A woman who left her job in India to join her husband in the United States has opened up about the unexpected challenges of returning to work. In an Instagram post, she said career breaks, relocation, motherhood and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence have made re entering the job market far more difficult than she had anticipated.
'I had no idea stepping away would make it so difficult'
Shared by Instagram user Jane, the post traces her journey from leaving a job she loved in India to building a new life in the US after marriage.
"I had a career in India that I genuinely loved. Then I got married, and my husband was already in the US. We spent the first two years of our marriage in a long distance relationship while I continued working. Eventually, we had to make a decision. We couldn't keep living in two different countries, and one of us had to make the sacrifice."
Jane said she chose to move to the US, believing a short break from work would be refreshing. "After working for five years, a break actually sounded nice. I had no idea that stepping away from my career, even for a while, would make it so difficult to get back in."
She later completed a Master's in Business Analytics from the University of Denver, hoping to restart her career once she received her work permit. However, she graduated before it arrived. After completing a short internship, she moved to another state and soon became pregnant.
{{/usCountry}}She later completed a Master's in Business Analytics from the University of Denver, hoping to restart her career once she received her work permit. However, she graduated before it arrived. After completing a short internship, she moved to another state and soon became pregnant.
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: 'Be ready to wait': NRI lists 6 biggest problems with Indian work culture)
"I finally received my work permit while I was pregnant. Today, my baby is nine months old, and I've started looking for jobs again. But the market has changed so much. AI has transformed the skills employers expect, and I often feel like I have to start learning all over again. Trying to do that while raising a baby hasn't been easy."
Rather than waiting for an opportunity, Jane decided to create one herself through content creation.
"I'm not here asking anyone for money just because I have a story. I want to earn it by creating content that genuinely helps people. I want to provide value, build trust, and if that trust eventually becomes a business, I'll be grateful for it. I don't know where this journey will take me or if I'll succeed. But I do know one thing. I'm going to give it everything I've got."
Take a look:
How did social media react?
Many people related to Jane's journey and encouraged her in the comments.
One user wrote, "Thank you for keeping it raw and real! Rooting for you."
Another commented, "This is so inspiring. As stay at home mums, building something of our own and working towards financial independence means so much. Rooting for you and everything you're creating."
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A third added, "Rooting for you, girlie. I am on a similar journey as you and would love to connect and support."
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)