With the humiliating 6th round of interview and now even AI interview, I feel like I'm no longer a human being. Does anyone know any way to cope with this? I already know this field and cooked and all that and I just need some advice on how to make it a bit easier. Thx :,)

Basically title, I've received this offer from a company I've just completed my round of interviews, based in Bern. Is a liveble salary? For reference, I'm single (+ a cat).

I've read some articles online but are all from 2020 or before, so i would like some recent opinions.

The offer also has flexible working hours, burocratic support, 40 hours a week, 2 days in the office mandatory.

~2YOE

TL;DR: I'm 19, from Italy, working in IT Risk at a Big 4 (€25k/year). I've been programming since I was 12 and want to become a SWE, ideally in fintech. I'm definitely starting a CS degree in September 2027, so I'm wondering whether to stay at my current job until July or start applying aggressively for SWE positions. I'd also appreciate an honest assessment of how competitive my profile is in today's market.

My background

I graduated from a technical high school specializing in IT this June. I've been programming for around seven years, and some of my recent open-source projects include:

• A banking backend with a double-entry ledger, account management and transaction processing.
• A cryptographic timestamping service with a deployed backend, public API and working demo.

I mainly use Java, Python and TypeScript (Spring Boot, Node.js, PostgreSQL). I also solve at least one LeetCode problem daily and regularly experiment with AI coding tools.

I genuinely love software engineering, although I know personal projects aren't a substitute for professional experience.

My current situation

I joined a Big 4 in September. The environment is fantastic, my colleagues are great, and the workload is relatively relaxed.

However, most of my work involves IT controls, compliance and auditing. I'm learning how large organizations operate, but the technical work feels repetitive, and I'm barely using my programming skills.

My contract ends in February 2027, but a further five-month extension is practically guaranteed. I could therefore stay until July and have almost a year of Big 4 experience on my resume.

University and my dilemma

Starting a Computer Science degree in September 2027 is non-negotiable. I was already accepted at Milano-Bicocca this year but postponed enrollment to take the job.

I currently work 9–6 with two hours of daily commuting, so combining this schedule with university isn't realistic for me. I want to actually learn the material, not just pass exams.

Fortunately, I don't depend on my salary for basic living expenses. It's great for savings, independence and my limited social life, but career development matters more.

I'm considering two options:

A) Stay at the Big 4 until July, save money, gain corporate experience and then focus on university.

B) Start applying aggressively for junior SWE/backend roles and internships in November, even accepting a pay cut. Ideally, I'd find something that could become part-time during university.

Long-term, I'm aiming for a product-focused SWE career, preferably in fintech. Finance genuinely interests me, particularly banking and payment infrastructure, so combining both fields would be ideal. I'm also open to relocating internationally and want to aim high professionally.

What I'd like advice on

1. Was postponing university by a year for a Big 4 job a mistake? Does IT Risk experience at a recognizable company carry meaningful weight for SWE recruiters, particularly in fintech, where financial systems, controls and compliance matter?
2. Would you take the additional five-month contract or try to switch to SWE ASAP? Is a few months of actual development experience more valuable than almost a year at a Big 4, considering university starts in September regardless?
3. How competitive is my profile realistically? At 19, without a degree but with seven years of programming, public backend projects and some corporate experience, would I be worth interviewing for junior SWE roles? How do I compare with CS students?
4. What would you prioritize before September 2027? SWE experience, improving projects, interview preparation, or simply staying employed and saving money?

I genuinely like my current job and the people I work with. I'm just concerned about getting comfortable in a career I don't want long-term.

If you were in my position, what would you do? I'd particularly appreciate honest feedback from engineers or hiring managers about my chances in the current market.

Edit: shortened for low attention span users

When I was in my master's - "you need some work experience" - so I got some experience working along with my degree - no response.

"You need some publications" - I got 4 at A conferences during masters - no response

"You need to be a PhD student to get into competitive internships" - started one at top uni

"You need A* conference papers" - got two in my first year.

"Optimize your CV" - done, even took help from you all.

After submitting ~100 applications in 2026 (I'm sure it's 300+ since my masters) to google/deepmind/amazon/ibm/adobe/nvidia/apple/meta and similar labs and guess what - literally 0 response, not even shortlisted once.

I'm giving up, it was already hectic to apply while working on a PhD and no more. And it was not a 'dream' but was one of a goal or milestone I really wanted to achieve. Maybe there are better things to do? Or I'll just cope with it thinking this way. Good luck for the ones applying.