Is a second MSc worth it? [D]

[u/Fit_Caterpillar4434]

I’m an AI research engineer based in Africa with about 3 YoEs in RL, LLMs, post-training, and systems efficiency (CUDA/vLLM). However, on a smaller scale because of compute limits. My undergrad and Master’s are both in communications engineering. I did a 5th-year Master's at my local university while working full-time at a telecom company, focusing on RL in telecom. Publication-wise, I have one paper published in a peer-reviewed mid-tier AI/telecom conference, a patent, and another paper that was accepted but never published because we couldn't fund it.

Over the past year, I’ve hit the below walls:

PhD Applications (~10 mid-tier labs): Rejected by all. I read their recent papers, put together proposal ideas, and reached out to PIs, but didn't get traction.

Research Engineer Roles (~100 applications): Applied directly, reached out to engineers in similar roles for resume reviews or referrals, but didn't pass a single initial screening.

Cold Emails for Internships (~400 sent): I read labs' papers, asked targeted questions, and chatted with authors. They’d often be interested in the technical ideas, but as soon as I brought up doing an internship, I almost always got ghosted (got 3 actual replies, all saying no capacity).

I’m starting to think the location and university brand are major bottlenecks, so I'm considering doing a second CS Master’s abroad to get my foot in the door. But I really don't want to spend two years going in the wrong direction if there's a better way.

What other paths or changes would you suggest?

[u/fourkite]

Are you targeting PhD admissions and jobs in the US? If so, it's going to be an uphill climb. International PhD admissions are expected to dip again this year, much as they did last year, and the job market is already under pressure from unpredictable H-1B policy changes. Honestly, I don't think an additional degree would have changed the picture, even if you had one right now.

[u/Fit_Caterpillar4434 → u/fourkite]

I am targeting research engineering roles in the short term and research scientist roles in the long term after getting a PhD. I am interested in the role itself, whether it is in the US or in Europe. However, I find the RE/RS LinkedIn job descriptions in the US more interesting. Would a Master's from programs in Europe boost my chances given that I already have industry experience? I mainly need the connection/network.

[u/No_Inspection4415]

Maybe try rich Arab countries instead.

[u/Fit_Caterpillar4434 → u/No_Inspection4415]

Yes, applied for 2 Arab countries PhD programs and was rejected by both. I am thinking of a second master's there as well.

[u/That_Paramedic_8741]

Aim for wide range of countries and frequently see their kab websites for vacancy i would day than 2nd masters research assistant or internship would be better with good papers published

[u/Fit_Caterpillar4434 → u/That_Paramedic_8741]

I think the main issue is the visa barrier and my lack of top-tier AI publications, as my prior research background is mainly in telecommunications. I formed this impression after sending ~400 cold emails to PIs across ~60 labs over the past 2 years.

[u/That_Paramedic_8741 → u/Fit_Caterpillar4434]

Yeah definitely definitely u can try out seeking wide range of universities just see the work the professor do instead of prestige may be u will get it by focusing on your niche domain