A 61-year-old software engineer in Dallas is struggling to make ends meet after spending nearly two years searching for full-time work. Gautam Dev, who is an alumni of IIT Kanpur, revealed that he has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry. However, unable to find a job, he has drained his savings and turned to gig work and crowdfunding to pay his bills. Dev quit his previous job in September 2024.
“In 2024, while working as a software engineer for an IT company in Dallas, I was told I'd have to relocate 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 became a disaster,” he revealed.
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He chose to remain in Dallas, expecting to find another role. However, the job hunt proved far more difficult than he had expected. According to Dev's LinkedIn profile, he has done M.Sc in Physics from IIT Kanpur between 1986 and 1988.
Despite applying for numerous positions, networking and attending multiple interviews, he has yet to secure a full-time job. According to his LinkedIn, it appears that his last job was at Tata Consultancy Services in Dallas, where he worked for over six years.
Speaking to Business Insider, Dev said that he believes his age, prolonged employment gap and changes in the technology industry may be working against him.
“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. Between my age, the long gap, and the state of the IT industry, my expectations for finding another job have fallen,” he said.
After months of unsuccessful applications, Dev has now turned to gig work such as Uber and Doordash, but the earnings are not enough for his expenses.
In January, he launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $9,000, which he said went towards paying bills. He has also accumulated significant credit card debt after exhausting his savings.
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“For now, my plan is to keep doing gig work. I'm eligible to start receiving Social Security when I turn 62 in January. Once that begins, I'm hoping it, combined with whatever I can earn through gig work, will make my situation a little easier. Until then, it'll be tough….,” Dev said.
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