A 61-year-old Indian-origin techie is considering moving back to India after nearly two years of struggling to find a full-time job in the US, leaving him unable to pay rent and other bills.
In an as-told-to essay published by Business Insider , Gautam Dev, an IIT Kanpur alumnus, shared how his decision to quit his software engineering job in Dallas in September 2024 turned into a prolonged struggle to find employment. “In 2024, while working as a software engineer for an IT company in Dallas , I was told I’d have to relocate to another state to keep my job. That decision became a disaster,” the 61-year-old techie told Business Insider .
Despite having more than two decades of experience in the IT industry, Dev has been unable to secure another full-time role. That September, I decided to quit my job, stay in Dallas, and look for a new role. However, his latest job search has been different, with several applications going unanswered and interviews failing to result in offers. But none resulted in a job offer.
Dev said he had previously experienced gaps of a few months between jobs but had always managed to find another position. “I didn’t realise how difficult finding another job would be,” he said, adding that he never expected to remain unemployed nearly two years later. (Also Read: Who is Rohit Prasad? The Indian-origin former Amazon AI executive now leading humanoid robot maker Boston Dynamics ) Still, Dev said that he managed to secure interviews, including multiple rounds with the same company.
The 61-year-old shared that he tried day trading to generate an income, which initially went well before his fortunes changed. Dev shared that in January, he started a GoFundMe fundraiser that raised more than $9,000. But some people have been really nice and generous,” he said. (Also Read: Indian-origin entrepreneur collapsed from stress at 27, then built $825 million startup ) For now, Dev plans to continue doing gig work while looking for ways to manage his expenses. He said that he will become eligible to start receiving Social Security when he turns 62 in January.
Because he cannot carry heavy items, ruling out certain types of gig work, the techie also said that his options are limited. “I thought my significant experience in the IT industry would help me find a job. However, I think being in my 60s could be working against me. Dev also pointed to the changing IT industry and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) as challenges. Dev also began gig work through platforms like Uber, DoorDash, and Walmart Spark. However, he has not been able to earn as much as he had hoped. “Even with gig work, it’s become difficult to keep paying the bills. However, he is concerned that finding another apartment could be difficult without proof of employment and a steady income. Moving would also take time away from delivery work, further affecting his ability to earn money. “It was hard to ask people for money, and not everyone has been supportive. He is also approaching another potential source of income: Social Security benefits. “Once that begins, I’m hoping it, combined with whatever I can earn through gig work, will make my situation a little easier.
And after being out of work for so long, I also think the employment gap is making things even more difficult,” he said. He said that he came across openings for AI engineering roles, but he does not have enough experience in the field to be confident about applying for them. “Between my age, the long gap, and the state of the IT industry, my expectations for finding another job have fallen,” he said. (Also Read: Trump honours Satya Nadella the same day US suspends Microsoft’s green card sponsorship. Indian-origin CEO reacts ) After repeatedly applying for jobs without receiving responses, Dev said that he eventually stopped actively searching for full-time employment. “I need to spend that time earning money instead,” he said. He said that he was able to generate some income. Dev said that the extended job search has taken a significant toll on his finances. I’ve had to drain my savings and take on a lot of credit card debt,” he said. Dev said that his rent in Dallas has become difficult to afford and that he would like to move somewhere cheaper. He said the money went towards paying his bills. Until then, it’ll be tough,” he said. The techie said that he has also seriously considered returning to India, where he lived before moving to the US more than two decades ago and eventually becoming a US citizen. However, Dev said that he is not in a hurry to leave and that relocating would take time to arrange. “I never imagined I’d end up in this situation, but here I am,” he said.
