. Even my FAST university fee is mostly being supported by my father’s brother because scholarship systems never helped us due to documentation issues.

This financial background is one of the biggest reasons I feel like I do not have the luxury to move slowly in life.

I constantly feel like I need to become something very quickly.

I want to earn big. I want to settle my father. I want people to respect him. I want to buy him comfort while he is still healthy enough to enjoy it. I want to get married as soon as possible as well. And all of this has created a strange race inside my head where every month feels like I am getting late.

The confusing part is: I am not sitting idle.

Along with FAST, I have around 1.5 years of practical work experience now.

worked as an intern in a company

built a full ERP system project

currently working with a Canadian client

handling multiple roles there including research, data/AI engineering, and full-stack engineering

Alhamdulillah I am earning better than many students around me, I also teach Quran and Maths sometimes, and I try my best to keep learning because I know skill is the only ladder I have.

But despite doing all this, I still feel behind.

My CGPA is suffering because I am trying to balance too many responsibilities.

I keep praying for some foreign opportunity, remote breakthrough, sponsorship, migration path, anything that can accelerate my life because honestly Pakistan’s normal salary routes scare me a lot.

I look at people saying “take your time, life is long” but my mind does not accept that. Maybe because my father is aging. Maybe because I have seen too much financial limitation. Maybe because I desperately want to build a respectable life before 22-24.

Sometimes I even think of doing side things like building personal brand/social media/content etc because I feel maybe any one door can become the opening of success, but then I get confused whether I am just becoming desperate and chasing everything.

This post is not for sympathy.

I genuinely want harsh, honest advice from people who are older and more experienced than me:

Am I being unrealistic wanting financial stability/success this early?

Is there actually a smart migration or overseas route for someone with my profile?

Should I double down only on tech skills and remote work?

Should I focus on Masters abroad?

Should I build networking aggressively?

Should I invest money somewhere instead of random spending?

Am I damaging myself by trying to rush life this much?

And most importantly:

If you were a 20 year old Pakistani in my position, with skills, pressure, responsibilities, and very limited family finances, what exact roadmap would you follow in the next 2-4 years?

I am open to brutally honest advice. Even if it hurts, I need reality more than comfort right now.