Indian student returns from US with $40,000 debt after 10K job rejections: ‘I lost four years of my life’

American dream that slowly fell apart

Gunjan’s journey to the United States began during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, he had lost his job in India and spent months trying to find another one without success. The long stretch of unemployment began to weigh heavily on him.

Gunjan had around ten years of experience in business consulting, but the job market at the time offered little hope. Eventually, he decided to upgrade his skills and joined a course. During that period, the idea of studying in the US started to feel like a fresh start. He admitted the decision was not easy. At 43, he knew it was a big risk. Still, conversations with friends in the US, alumni, and counsellors gave him confidence.

“I knew it was risky at my age,” Gunjan said. “But after speaking to friends, alumni and counsellors, everyone said there were opportunities. I believed it.”

Soon, Gunjan joined a university on the US East Coast. When he graduated, he had a 3.9 GPA, something he felt proud of. At the time, he believed the hardest part was behind him. But soon he realised that graduating was only the beginning of a much harder phase.

“Studying was actually the easiest part,” he said. For the next three years, Gunjan spent most of his time applying for jobs. The number eventually crossed 10,000 applications. “I’m not exaggerating,” he said.

Despite the massive effort, very little came out of it. He says he received only seven or eight interviews in total, and four of those reached the final round. One company eventually hired him, and things finally seemed to be improving. But the job did not last. “Midway through, they decided they didn’t want to take the risk with an international student,” he said. “So I lost that job as well.” Meanwhile, many of his roommates found work within eight months of graduating.

Doing odd jobs just to survive in US

As the months passed and the rejections kept coming, Gunjan had to find ways to cover basic expenses. He started taking up odd jobs wherever he could find them. At times, that meant standing for hours umpiring cricket matches in nearly 40-degree heat. On other days, it meant working long hours, doing whatever work was available.

“I worked 12 to 14 hours a day sometimes,” he said. “It was pure survival mode.” Even after all that effort, he could not repay the education loan he had taken to fund his studies. The stress slowly began to take its toll. “Eventually I burned out,” he said. “Mentally, physically and financially.”

Returning India and facing a difficult reality

Coming back to India was not the fresh start Gunjan had hoped for. Months after returning, he says he is still applying for jobs but has not found one yet. The financial pressure continues, but what troubles him more is the emotional impact of the experience.

At 43, he now depends on his mother for financial support. “I depend on my mother for money at 43. That’s something I never imagined,” he said. “The shame is very real.” The experience has also shaken his confidence. “My confidence used to be my strength,” he said. “Now I feel like I don’t trust myself anymore.”

He believes age may have played a role in the struggle. Competing as an international graduate in his 40s for entry-level roles made the process even harder.

Lessons from the experience

Looking back, Gunjan says the journey taught him several hard lessons. One of them was about managing money during his studies. “I assumed I would repay my loan once I got a job,” he said. “Looking back, I should have worked more during my studies to reduce the debt.”

He also realised that academic success alone does not guarantee employment. “The degree itself is secondary,” he said. “Where you graduate from, or your GPA, matters far less than I believed. It may open a door slightly, but it doesn’t secure employment.” From his experience, many other factors seem to influence the outcome. “Getting a job felt like 90% luck and 10% networking,” he said.

Today, Gunjan says he is still trying to figure out how to move forward, both mentally and professionally. The biggest challenge, he says, is rebuilding the confidence he once had. “The worst part is the internal damage,” he said. “I feel like I lost four years of my life.”

For now, he continues to apply for jobs and search for a way to start again. “I’m not looking for sympathy,” he said. “I just want to understand how people rebuild after something like this.”

Another thing Gunjan says he understood only later was how much the choice of course can shape what happens after graduation. Many programs attract large numbers of Indian students, which means hundreds of people end up competing for the same small pool of entry-level jobs and visa sponsorship opportunities.

He also noticed a pattern among international students around him. In several programs, the majority of the class was made up of Indian and Chinese students. When jobs didn’t come through, many Chinese students chose to return home fairly quickly. Many Indian students, however, tried to stay longer and keep searching for work, often while dealing with growing financial pressure.