Her father used to feel sad and say, 'she is still searching for a job': IT graduate shares emotional note on unemployment

When a corporate woman opened an old notebook one ordinary day, she did not expect it to shake her so deeply. But one handwritten line pulled her straight back into the hardest phase of her life, when job rejections felt endless and silence at home felt heavier than words. The IT graduate from India recently shared her journey on X, revisiting her struggle after engineering, the quiet support of her parents, and the emotional weight of unemployment that many graduates carry but rarely talk about openly.

Rutuja opened up about her life after completing her Bachelor of Engineering in IT in 2024. Like many fresh graduates, she stepped into the job market with hope, but reality took its own time to respond. She wrote that after graduation, she struggled to find work despite consistent effort. The uncertainty stretched on, and while her family never made her feel unwanted or pressured, the emotional weight of not being employed still stayed with her.

“Life was not hard financially. We had food, our farm, and enough to survive even if I stayed at home without a job. My parents never taunted me. They never asked, 'Why are you still unemployed?'” Even with that support, she admitted the experience was far from easy. The pressure did not come from home, but from within and from society’s quiet expectations.



Rutuja spent long nights preparing and solving coding problems, repeatedly working through platforms like LeetCode, hoping each effort would bring her closer to stability. “I used to stay awake till late at night, solving coding questions on LeetCode and GFG, studying day and night, trying my best silently.” During this phase, she even landed an internship as a Generative AI Engineer. But despite achieving that milestone, she realised something important about herself. She was not enjoying coding anymore. Hence, she switched to another domain.

One note brought back memories

What brought everything rushing back for her was an old note she found in her own handwriting. It captured a moment she had not fully processed back then, but one that now felt overwhelming to read again. “Whenever relatives or neighbours asked what Rutu is doing now, Papa used to feel sad, saying she is still searching for a job.”

That single line, she said, broke her emotionally. It made her realise how deeply unemployment after graduation can affect not just the individual, but also their family in subtle, unspoken ways. She reflected on how support at home was never lacking. In fact, her parents constantly reassured her through the toughest period. “It’s okay, you’ll get a job. Don’t take stress. Even if you don’t get one, we have enough farm and land. Relax.”

Her promise to herself

But internally, she had made a quiet promise to herself. Not because she lacked support, but because she wanted independence and a sense of identity through her own earnings. “No matter what happens, I will get a job. I want to earn my own money.” After months of uncertainty between May and September 2024, things finally began to change. Her efforts eventually led her to a well-paying internship in September, marking a turning point in her journey.

And when she looks back now, she admits the happiness is shared, but not equally. “Today I’m happy. But honestly, my parents are happier than me.” She also believes the experience taught her something that cannot be learned in textbooks or coding platforms. “Timing matters. Sometimes things take time, but that doesn’t mean they’ll never happen.” Ending her note with a message for others still struggling, she urged people not to lose hope during difficult phases. "Your hard days are not permanent. Keep going quietly. One day your parents will proudly say, ‘She did it’, ‘he did it’.”

Internet reacts

Social media users responded warmly to Rutuja’s story, calling it deeply relatable and inspiring. Many said the quiet pressure of what relatives might think after graduation is something most students silently go through. Others appreciated her parents’ steady support and her consistent late-night effort to keep learning. Several users shared that they had faced similar journeys and felt seen by her post. Overall, the comments highlighted admiration for her persistence, patience, and the belief that better opportunities eventually arrive with time.