'She was crying': 22-year-old techie fears termination from first IT job, brother seeks internet's advice

A late-night phone call has sparked an intense online conversation about toxic workplaces and the fragile start many fresh graduates face in the IT industry. A 27-year-old civil engineer turned to Reddit seeking advice after his 22-year-old sister, a newly placed techie in Pune, broke down over mounting pressure at work. What began as a promising campus placement has now spiralled into stress, reviews, and the looming fear of termination.

In his Reddit post, the civil engineer explained that his sister had secured a job at a small IT company in Pune after graduating in 2025. She had previously interned there while completing her final-year project, and things initially appeared to be on track.

However, over the past one to two months, the situation reportedly changed. According to the brother, the company expressed dissatisfaction with her performance and informed her that two formal reviews would be conducted within a month to determine her future at the organisation.


He further shared that despite being a trainee and a fresher, she was placed directly into the production team. While she has been putting in her best effort, he described the work culture as toxic. He alleged that she is being targeted and blamed for errors, including instances where the mistakes were not hers. Team politics, constant scrutiny, and mounting stress have reportedly left her emotionally drained.



The turning point came when she called him in tears, saying she no longer felt capable of continuing in that environment. With the possibility of termination hanging over her head, she has expressed that she does not want to remain in a company where her position already feels uncertain.

Concerned about the long-term impact, the brother asked the Reddit community whether leaving or being terminated from a first job within a year could damage her career prospects. His central worry: would this early setback make it harder for her to secure another opportunity?

Netizens react

One user suggested that the 22-year-old should immediately begin preparing for interviews so that she is not caught off guard if the company decides to let her go. According to the commenter, termination in itself is not uncommon in the tech industry and has happened to even highly capable engineers. The real challenge, they pointed out, is remaining unemployed for an extended period, as long career gaps are often viewed negatively. They also advised against resigning without securing another offer first.



Another Redditor encouraged the brother to remind his sister not to internalise the situation. While acknowledging that it is easier said than done, the user emphasised the importance of learning how to navigate difficult work environments early in one’s career. If termination happens, they argued, she should accept it and focus on actively applying for new roles or even exploring internal transfers within the same organisation. The commenter also noted that many companies typically do not explicitly mention termination in relieving letters unless the exit involves serious misconduct.




A third user echoed a similar sentiment, stating that if the company proceeds with termination, the documentation would likely reflect a standard relieving status rather than explicitly labelling it as termination.