Once hired, your employer will give you a commercial license. The interface, menus, and shortcuts are identical. The learning curve drops to zero. Companies like Arup, AECOM, and Jacobs specifically require new graduates to have hands-on ETABS experience.
There is no dedicated free "student version" of ETABS available for individual download from Computers and Structures, Inc. (CSI). Instead, students can access the software through provided by their universities or by using the official 30-day Trial . Ways to Access ETABS as a Student csi etabs student version
Legally, you cannot remove the watermark. However, you can use the "Display" menu to take screenshots of wireframe models (where the watermark is less obtrusive). Or, export numerical data (tables) to Excel for presentation without watermarks. Once hired, your employer will give you a commercial license