An Indian woman has sparked a discussion online after revealing that she was fired two days into her internship in Germany, despite relocating to a new city for the opportunity. Kaajal Tekwani shared her experience in a candid Instagram video, explaining how she moved from Berlin to Munich for an internship at a startup, only to lose the role almost immediately.
“Imagine moving cities for a new internship and then getting fired within just 2 days. Yep, that’s happened to me,” she said. In the clip, Tekwani said she had gone through multiple interview rounds, successfully completed an assigned task, and even turned down two other offers for this position. “They seemed super happy with my work. We went on rounds of negotiations, and they were offering me accommodation in Munich. Everything seemed fine,” she added.
Her internship officially began on August 15, following two weeks of remote work. Initially, she said, things went smoothly. But soon she faced unexpected criticism. “The founder came and told me that he thinks there is an issue with my attitude and I lack some fire or something. And then, I was like okay. I don’t know, I started receiving rude messages in the name of feedback,” Tekwani recalled.
What reasons did the company give for termination?
{{/usCountry}}What reasons did the company give for termination?
{{/usCountry}}In the following video, Tekwani said that she continued remotely until September 1, when she relocated to Munich. Her first day at the office went well, but on the second day, she arrived a few minutes late due to an eye infection. Although she informed her team, she was terminated later that evening.
“They gave me reasons – one is that I am not a team fit. Second is that they expected somebody with more senior knowledge and expertise. For an intern role, alright, but you have figured that out during the interview,” she said. “The third reason was that I am not punctual because I was late in the first two days,” she shared.
Tekwani said she has now returned to Berlin. In her video, she advised others to be cautious about similar opportunities. “Don’t immediately relocate for a startup, especially if they are not paying you what you deserve, because if the pay is peanuts and you can see red flags from the beginning, just don't do this. It's not worth it,” she said.
In the caption of her post, she said that while the company reimbursed her travel and accommodation, the move took a financial and mental toll. “The mental toll it takes on you is not worth it,” she wrote.
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How did social media react?
Tekwani’s posts have gained significant attention online, with many sharing similar experiences.
“Stay strong! Shit Happens! It happened with me too. A Company said we are transfering you to a new city but later got an email we can’t because we are voll,” one user wrote.
“I had the same experience and it is a big well renounced institute in Germany. Even if you have contract, things are very unpredictable for international students I feel,” shared another.
“Faced a similar issuse in Germany-cleared two rounds of the interview for a PhD position and relocated from India- and in one month, I was told I was not a good fit as in I did not have the skill set they were looking for-Duh! I was willing to learn and they did interview me-TWICE! was huge blow and thankfully, was lucky enough to get another position in trouble months. Phew!” commented a third user.