A laid-off software engineer with 4.5 years of experience and a ₹26 LPA CTC has sparked a conversation online about the challenges of finding a job in the current market. After losing his job in late June, the engineer says he has now spent 45 days searching for a new opportunity without receiving a single interview call.
According to his Reddit post, he had been working as a contractor for an Amazon client based in Hyderabad, with his payroll managed by his parent company. However, he said the layoff itself did not initially come as a major setback. In fact, he described it as a relief after dealing with what he called a toxic environment and work that was largely a support role.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel sad about the layoff—I was actually relieved
because the parent company environment was toxic and the work was poor (essentially a support role),” the engineer wrote.
With a CTC of ₹26 LPA, he initially believed his compensation would not necessarily become a hurdle, particularly because he was targeting product-based companies. “My CTC was 26 LPA.
Even though that is on the higher side, I figured the market would be willing to pay a candidate with 4.5 YOE that much, especially since I’m applying to product-based companies (PBCs),” he said.
But his job search soon took an unexpected turn. “The nightmare started in July. Days are passing without a single interview call. I have gone over every DSA pattern repeatedly waiting for an opportunity, but to my surprise, not a single recruiter has reached out,” he wrote.
The engineer said the lack of responses has continued despite applying extensively and seeking referrals. “It’s been 45 days now. It feels like all my applications are going straight into a black hole, even when applying through referrals. It’s baffling,” he wrote.
He also pointed out that his resume had an ATS score of more than 90, but said that had not translated into interview opportunities. “Sending out hundreds of applications and receiving zero response is completely draining,” he added.
The engineer ended his post by asking the Reddit community for help, writing: “If anyone is hiring, please drop a comment and I’ll DM you. Any suggestions, feedback, or alternative application strategies are very welcome.”
The post subsequently drew a range of reactions, with Reddit users offering suggestions on everything from resume optimisation and salary expectations to hiring cycles and job-search strategies.
“I have one suggestion, create a new profile in Naukri with different email id and phone number. It is from personal experience this works. Also do not put current or expected CTC in naukri. You can talk to the recruiter and check the range then you can decide to go for interview. Check some YouTube videos regarding naukri optimisation, that surely helps,” said one user.
Another Redditor shared their own experience of being laid off and urged the engineer to remain patient. “Yeah it’s a tough market was laid off last year and after initial few interviews it’s been tough. Hang in there & keep reaching out and applying. Try to live your life beyond this else it gets quite depressing. All the best,” said another.
Some users, meanwhile, suggested being more flexible with salary expectations during the job search. “Just a suggestion, If you need job urgently try to reduc the pay package,” said a third.
Another user questioned the engineer’s previous compensation while pointing out that the market remains challenging. “Bro 26lpa for a support role ~5 years is crazy I guess , just keep grinding , market is not easy right now,” said a fourth user.
One Redditor suggested changing the way applications and resumes were being approached, particularly by tailoring resumes to individual job descriptions.
“Bhai,maybe because you are not using tailored resumes according to JDs, even if you dont know some skill ,add that still , this way your resume will get shortlisted and you can prepare for that skill just before the interview, also say you are ready for paycut, take the opportunity and start looking for new opportunity paying 30+ since its better having something than nothing,” one user wrote.
Another person offered a different perspective, suggesting that hiring activity could pick up in the coming months. “Isnt june/july a low activity month for hiring? august and september things get picked up ig thats what i thought! maybe in august and september can get more openings and calls,” said another.
