"The study abroad industry asks the wrong first question and I think it's why so many Indian students struggle after landing"
Been thinking about this for a while and wanted to hear from people who've actually been through it.
Every consultant, every agency, every counsellor the first question is always some version of: "Which country are you thinking?"
Canada. Germany. UK. Australia.
And then the entire conversation builds around that answer.
But here's what I've noticed and I'd genuinely like to know if others have experienced this the country question is actually the last question that should be asked. Not the first.
The questions that should come first:
What specific career do you want after graduation?
Not a field. Not "something in tech" or "maybe finance." A real role, a real industry, a real salary expectation.
Does the job market in that country actually hire for that career?
Not in general specifically for your background, your degree, your profile level.
What does your visa path look like 3 years after graduation not just on arrival?
Most people I've spoken to including people who are now abroad were never asked these questions before they left. They were asked which country, which university, what budget.
The result: students who are academically fine but career-lost after landing. Doing jobs unrelated to what they studied. Visa uncertainty they didn't see coming. ROI that doesn't math out.
I'm not saying consultants are evil. I'm saying the order of questions is structurally wrong and it produces predictably bad outcomes.
For people who have gone through this process was the career question ever the starting point for your counselling? Or did it always start with country/university?
Genuinely curious whether this is a widespread experience or just what I've seen in my circle.
my_qualifications: Founder building in the study abroad advisory space as career first global mobility approach. Have personally counselled students across engineering, tech, and finance verticals evaluating Germany, Netherlands, Canada, and UK. Watched this pattern repeat across dozens of conversations.