An international student on an F-1 visa majoring in IT with a late shift toward software development is struggling to land internships in the US due to visa filters, citizenship requirements, and a saturated job market. They graduated in Dec 2026, are pivoting to cloud-focused roles, pursuing an AWS certification, and plan to target startups and continue networking for better opportunities.
The article reflects on a scene that the author has been thinking about increasingly often, offering a commentary on exclusion and cultural divides in contemporary society.
The author started a blog a year ago with modest expectations, primarily to organize thoughts on management and engineering. Despite anticipating only a few colleagues might read it, the blog attracted over 230,000 unique visitors.
The author is writing a book called "Refactoring English: Effective Writing for Software Developers" and publishing it incrementally. After completing about 50% of the book, they are seeking reader feedback to ensure the remaining chapters address what readers actually want to learn.
The author, a developer with 20 years of experience, emphasizes the importance of clear writing in software development. They prioritize updating onboarding documentation and encourage teammates to document their learnings, despite questions from other developers about focusing on this "soft skill."
The article responds to a comment about ketchup, discussing various aspects of condiment preferences and usage patterns without taking a definitive stance on the original comment's claims.