Techie Left Scrambling As Startup Wipes Online Presence After Shutting Down: 'What Should I do?'

A techie searching for a new job has sought the internet's help after finding themselves in a bizarre situation where prospective employers were rejecting their application. The machine learning (ML) engineer said they were facing rejections from major firms like Swiggy because the companies were unable to verify their work history during background checks. The techie's previous startup abruptly shut down and wiped its entire digital footprint, leaving them with no official proof of employment.

The startup started struggling financially a year ago, and a high-powered executive was brought in to steady the ship. However, he could not do much as employees started jumping ship, eventually leading to the startup's closure.

"Last month, I was informed that the company was shutting down. I took a short break, but when I came back and started applying again, I noticed something concerning: The company's LinkedIn page (which earlier had 15k+ followers) is gone. The official website is no longer working. There is basically no online presence left," the user wrote in a Reddit post.

The techie explained that since it was a small startup, there was no provident fund (PF) deduction, and the only official records they had were the payslips, an exit email and NOC on the company letterhead.

"The CEO has assured me he will support any background verification. However, I've already faced rejection from companies (including Swiggy) after explaining this situation. Another company also backed out after hearing this. I'm worried this might keep happening."

Check The Post Here:

Startup shut down, no online trace left — now facing background check issues. What should I do
by u/doughlas01 in developersIndia

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Social Media Reactions

As the post gained traction, social media users advised the techie not to over-explain the situation, especially when they had salary slips and the founder was ready to step in.

"You have payslips, exit mail and NOC, which are more than enough. This is not an uncommon scenario. Don't overthink it." said one user while another added: "It's a common startup hurdle, but you can clear red flags by leading with hard evidence instead of explanations."

A third commented: "I think you are over-explaining this at the interview stage. Only raise this difficulty when they do the background verification post-contract. If you overexplain, all these people would see a red flag."

A fourth said: "If the CEO is co-operative it won't be a problem. The company must have been registered. Even if it is closed now, its information will remain in the MCA database."