r/SrilankaIT

Okay I’m kinda stuck.

I want to do Information Technology or Cyber Security after A/Ls and I’m trying to choose between NSBM (VU Degree) and SLIIT (Bachelor of Information Technology majoring in Cyber Security).

From what I’ve seen so far:

• SLIIT seems to have a stronger reputation for IT-related degrees
• NSBM looks good in terms of campus and structure, but some (on Reddit + Google reviews) say its IT reputation isn’t as strong yet

Main things I’m trying to figure out:

1. Which uni is better for Cyber Security specifically or should I major in Cyber Security at all for my bachelors?
2. Are there internship/job opportunities from each?
3. Any regrets choosing one over the other?
4. Are there any other good options to go for in terms of unis?

Also:

• Is it worth specializing in Cyber Security for a bachelor’s, or better to do general IT first?
• And in general, is IT a good path right now?

Career Advice Needed: Mechanical Engineering → IT or Planning Engineer in Dubai?

I’m currently a final-year undergraduate studying Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at a state university in Sri Lanka. I would really appreciate some honest career advice from people who have experience in engineering, software/IT, or working in Dubai/UAE.

To give some context, I would consider myself an average engineering student with relatively weak technical skills. I’m also a beginner in programming and software engineering. However, I have become increasingly interested in the IT/software engineering field and self learning in this and I’m much less interested in pursuing a traditional mechanical engineering career.

I currently have three possible career paths:

1. Move into Software/IT

I’m considering starting from the basics and spending around 6–12 months seriously learning programming and software engineering before applying for jobs.

My concern is that the entry-level software engineering market seems quite competitive, especially with AI changing the industry. I’m worried about spending 6–12 months learning and still struggling to get my first job.

At the same time, I genuinely feel more interested in IT than mechanical engineering, so I’m wondering whether it is worth taking the risk.

2. Go to Dubai as a Planning Engineer

I also have an opportunity to potentially go to Dubai/UAE and pursue a Planning Engineer career.

I would need approximately 6 months of preparation/study before applying.

There appear to be a significant number of Planning Engineer vacancies in Dubai/UAE, although many postings also ask for 2–5+ years of experience, particularly for more established positions.

So my question is whether a fresh Mechanical Engineering graduate from Sri Lanka realistically has a good pathway into Planning Engineering in Dubai after 6 months of preparation, or whether the lack of UAE experience would make it difficult.

3. Stay in Sri Lanka and pursue Mechanical Engineering

The third option is to simply start working as a Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineer in Sri Lanka and build my career from there.

However, I’m not very interested in traditional mechanical engineering work. My main concern is that if I choose this path simply because my degree is in Mechanical Engineering, I might eventually regret not trying to move into the field I actually find interesting.

What would you recommend?

If you were in my position, what would you choose?

A. Mechanical Engineering → Planning Engineer → Dubai

B. Mechanical Engineering → Software/IT → potentially international opportunities

C. Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering → build experience in Sri Lanka

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have:

• Transitioned from engineering into software/IT

• Started programming from almost zero

• Worked as Planning Engineers in Dubai/UAE

• Moved from Sri Lanka to the UAE for engineering jobs

• Made a similar career change after university

I’m not looking for a

“follow your passion”

type of answer. I would really appreciate a realistic comparison based on employability, salary potential, career growth, difficulty of entering the field, long-term stability, and opportunities for working abroad.

If you recommend IT, I would also appreciate a including what technologies/skills I should prioritize and what level I should reach before applying for jobs.

What would you choose in my situation, and why?

Hey everyone,
I've been working in the IT industry for about 6 years now. The pay was great during the boom, but honestly, I'm dealing with severe burnout and growing anxiety about the long-term stability of the pure-tech sector here. Between the rapid rise of AI coding agents, the tightening of foreign remittances, and the constant LKR volatility affecting contract rates, I feel like I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb.

I’m seriously considering a complete industry pivot to something more "recession-proof" and locally resilient. I have solid transferable skills in project management, data analytics, and process automation, so I don't mind upskilling heavily.

My question is: Which industry actually offers the best job security, decent pay progression, and immunity to layoffs given the current economic trends in Sri Lanka right now?

I'm not looking for a quick pay bump. I just want peace of mind. Would love to hear from anyone who has successfully made this switch or works in these sectors. Thanks!

I was affected by the recent layoffs, and I'm having a really hard time dealing with it.

I know my situation could be much worse. I don't have a spouse, kids, or major responsibilities like that. But what is really getting to me is seeing how this has affected my parents and the people closest to me.

