In a post that's drawing attention on Reddit, a user going by the name @Regrets_only_ shared a frustrating and disheartening experience of being laid off just 23 days into an internship in Gurgaon. The anonymous intern left home, spent Rs 30,000 from personal savings to move, and worked long hours, 10 to 12 hours daily, including some weekends, only to be abruptly dismissed due to a client backing out.
According to the post, the founder had promised close mentorship and eventual full-time employment with a minimum salary of Rs 40,000 after three months. However, after less than a month of intense work, the intern was told that one of the startup's high-paying clients had withdrawn, leading to an unexpected layoff.
I left home, spent 30k from my savings and got laid off within a month
byu/Regrets_only_ inIndianWorkplace
"I was shocked... I regret believing the founder," the intern wrote, describing the situation as "a disaster." Now unemployed and disillusioned in a challenging job market, especially in Gurgaon's competitive startup scene, the intern's story is sparking conversations about exploitation in early-stage startups and the lack of job security for interns and entry-level workers.
"Something similar also happened with me. Please don't let negative thoughts get into your head and start applying mindlessly on LinkedIn, though 90% of job listings are fake there, but you can very well get 2-3 calls a month if you keep applying daily," commented a user.
"It happens. If you go back in time and think about it, you would still have accepted this offer. At that point in time this was the best decision you could take given the information. Talk to the founder and see if he has founder friends that are looking for someone like you. Don't get disheartened. In this economy, you will have to fight harder, but you will find something eventually," wrote another user.
