Hello Hariharan,
I don't have much experience with exchange students, but I know my father, a university professor, has worked with several in the past. It sounds like the biggest hurdle is the sponsorship process these companies need to go through to get you the proper credentials to stay and work. There is a ton of demand for civil engineers right now, it might come down to your willingness to travel to another state to follow opportunities in areas with fewer civil engineers available for work. Expanding your skillset to specific programs like AutoCAD Civil 3D or certain modeling programs like GIS, HEC-RAS, Hydrocad, etc. might also make you a more attractive candidate for these companies. Finally, maybe it's just my experience working on the regulatory side of things, but it seems like State offices struggle to fill engineering roles because they can't always offer the same benefits package as a private company. Working for the state might offer less compensation, but retirement benefits and healthcare are often equivalent or better than private firms. Plus, working at the state level gives you good insight to the rules and regulations that may make you an attractive candidate in the future when you have a little more experience.
Those are just my thoughts. I wish you all the best!
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Cody Obropta P.E., M.ASCE
Environmental Engineer
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Bangor ME
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