- Ruchika Jain joined a US startup as Social Media Growth Manager in December
- She completed probation but never received a formal full-time offer letter
- Jain was laid off after 2.5 months without prior notice due to budget cuts
For many Indians moving to the US, landing that first job is a major milestone. Ruchika Jain felt the same when she joined a startup as a Social Media Growth Manager. But just six months later, she claims she was laid off before ever receiving the formal offer letter confirming her full-time role. Jain shared her experience in an Instagram video, saying she joined the startup in December and spent the first three months on probation. After completing the probation period, she repeatedly followed up with the company for her full-time offer letter but never received it.
According to Jain, she was verbally informed that she had successfully transitioned into a permanent role and was told the updated offer letter would arrive soon. Instead, after waiting nearly two-and-a-half months, she received a Zoom call informing her that her position was being eliminated because of budget constraints.
She also claimed she was given no prior notice before the layoff. The news apparently came during a call with her manager, after which she immediately lost access to her work accounts.
Jain said she poured herself into the role from the very beginning. She also revealed that she missed the chance to see her grandfather one last time after he died because she felt responsible for her job. According to Jain, she regularly worked beyond office hours, spent her personal time creating content, and continued working despite developing severe back pain.
"For 6 months, I gave everything I had and I got paid for everything. I worked 9–5, and many days stretched to 7 PM or 9 PM Even after work, I continued creating content, and hustling because I believed hard work would eventually pay off. During those six months, I also started struggling with severe back pain. But I kept showing up. I never let it become an excuse. Looking back, she said she gave the job everything she could, making the sudden layoff even more difficult to process," she wrote.
Watch the video here:
Despite the experience, Jain said she remains grateful for the opportunity and the lessons it taught her.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity I received. For 5.5 months, I gave my best, learned a lot, and was paid fairly for my work. I felt confident when I got this opportunity, and I'm proud of the commitment and effort I brought during my time there. So, here I am starting again. Sometimes life doesn't reward you the way you expect but that doesn't mean you stop showing up," she ended the video on a positive note.