My family is normally very happy and lively. We joke around, have fun, and genuinely enjoy being together every day. Ever since I lost my job, though things at home have completely changed. Seeing my parents worried and upset because of me is probably the hardest part of all of this. It's honestly breaking me.

And then there’s my partner. I know she’s having a hard time with this too, even though she tries not to show it and acts like she’s okay for me. I can tell she’s struggling, and seeing her try to hide it so I don’t worry about her really hurts me.

I've been applying like crazy, hundreds of applications at this point. Sometimes I don't even properly read the JD anymore or check whether the tech stack matches my experience.

So far nothing. Just rejections or complete ghosting.

At this point I feel lost. I don't know whether I should keep mass applying, slow down and focus on jobs that actually match my skills, learn something new, work on projects, reach out to people directly, or do something completely different.

For anyone who has been through a layoff, what did you do that actually helped?

And if you were in my position right now, what would you focus on?

I'm going through a pretty rough time mentally, so I'd genuinely appreciate any advice, encouragement, or even stories from people who went through something similar and eventually came out the other side.

Thanks for reading.

I'm currently 20, made some bad decisions for my alevels (my own faults) and thinking of a better path forward. Can anyone who has done APIIT foundation and degree tell me how it went for you, was it worth the investment and what opportunities you got after the degree completion? TIA.

(my pick is IT faculty but anyone is welcome to share their experience)

Edit : I come from local bio stream, lost passion for it after a while. Got no IT background, but genuinely willing to learn. I don’t think redoing alevels is gonna be a good option, and switching streams and learning new subjects in one year seems like a waste of time without a guaranteed end result, given i already spent 3 years in alevels. (Feel free to share your opinion on this)

I'm not a lazy student, used to have good results but messed it up during alevels (would say it's a mix of my own faults and the subjects I chose. Wasn't aware of the difference between what I thought I want vs what I could actually do, just went with the flow thinking it would be fine till it blew up in my face).

I want a fresh start (safe to say I might have been burnt out for a while now but I'm not sure if it's the general alevel fatigue), but want to know if making a big financial investment in APIIT is gonna be worth it. SLIIT would be my other option.

PS : Anyone with similar alevel stories are also welcome to share any advice or experience.

Thank you for taking time to read this. Could really use some help from any seniors who have had similar journeys.

Posted by u/Lower-Government-192 on r/srilanka and removed by mods, sharing for awareness

Severe Legal Exposure, Fraudulent Inducement, and Imminent Constructive Dismissal Risks at Sysco LABS Sri Lanka

To: Global Ethics and Compliance / Office of the General Counsel

Via sysco.ethicspoint.com

This report is being filed to formally escalate a critical, immediate risk of severe legal liability, ethical misconduct, and reputational damage stemming from the executive leadership and HR operations at Sysco LABS Sri Lanka.

The subsidiary is executing a coordinated, unilateral reduction of employee remuneration—disguised as the phase-out of a "temporary" Relief Allowance. However, the execution of this policy constitutes an orchestrated bait-and-switch that blatantly violates local labour laws, breaches Sysco's Global Code of Conduct, and exposes the parent company to mass litigation for fraudulent inducement and constructive dismissal

The executive board must immediately intervene to audit and halt this financial ambush, specifically regarding its exploitative application to newly hired talent.

I. Fraudulent Inducement and Deceptive Recruitment Practices

Over the past 24-36 months, Talent Acquisition and HR intentionally leveraged the combined Total Target Cash (Base Salary + Relief Allowance) to aggressively recruit top-tier talent and outbid competing offers in the market.

All Advertisements Had the USD Linked Compensation line.

New joiners were actively induced to resign from secure positions, abandon competing offers, and sign contracts based on a specific, verbally and formally negotiated take-home pay. At no point during these negotiations did HR transparently disclose that up to 40% of this total compensation was actively slated for permanent removal. Luring talent under the pretense of a highly competitive market rate, while concealing imminent structural pay cuts, is not a "market alignment" strategy—it is textbook fraudulent inducement and a catastrophic breach of good faith.

II. Severe Violations of Sri Lankan Labour Law

While internal communications attempt to legally insulate the company by retroactively emphasizing the "discretionary" nature of the allowance, the reality of its application overrides this boilerplate language.

* Breach of Implied Contract: This allowance was consistently paid, integrated into monthly take-home expectations, and heavily weaponized during the salary negotiation phase to secure acceptances. Under Sri Lankan labour jurisdiction, this establishes the allowance as an implied term of the employment contract through established custom and mutual reliance.

