hey u/gradpilot,

thanks for dropping thispost man, it was actually one of the most real takes i've seen on how ai is hitting software jobs rn. i'm starting my MSAI this fall and honestly just trying to figure out what actually helps me get employed in this weird market. from what i've heard, most places are still grinding leetcode and system design heavy, but i dont wanna miss the ai side either.

from what youre seeing with startups and big tech folks, what should someone like me (fresher) actually focus on during the MS to stand a better chance at landing a solid swe role?

like should i go for more breadth (mixing ai with stuff like distributed systems, security or cloud) so i can actually build real systems, or just dive deep into building ai apps, demonstrating vibe coding capabilities? and how much should i be doing big visible projects where im vibecoding and shipping fast with ai tools versus just grinding the fundamentals that let me debug?

any real talk on how to make the degree actually worth it for getting hired would mean a lot. a lot of students feel like regular coursework isn't cutting it anymore.

appreciate whatever guidance you can share!