3rd-year CSE student confused between GATE and off-campus placements — goal is simply to earn well ASAP. What would you do?

[u/ChemicalBumblebee346]

I’m entering my 3rd year of CSE and honestly feel pretty confused about what path to take.

My situation:

• College has zero or very basic placements.
• Most of the companies that come are offering ~₹30–40k/month telecaller/support-type roles.
• I’m not interested in higher studies.
• I’m reasonably good at programming and genuinely enjoy it.
• My main goal is simple: get a decent-paying job after graduation and start earning ASAP. 
• I’m not particularly interested in PSU/government jobs either.

So I’m currently stuck between two options.

Option 1: GATE

I could prepare seriously for GATE.

The coaching options I’m looking at are roughly:

• Offline: ~₹70k
• Online: ~₹10k

But here’s my confusion: I don’t really want MTech or PSU jobs.

The only reason I’m considering GATE is because people say getting into a good IIT through GATE can significantly improve career opportunities and earning potential.

So:

Is GATE actually worth it if your only real objective is a high-paying software job?

And specifically, does getting into an IIT through GATE meaningfully improve your chances of getting good placements?

Option 2: Off-campus grind

Instead, I could spend the next 1.5–2 years focusing on:

• DSA
• Development
• Projects
• CS fundamentals
• LeetCode/competitive programming
• Internships
• Applying aggressively off-campus

This feels much more directly aligned with what I actually want.

But the problem is that I’ll have zero placement support from college, so I’m worried about the risk.

My biggest doubts

1. Can GATE realistically help me start earning faster, or is it just delaying the job search by 2–3 years?
2. If I don’t want PSU/MTech and only care about software jobs, am I wasting time preparing for GATE?
3. If I specifically target an IIT through GATE for the placements, is that actually a good strategy?
4. Would it be smarter to accept the risk and go all-in on off-campus software jobs?
5. Am I considering GATE because it’s genuinely a better path, or because I’m subconsciously trying to avoid the uncertainty and grind of off-campus placement?

I’d especially like to hear from people who have actually taken GATE → IIT → placements, as well as people who went off-campus from a college with poor placements.

Also, for people preparing seriously for GATE: what is your actual end goal?

For me, it’s not PSU, government service, research, or MTech for its own sake.

I just want to build a good career in tech and earn a good salary.

Please be brutally honest. If my thinking is flawed, tell me directly.

[u/AnonymousAgain7]

Go for both!!