* Illegal Unilateral Deductions: Sri Lankan labour law strictly prohibits employers from imposing unilateral deductions to expected remuneration without the explicit, documented consent of the employee. Sysco LABS Sri Lanka is forcing a non-consensual salary reduction, exposing the corporation to immediate, widespread intervention by the Department of Labour and local employment tribunals.

III. Promissory Estoppel and Detrimental Reliance

The targeted financial damage to our newest colleagues is severe and actionable. New joiners anchored their mortgages, family budgets, and major life decisions directly on the Total Target Cash promised by Sysco representatives. They relied on these corporate promises to their extreme detriment. The company is now actively plunging these employees into financial distress, deliberately violating the legal doctrine of promissory estoppel. Unlike tenured employees, new hires have no history of annual merit increases to absorb this devastating and sudden loss of income.

IV. Imminent Threat of Mass Constructive Dismissal Claims

By systematically slashing up to a quarter of the base-equivalent pay that employees were promised upon hiring, the subsidiary is creating a fundamentally hostile economic environment. This drastic, non-consensual alteration to the core conditions of employment provides clear legal grounds for affected employees to resign and immediately file mass claims for constructive dismissal. The resulting public fallout will permanently destroy Sysco LABS' reputation as a premier technology employer in the region.

Demand for Immediate Action

The current trajectory is ethically bankrupt and legally disastrous. I urge Global Compliance and the General Counsel to immediately:

* Issue an Injunction: Halt the phase-out of the Relief Allowance for all employees hired within the last 18 months until a full legal review is conducted.

* Launch an Audit: Subpoena internal HR recruitment communications to verify that total compensation was used to secure talent without disclosing the imminent removal of the allowance.

* Enforce the Code of Conduct: Hold the regional leadership accountable for violating Sysco’s global standards of transparency, fairness, and ethical dealing.

Failure to investigate and correct this coordinated deception will result in devastating legal consequences and a total collapse of employee trust.

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from people working in the Sri Lankan software industry.

I’ve been working at the same company for around 4+ years as an Associate Software Engineer. My current base salary is Rs. 175,000.

I recently asked about getting promoted to Software Engineer, but I was told that I need to have a degree first. So regardless of my experience, I’ll have to stay as an Associate Software Engineer until I get one.

I am technically doing a degree, but I haven’t been able to keep up with it properly because of work and other commitments. At this point, it could realistically take me another 2 years to finish.

I’m not really looking to leave my current company right now, especially with how the job market is. But staying in the same position for another 2 years also doesn’t feel ideal.

So I wanted to ask people who have been through something similar:

What is the cheapest and quickest way to get a recognized degree while working full-time in Sri Lanka?

Are there any universities/institutes or part-time/external programs you would recommend?

And if you were in my position, would you just focus on getting the degree, or would you try applying elsewhere with 3.5+ years of experience despite not having one?

Would really appreciate some genuine advice from people who have been in this situation. Thanks!

Hi! I'm just a guy who has a phone that is running on prayers, hopes and dreams. So it's time to upgrade. I checked up on many places for a iPhone 17 Pro and the prices differ everywhere! I do know that there are a lot of factors that make the price differences.

In most of the shops that I searched, A Non-TRCSL approved 17 pro E-SIM variant with 256GB storage goes in the range of 380,000 to 400,000 rupees.

Is there any place I can get it for cheaper? If you know, please let me know! Your help is invaluable!

I’m planning to start BEng (Hons) Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering at IIT.

Before I commit to a 4-year degree, I want to hear some real and unbiased opinions from people who are already in the tech industry or studying/working in AI, Data Engineering, Software Engineering, etc.

AI is growing insanely fast right now, but at the same time, the industry is changing very quickly. So I’m genuinely wondering:

👉 Does AI & Data Engineering have a strong future, or could the job market become saturated?

👉 Will this degree give me good career opportunities in Sri Lanka and internationally?

👉 For a fresh graduate, are there actually enough entry-level jobs in AI/ML/Data Engineering?

👉 How future-proof is this field compared with traditional Computer Science/Software Engineering?

👉 If you had to choose a degree today with the goal of having a strong career for the next 5–10 years, would you choose AI & Data Engineering?

I’m not looking for the usual “AI is the future bro” answers 😅

I’d genuinely like to hear the good, bad, and ugly — especially from people who are already working in the industry.

Would you personally recommend this degree in 2026? Why or why not?

