IITian, 61, Two Years Jobless in US Tech

A 61-year-old IIT Kanpur alumnus in Dallas resigned in September 2024 rather than relocate, and has not landed a full-time software role since. He applied through LinkedIn, worked his network, and interviewed repeatedly — no offer. He attributes the freeze to age bias, a widening employment gap, and AI absorbing work he once did manually. He has burned through savings, run up credit card debt, raised over $9,000 on GoFundMe, and now drives for Uber, DoorDash and Walmart Spark. He is weighing a return to India once Social Security kicks in at 62 in January 2027. Key signal: A 61-year-old IIT Kanpur software engineer has gone nearly two years without a full-time offer despite applying and interviewing, and is now surviving on Uber, DoorDash and Walmart Spark gig work. For hiring leaders, this matters because this is the sharpest available illustration of a structural shift Indian hiring leaders are already pricing in: the mid-career generalist engineer is the most exposed profile in the market. The same dynamic is visible in India — GCCs and product firms are hiring AI-native engineers at a premium while freezing or quietly deprioritising senior generalist roles. Two implications. First, the 'experience premium' is decaying faster than most compensation bands assume. Second, India is now the default landing zone for returning senior talent, which will add supply at the top of the market just as companies tighten senior headcount. Plan reskilling and returner pipelines now, not in FY28. Teksands view: The signal here is not one man's misfortune. It is that the mid-career generalist engineer is now the most exposed profile in tech, in the US and increasingly in India. GCCs and product firms are paying premiums for AI-native skills while senior generalist roles quietly stall. If your workforce plan still treats years of experience as a proxy for value, you are carrying a depreciating asset. Audit your senior bench for skill currency this quarter, not next appraisal cycle.