Jobless For 2 Years In US, 61-Year-Old IIT Kanpur Alum Considers Returning To India

A 61-year-old Indian-origin software engineer in the US is considering moving back to India after struggling to find a full-time job for nearly two years. The prolonged job search has drained his savings, left him struggling to pay rent and bills, and forced him to take on credit card debt. Gautam Dev, who lives in Dallas, Texas, resigned from his software engineering job in September 2024 after being asked to relocate to another state to keep his position. He decided to stay in Dallas and look for another job, but the search has turned out to be far more difficult than he expected.

Speaking to Business Insider, the IIT Kanpur alumnus said he had spent over two decades in the IT industry and had faced brief gaps between jobs before but had always found a new role within a few months. This time, things have been different.

After leaving his job, Dev began applying for positions, mainly through LinkedIn. He also tried networking with people in the industry, but many told him their companies were not hiring. Some said they were reluctant to leave their jobs because of the uncertainty surrounding the job market.

Despite securing several interviews, including multiple rounds with the same company, Dev has not received a job offer. "Most of the people I talked to said their companies weren't hiring. Some told me their jobs had gotten tougher, but that they were afraid to quit because they might not find another one. Still, I've managed to land some interviews over the course of my search, including multiple with the same company. I thought some went well, but I never received an offer," he said. 

He believes his experience should have helped him find another role, but he suspects his age may be working against him. He also feels that the long gap in his employment history has made it harder to secure interviews and land a job. 

The changing IT industry has also added to his concerns. "It seems like AI can do some of the things software engineers used to do manually. I've seen job postings for AI engineering positions, but I don't have much of an AI background, so I'm not sure they're a good fit," he added. 

Turns To Gig Work To Make Ends Meet

For months, Dev continued sending out job applications, but most went unanswered. Eventually, he decided that spending so much time applying for jobs was no longer worthwhile and began focusing on ways to earn money. He briefly tried day trading to generate an income, but the initial gains did not last. Earlier this year, he started working through gig platforms such as Uber, DoorDash, and Walmart Spark.

Although the earnings have been lower than he had hoped, he said the work has at least provided some income. However, his options are limited because he cannot carry heavy items, ruling out certain delivery and other gig work opportunities.

Savings Exhausted As Bills Pile Up 

Despite earning money through gig work, Dev has struggled to keep up with his expenses.

"My rent in Dallas is high, and I'd like to move somewhere cheaper. Right now, though, I feel stuck.I worry that if I tried to rent another apartment, a landlord would ask for proof of employment and income. Without a full-time job, I don't know whether I'd qualify. Even if I could move, the process would take time away from doing deliveries and earning money," he said. 

In January, Dev started a GoFundMe fundraiser that raised more than $9,000. He said the entire amount went towards paying his bills. While asking for financial help was difficult, he said some people had responded with kindness and generosity, although others had been less supportive.

For now, he plans to continue working through gig platforms. He will become eligible to receive Social Security benefits when he turns 62 in January 2027 and hopes the payments, combined with his gig work earnings, will help ease his financial difficulties.

Considering A Return To India

Dev 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, he is not planning to make the move immediately. Returning to India would require time and planning, and he intends to continue working in the US for now. 

" But I'm not in a rush to do so, and it would take some time to make the move happen.I never imagined I'd end up in this situation, but here I am," he remarked.