The big question is when to use ORMs/raw SQL.
SQL is the most concise and perfect fit for RDBMS.
However, at the application level there are benefits of using ORM.
- The application itself is usually imperative style as against the declarative nature of SQL.
- Chaining is sometimes more readable and concise. One can chain dynamic filters.
- Abstract the underlying data model with higher level names. SQL eq. of table views.
- Hides the underlying relational model. Which can sometimes be helpful in a large code base. And sometimes a curse.
I normally opt for ORM in Rails/Django web apps. But SQL in
- Performance critical - Report generation, where it might be complex and declarative nature of SQL shines.
Unlike in the past since the advent of the internet, resources available to a random student is almost as good as that available to someone from a tier1 college.
There are plenty of small companies/startups where one could have a much better long term career. Outside the glamours jobs, plenty of niche area like manufacturing/defence/... software has much more real world impact and long term value than social media/marketing/finance.
ISRO's wonderful engineering team is built almost entirely of graduates from tier3 colleges.