u/Master-Opposite-514

Now i know that this question might have been asked a million times but I genuinely wanna know the best way to go about doing dsa , like which resources to use and whatnot , im at the end of my second year and i havent even started it , my main focus is on cyber....
im torn between a2z and neetcode 150.its just i dont want dsa to take up my time if i do a2z and im afraid if 150 is enough or no ?...please suggest, my main reason to do dsa is for placements solely

Now i know that this question might have been asked a million times but I genuinely wanna know the best way to go about doing dsa , like which resources to use and whatnot , im at the end of my second year and i havent even started it , my main focus is on cyber....
im torn between a2z and neetcode 150.its just i dont want dsa to take up my time if i do a2z and im afraid if 150 is enough or no ?...please suggest, my main reason to do dsa is for placements solely

2nd year B.Tech CSE (cybersecurity specialisation), tier 2 college, 8.9 CGPA. Have a 1 month internship this summer.
Currently doing PortSwigger SQL injection labs and TryHackMe Pre-Security. Pretty basic knowledge so far.Starting DSA this summer. No projects yet.
Questions:
• Is Security+ worth it or is there a better cert at this stage or should i not do one at all?
• Does it actually help with placements or is it just noise?
• Any other resources I should be using rn?Like if anyone has any good suggestions of what to avoid and all that.
• Also heard cybersec isn’t entry level friendly like what actually gets you a job in this field fresh out of college?

2nd year B.Tech CSE (cybersecurity specialisation), tier 2 college, 8.9 CGPA. Have a 1 month internship this summer.
Currently doing PortSwigger SQL injection labs and TryHackMe Pre-Security. Pretty basic knowledge so far.Starting DSA this summer. No projects yet.
Questions:
• Is Security+ worth it or is there a better cert at this stage or should i not do one at all?
• Does it actually help with placements or is it just noise?
• Any other resources I should be using rn?
• Also heard cybersec isn’t entry level friendly like what actually gets you a job in this field fresh out of college?

my_qualifications: Second year B.Tech CSE (CyberSec specialisation), VIT India, graduating 2028. CGPA 8.9/10. Currently doing PortSwigger Web Academy, planning CompTIA Sec+. Targeting Sep 2028 intake.
Target unis: Imperial, Edinburgh, UCL, TCD, Manchester, Bristol.
My concerns:
• Is the job market actually viable for international CyberSec grads post MS or is it a trap?
• Does CyberSec specialisation help or do employers still treat you as a fresher?
• Is the Graduate visa window enough to land sponsored work?
• Does getting Indian CyberSec experience before MS make a real difference?
• Is permanent settlement in UK or Ireland actually achievable starting from MS?

Goal is to settle permanently. Looking for honest experiences from people who actually made it work.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​