- Gaurav Kawatra was abruptly fired from a high-paying corporate job in 2018 with a 3-day notice.
- He faced severe financial stress, and health issues while rebuilding his career through 108 cold calls
- The experience made him value practical skills over degrees and corporate titles for long-term career growth
Delhi-based entrepreneur Gaurav Kawatra has gone viral on LinkedIn after sharing how being abruptly fired from a high-paying corporate job in 2018 ultimately transformed his life and career. Kawatra, who said he was working as a director at a Chinese multinational company, posted a copy of his termination letter while reflecting on the financial and emotional struggles that followed his dismissal. At the time, he was 37 years old and managing a home loan of nearly Rs 2 crore.
The termination letter, dated September 12, 2018, informed him that his services were being ended with immediate effect over performance concerns. According to Kawatra, he was given only a three-day notice period and received no severance package.
"I was 37. Director at a Chinese MNC. ₹5 Lakh/month salary. ₹2 Crore home loan. 3 days notice. You're terminated," he wrote in his LinkedIn post. He now describes the dismissal from his Rs 5 lakh-per-month role as the "greatest blessing" of his life, saying it forced him to rethink his dependence on corporate titles and job security.
However, the months that followed were extremely difficult. Kawatra recalled facing severe financial pressure, anxiety, sleepless nights and panic attacks while trying to rebuild his career. He said he made 108 cold calls and faced repeated rejections before finding new opportunities.
He also spoke about the toll the experience took on his health. During that phase, he developed a habit of smoking 12 to 15 cigarettes a night and struggled with insomnia for years afterward. "108 cold calls. 108 rejections. 3 AM panic attacks. Neighbours watched me sit at home. My daughter asked a question I couldn't answer. I thought I was buried," he added.
Kawatra said the experience made him realise that he had spent more than a decade relying on a degree and corporate designation instead of building practical, long-term skills. Losing his job pushed him to learn sales, marketing and people management, skills he now considers more valuable than academic credentials alone.
Sharing lessons from his experience, he advised professionals facing layoffs not to allow shame or fear to damage their mental and physical health. "Talk to your wife. Talk to your mother. Cry as much as you can.But do not let shame destroy your health at any cost. Money can be recovered. Your body cannot," he said.
He also stressed the importance of continuous upskilling rather than depending entirely on corporate roles for identity and stability. "I built a 12-year career on a degree that stopped earning by year 8. I was a complete slave to a corporate logo. God took my chair away so I could finally build the skills that actually matter: how to sell, how to market, how to manage people. Degrees expire. Skills compound forever," he wrote further.
See the post here:
Since leaving the corporate world, Kawatra has rebuilt his career through entrepreneurship and consulting. According to his post, he has advised projects worth Rs 6,500 crore across 19 states.
"Termination was not my end. It was my forced rebirth. Because God gave me the space to build uncancellable skills, I can proudly say today: I can survive a thousand terminations in my life. I learned the hard way that a fancy logo is just an illusion of safety," he concluded the post.
His story has resonated widely online, with many users discussing the pressures of corporate life and the fragile nature of job security, even in high-paying roles. One user wrote, "EMI is a trap. It sells you comfort today and bills your freedom tomorrow. Performance is the cleanest excuse to remove you. Miss one quarter and you're “not a culture fit.” But termination makes you a terminator. Just a mission: Come back stronger, smarter, and self-owned. They terminated the employee. They created the entrepreneur."
Another said, "Steady income stopping abruptly can cause panic attacks even without commitments." Mine was by choice, and my investments (premiums to be paid into insurance policies that would otherwise lapse) still bother me; :) our lives revolve around consumption beyond savings and mis-sold investments, all to keep us tied to 9-5 jobs. Breaking free needs a mindset of its own, strong support mechanisms, and willpower. Definitely rewarding in the long run."
"Yes, real strength lies in believing in yourself and effort in getting mentally and physically ready to dust your skills and sell them in the market. Each NO hit hard, you question yourself. One needs to learn from rejection and reengineer oneself. Family support is what keeps you sane and going. Yes the cushion of financial security for 12‑month to cover a transition period or an unexpected mishap," added a third.
