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25-year-old quits American Express job, moves out of India to pursue content creation: 'I had to break out of the loop'
The man opened up about dropping out of engineering, feeling stuck in a conventional corporate lifestyle, and choosing to “rebuild” his life on his own terms.
An Instagram video by a 25-year-old man documenting his decision to quit his corporate job at American Express and move out of India to pursue content creation has gone viral on social media.
In the video, Sarthak Singh opened up about dropping out of engineering, feeling stuck in a conventional corporate lifestyle, and choosing to “rebuild” his life on his own terms. “Well, I dropped out of engineering, then I quit my 9-to-5 job at American Express, and now I’m leaving India,” Singh said at the beginning of the clip.
Sharing his journey, he revealed that he dropped out of engineering in 2019 and later completed a degree in hospitality “for the sake of completing” his education. Then, through a referral, Singh said that he eventually landed a full-time corporate role at American Express. However, he added that the stability of the job gradually became limiting for him.
“What I realised is that I became too comfortable in my job that it is not letting me explore my potential,” Singh said in the video. He also spoke about feeling mentally and physically drained by daily routines involving traffic, lack of sleep and unhealthy habits.
“What I realised recently is that the biggest risk is not failing, but it is living a life which you never truly chose for yourself,” Singh added.
The 25-year-old further said that he has now decided to move out of India and start over, despite uncertainty about what lies ahead. “Maybe this becomes the best decision of my life, or maybe I fail again. But this time, I am choosing my own story, my struggles, my finances, my success, my failures, and documenting all of it,” he said.
HT.com has reached out to Sarthak Singh. The article will be updated once a response is received.
(Also Read: Noida corporate employee says 9 to 6 job consumes entire day: ‘Nothing left for yourself’)
Social media reactions
The video quickly gained traction online, with many social media users praising Singh for prioritising personal freedom and mental well-being over conventional career expectations.
“I support ur decision always do what pushes u more and what u actually love to do at heart,” one user wrote.
“Way to go bhai! Stay blessed always! Wishing you the best, you’re going to be awesome,” commented another.
“All the best for this journey. Trying something new can feel uncertain, but not trying at all feels worse. Taking the risk is worth it,” read another comment.
“Go for it Sarthak. I left my data science career and took big risks, leaving my 9 to 5 behind for similar reasons. Staying healthy, working on your body and mind, and staying connected to your purpose - that’s everything. That’s how you stay in your creative flow. I’m also in the middle of a major leap right now, fighting my own mind daily to keep faith, stay disciplined, and keep doing the work - cutting negative thoughts with the Sudarshan Chakra. Keep going. We got this,” shared one user.
