IIT Kanpur alumnus, 61, with 20 years' tech experience struggles to find a job in the US
Gautam Dev, who lost his software engineering job in Dallas in September 2024, has exhausted his savings and now relies on gig work as credit card debt grows.
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A degree from a reputed institute and more than two decades of experience are generally seen as the marks of a strong career. But the story of Gautam Dev, who lives in the United States, shows how quickly things can turn around in a changing job market despite a degree and experience. Gautam is 61, studied at IIT Kanpur and has more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector. Today he is looking for a permanent job.
His troubles began in September 2024. He was then working as a software engineer in Dallas. The company told him that if he wanted to keep his job, he would have to move to another state. Instead of relocating, Gautam decided to stay in Dallas and look for a new job. He hoped that his past experience and technical background would get him a new opening within a few months. But that hope gradually turned into long-term unemployment.
Gautam began searching for jobs through his professional network. Despite reaching out in many places, nothing worked out. In some places hiring was not under way at all, and many employees were themselves feeling insecure about their jobs. He did get interviews, and with one company there were several rounds of discussions, but in the end no job offer came.
According to Gautam, his age and long time out of work have now become a big challenge for him. The technology industry is also changing fast. Seeing the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) roles rise, he felt that his experience was not enough for every new role. Even after looking at many AI engineering openings, he does not consider himself a complete fit for those positions.
When repeated applications still did not bring a permanent job, Gautam looked for other ways to meet his expenses. For some time he tried to earn through day trading. He made gains at first, but the income did not last long. He then began gig work on platforms such as Uber, DoorDash and Walmart Spark. But the income from deliveries falls short of his expenses. In addition, because of his health he cannot take up every kind of delivery assignment.
The effect of being unemployed for so long is now clearly visible in his finances. His savings are gone and his credit card debt has grown as he pays for day-to-day expenses. Rent in Dallas has also become a major worry for him. He wants to find cheaper housing, but fears that without a regular job and income it may be hard to get a new home.
