Indian-Origin Techie: “That decision was a disaster…”: 61-year-old Indian techie in Dallas struggles with rent and debt after struggling to find work for two years; thinking of returning to India

IITs, or Indian Institutes of Technology, are the most prestigious institutes in India, and getting selected in one of these is a dream not only for students but also for their parents,If someone is a graduate, then they consider a long career in technology as a safe bet; people study hard, work for years, build experience, and then come across an experience that they may think about after all these years.One such story is about a 61-year-old software engineer and IIT Kanpur alum in Dallas, who moved to the United States more than two decades ago and quit his job in 2024 after being asked to relocate.He expected to find something new within a few months, just like he had before. Almost two years later, she’s still looking, doing gig work to pay the bills, and wondering if home might be a better option.We don’t know what exactly brought him here

How a 61-year-old IIT alum lost his job

According to an essay published by Business Insider, Gautam Dev, an MSc in Physics from IIT Kanpur, was working as a software engineer in Dallas in 2024 when he was told he would have to move to another state to keep his job.He wrote, “In 2024, when I was working as a software engineer at an IT company in Dallas, I was told I had to move to another state to keep my job. That September, I decided to quit my job, stay in Dallas, and look for a new role. That decision was a disaster.”

How a wrong decision led to an unexpected path

Dev says previous gaps between jobs lasted only a few months. In this case, the requests were not answered. He searched a lot on LinkedIn and contacts, but many said that their companies were not hiring, others told him that they were afraid to leave difficult jobs because they might not find another one. He got interviews, including several rounds at the same company, but no offers.“I thought my valuable experience in the IT industry would help me find a job. However, I think being 60 years old might work against me. And after being unemployed for a long time, I think the employment gap makes things even more difficult”, he explained.

He’s working on gigs now

After several unanswered requests, Dev gave up searching full-time, saying he needed to spend that time earning. Earlier this year he started gig work using Uber, DoorDash, and Walmart Spark, although he can’t carry heavy items, which eliminates other options. Day trading went well at first before his luck changed. He says he has spent all his money and has taken up a lot of credit cards. A GoFundMe she started in January has reportedly raised more than $9,000. Rent in Dallas is high, but moving to a cheaper place is difficult without proof of a solid income.

He is looking forward to returning home

Dev turns 62 in January, when he becomes eligible for Social Security. The Social Security Administration says early benefits are less than the full amount, and for people born in 1960 or later, who turn 62 means a 30% reduction.Dev is hoping that it, along with the income from the gig, will smooth things over. He also considered returning to India, where he lived before moving to the US and becoming a citizen, but he says he is in no rush, as the migration will take time, he says, “I never thought I would end up in this situation, but here I am.”