Is it true that Indian software engineers are considered very bad hires in the USA?

This is a very sensitive topic which I will try and approach with as much tact as possible and still leave you with something actionable. I am guessing the stigma you are referring to is probably being exasperated by the hundreds of resumes which pile into every job ad from candidates still in India, with not much experience, and no work rights in the USA?

The advice below is specific to candidates not currently in the USA or recent arrivals with no local work experience. If you already have local work experience nearly all the tips below do not apply.

Firstly I will put this out there. Some of the very best hires I have ever made were recent immigrants to the country or people relocating for the first time. One thing they all had in common was they put a lot of effort into differentiating themselves from the stream of resumes that came in from their home country.

If you feel you are being silently discriminated against I have a number of tips you can follow below. These are not meant as an attempt to trick the resume screener but will make sure your resume makes it through all the simple screening rules people use. If you make it through this initial screen then they at least have to read about who you are and what you have done before declining your application:

1. Get a local phone number

Many recruiters will bin resumes that have an international prefix without reading anything else. Skype and and many other VoIP services will give you a local number. In countries like Australia, which has a different prefix for mobile/cell vs landline, I recommend not putting your VoIP phone number on the resume. Recruiters are catching onto this trick so are binning resumes which only show a landline.

2. Leave your home address off the resume

It is highly unlikely that anyone is going to mail anything to your home address. Also don't put a fake address in the USA if that is not actually where you do live. Best to just leave this blank.

3. Get a native English speaker to read over your resume

Without seeing the name, address, or anything else I can nearly always tell that English is not your first language based on how you write. A native English speaker can help you fix any grammatical errors in your resume so it flows better.

4. Skip the cover letter

There is plenty on Quora about if anyone even reads these but for candidates who do not have the strongest written English it is difficult to write a custom one for each application. Best to leave it out and get them to focus on your resume.

5. If you have a work visa put that at the top of your resume

If you already have a H1B or other work rights make that as obvious as you can. If you do not have any work rights in the USA and have to get a H1B these are very hard to get so only a tiny portion of companies will want to go through that process.

6. Apply direct to the hiring manager

If you know who the hiring manager is, or have a good idea who it might be, find their email and make a direct pitch. If they like what they see then they will forward it down to the recruiter to do the first interview.

7. Spend as much time as you can speaking English

I always cry when I get an amazing candidate who has done extremely impressive stuff but their written and spoken English is clunky. Most clients I recruited for would be OK with average English but below average almost never makes it. On the other hand I am constantly surprised by how well some Indian candidates speak English. They would be easier to understand than many Australian's like me who have a rather broad accent (think Steve Irwin). If you don't speak English at home I recommend switching over to it so you can keep working on your accent and comprehension.

8. Get on a plane

Fly to the USA and make yourself available for 4 weeks of interviews. This way companies wont feel like they are taking too much of a gamble on you if you are able to turn up with 24 hours notice for interview vs having to fly you in.

9. Come to Australia

Australia has a much more open immigration policy. Our employer sponsored 457 visa and permanent resident visas are very easy to get if you have the right qualifications. If you are a software developer it is not a problem at all getting sponsorship. Spend 5 years here and you can get your citizenship then if you want to go to the USA you can use the E3 visa which is similar to the TN visa Canadians use.

Final Thought:

I am a huge believer in increasing diversity in the workplace. It is the easiest hack you can make to massively increase your candidate pool. As a candidate, if you jump through lots of hoops and the company still rejects you because of your ethnicity then why would you want to work there anyway? There are plenty of amazing companies out there who celebrate diversity and actively seek it out. These proactive companies are the ones that have a strong future and are where you can really thrive.

by Adam Seabrook https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-Indian-software-engineers-are-considered-very-bad-hires-in-the-USA/answer/Adam-Seabrook?srid=ndBp&share=8c5dbb26

What are some things free in your country but you have to buy when visiting other countri… by Vignesh Chandrasekaran

In New Zealand, any accident related injuries are covered by the government (the department is called ACC). We pay a small levy for this (1.45%).

Accidents could range anything from 'someone punching in your face' to serious road accidents. The interesting fact is that it is a no-fault  scheme. Even if you are at fault, you will still be covered by this. This is my first hand experience with ACC.

4 years ago, I had a nasty fracture in my ankle. I was hospitalised for 15 days, and had 2 surgeries. This was free of charge. Follow up surgeries were free too.When I was discharged home, I was assigned with a care taker - who came to my apartment once everyday for an hour or two. She would help me take a shower, clean my apartment, help me with my food, shopping, etc. This was free of charge.I was provided with free equipment like crutches, shower stool, leg rest, etc. I also got equipment to assist me at work. An occupational therapist was sent to my work to talk to my manager and assist me in getting back to normalcy at work.Since I had my cast on for a while, I got free taxis to get to work and back home for about 5 months.I also had a heavily subsidised physiotherapy for a long time.And for the days I was off work (which was a lot), ACC paid 80% of my salary and my employer paid the rest.

I found that ACC also covers the tourists visiting NZ. How great is that?! So if you're scared of bungy jumping when you visit NZ, don't worry. We've got you covered ;)

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-things-free-in-your-country-but-you-have-to-buy-when-visiting-other-countries/answer/Vignesh-Chandrasekaran-3?srid=ndBp&share=1101630d

Hans Rosling: Asia's rise -- how and when

Saw this on YouTube, just wanted to share

DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF A TALL BUILDING WITH THE AID OF A BAROMETER

Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score.
The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected. I read the examination question: "SHOW HOW IT IS POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF A TALL BUILDING WITH THE AID OF A BAROMETER."
The student had answered, "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."
The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and to certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this.
I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics.
At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on.
In the next minute, he dashed off his answer which read: "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula x=0.5*a*t^^2, calculate the height of the building."
At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit.
While leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were.
"Well," said the student, "there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building."
"Fine," I said, "and others?"
"Yes," said the student, "there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units."
"A very direct method."
"Of course. If you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated.
"On this same tact, you could take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of the precession.
"Finally," he concluded, "there are many other ways of solving the problem. Probably the best," he said, "is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: 'Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer."
At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

What are some of the simplest yet amazing innovations?

Read Deoyani Pareek's answer to What are some of the simplest yet amazing innovations? on Quora

Which TV series are must-see (in English)?

Read Shriram Ramesh's answer to Which TV series are must-see (in English)? on Quora

How can one earn Rs. 5,00,000 in six months?

Read Riya's answer to How can one earn Rs. 5,00,000 in six months? on Quora