So I’m about to take on a project, small e-commerce site and as for the payment gateway after some research I ended up with PayHere. Others i looked into was onepay, webxpay and also dialog pay which is kinda new i thnk and didnt hve much details on it.

So on the development side theres no cms or whtvr just a custom built site with NextJs im thinking on it
And what i want to know is how to integrate the gateway starting from the registrations, pricings and sdk etc.

Anyone hve any idea?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest advice about my education and future career path.

For some background, I have completed my O/Ls, and instead of doing A/Ls, I went directly into an HND in Software Engineering. I’m currently in Semester 4.

My current plan is:

• O/Ls → HND Software Engineering — currently in Semester 4
• Next year: Start a Data Science degree/top-up
• Business Management: Start a Business Management HND and complete the first semester
• After that: Pursue Business Analytics with AI

So essentially, I’m trying to build a combination of technical and business knowledge rather than following a traditional A/L → university route.

I’m interested in software engineering, data science, AI, automation, programming, business analytics, and eventually possibly starting my own technology-related business.

My main goal is to build a career with high earning potential and the possibility of remote international work, while developing enough technical and business knowledge to potentially work independently or start a business in the future.

However, I’m wondering whether this is actually a good strategy or whether I’m spreading myself too thin.

Since I went directly from O/Ls into an HND, I’d especially like to hear from people who have experience in the tech industry, data science, software engineering, AI, business analytics, freelancing, or running businesses.

If you were in my position, would you continue with this plan, or would you focus much more heavily on one field?

What would you recommend I focus on over the next 3–5 years to maximize my chances of getting a well-paying remote job and eventually being able to work independently or start a business?

I’m genuinely looking for honest opinions, so criticism is completely welcome.

Thanks!

I’m currently a undergraduate in Computer Science and working in HCL for role called analyst and currently in my job working with application packaging and repackaging

I love to work with cloud and network
Will this current job of mine will help in my career?

Hey guys. Do you know the current salary of the WSO2 SE intern salaries? Also do they have Associate cyber security roles?

Has anyone done or is currently doing a Computer Engineering degree offered by OUSL? If so, can you give me an honest opinion about it? Are the lab facilities good enough? What about the lecturer panel and the academic staff? I heard the exams are a bit tough. Is it so tough that it’s hard to complete the degree without repeating at least once? I would also like to know how people who have already graduated from this degree are doing. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I’m currently a Cybersecurity undergraduate completing an enterprise Tech Risk internship. As my current contract winds down, I'm preparing to transition into my next role—either a second internship or a junior position in a core technical area like VAPT, SOC, Network Security, information security, cybersecurity engineer or general cybersecurity role .

My Background & Technical Profile:

Experience: Hands-on work with ISO 27001 risk assessments, vulnerability reviews, and security awareness.

Technical Skills: Network Security, Web & Network VAPT,Security Frameworks, Reverse Engineering, Wireshark, Linux (Ubuntu/Kali), Bash, C/C++, SQL.

Projects & Certs: Fortinet Certified Fundamentals, Cisco Networking Basics, Web App VAPT (Bug Bounty scope), Full-Scope Internal VAPT Virtual Lab, MSME Risk Assessment, Secure Network Architecture & Hardening.

A few questions for the community:

Transitioning to Junior Roles: Given that I already have a brief enterprise internship experience, is it realistic to jump straight into Junior/Associate Analyst roles in Sri Lanka, or are second internships standard?

Local Market Outlook: Which sectors in SL (tech firms, banks, telcos, or MSSPs) are currently actively hiring for intern/ junior/entry-level security teams? Any suggestions?

Further improvements: any suggestions on certificates and technical skills that I should gain to advance my career?

Any advice, company recommendations, or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Guys, Do you know the current salary for an intern in Sysco labs Sri Lanka. Is it higher than 30k?And also is it a good idea starting an internship in there now with the on going situation.

I'm planning to do a foundation there (I'm 20) and continue on for an IT degree. (Software engineering or something else). Is doing it worth it these days? Can anyone share their experience and opinions? Any advice is welcome.

For those working in IT companies registered and operating in Sri Lanka (not remote/overseas companies):
What roles currently pay LKR 1M+ gross / 600K+ take-home per month?
Interested in roles like Engineering, Architecture, Management, Product, Cloud/DevOps, Data/AI, Cybersecurity, etc.
What experience level is generally needed, and which roles have the highest salary ceiling?
Looking for 2026 figures if possible.

Anyone has done this? Appreciate if you can share some feedback. Many thanks. Recommendations for BSc in cyber security also welcome. (Local private unis please)