Feeling Stuck Between Jobs and Teaching: How Can I Break Into the Industry Again?

I am a first-class student throughout with a decent background and a promising bundle of talents. I am creative and love challenges. I completed my MBA in HR from a very reputed business school in Noida and was initially given an offer by L&T, but did not receive any further communication from them. After my MBA, I uploaded my CV on all job portals but did not receive any calls from any company. I made a professional CV with all the right keywords, but again with the same result.

I did freelance writing work for almost a month, and they paid me for the first month. In the second month, I wrote articles worth 20,000K, but they said they had rejected it and refused to pay me. Later, I found those articles published on various sites with a different name. I also tried freelance recruiting, which again resulted in non-payment of my dues (one year was wasted there).

I was quite frustrated by then, and my ex-high school principal asked me to join the school where I taught geography up to class 9th (although I had only studied it until class 10, but I worked hard and achieved excellent results).

I also took tuitions to support myself and taught science tuition up to class 10th. My tuition students scored above 90% in the ICSE board. However, I received no calls from the industry based on my fresher CV. I spoke to a few people in the industry. One of them failed to give me a job but provided me with an original appointment letter in his company (he is the Vice President of that company).

I revised my CV again, and I received a call from ZTE based on the new CV, but I could not lie in the interview and got rejected there. I am a good learner and a workaholic who can deliver results with hard work and dedication, but I somehow am not getting a break.

Now two years have passed, and according to the industry, I am neither a fresher nor experienced. I need a job badly because I have adopted my orphan cousin (who recently lost his mom and dad). I have felt frustrated at times, but I always move on. Slowly, I have begun thinking that there is seriously something wrong with me that makes me unfit to work because I see people working in the industry everywhere. I am still teaching in the school, but that is not where I belong. I always wanted to work in the industry, so I chose BBA instead of BAMS (on a Government seat) after class 12th. I have maintained a record of above 75% till now. I am soft-spoken and modest. I always try to help anyone and everyone who comes across my way. I don't understand why I am stuck. Can anyone help me?

Regards

Sometimes such things happen even to good people. You have been faring well despite the odds against you. This should give you more strength and motivation. Do not feel discouraged. You can definitely get an HR assignment as a fresher.

Register yourself on job sites like Naukri and Monster, and keep an eye out for such openings. Also, subscribe to TOI - Ascent on Wednesday, Hindustan Times - Shine on Tuesday—these supplements mostly carry openings in the IT/BPO sector for freshers in various fields/functional areas.

Please check your CV to ensure it is in the proper format and free of errors.

Regards,

Sorry to hear about your situation, but do not lose heart. One thing that caught my attention was your experience in writing articles. My sincere advice is, next time you write something like that, save a copy with the date of its creation on your laptop and email it to yourself or a close friend. If someone copies it without permission, you can file a complaint for plagiarism.

People at Citehr, like S. Roy, will certainly help you. You also need to clarify whether you are willing to relocate from your current place, considering you have taken in your orphaned cousin.

Wishing you all the best.

If you are not getting a job in HR, should you wait for that job only? Why do you not wish to get into Operations, Purchase, or Supply Chain? There is a great shortage of talented professionals. You can try to get that kind of job even now. Think it over.

All the best!

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Seniors,

Thank you very much for your kind support and your suggestions. I have uploaded my CV on all the job sites—Shine, Naukri, Monster, Indeed, etc., and keep updating the resume every week. I have been applying to all the relevant openings in Times Ascent and other newspapers. I also tried BPOs, but the salary in BPOs is very low, and they outright reject me, stating that I am overqualified. I did receive a few calls from recruitment firms, but the salary offered there is also very low. Additionally, I am not solely looking to work in HR. I have even done some SEO freelance work on a project basis. As I mentioned earlier, I am a quick learner and can handle any type of job. No job is good or bad for me as long as I am required to do something. The main obstacle I face is not receiving interview calls due to a significant gap in my employment history. When I do get an interview, I am often perceived as an underperformer and am offered a low salary. I have also completed a certification course in Training And Development.

Relocation is not an issue for me as my cousin is studying in boarding school, and I have used all my savings to pay for his fees this year. I have also made a fixed deposit in his name for the following year. I usually do not get disheartened by life's challenges and maintain a positive attitude. Furthermore, I always focus on exploring alternative solutions to overcome difficult situations. I initiated this thread in the hope of receiving valuable suggestions, and I am grateful for the responses thus far.

I sincerely appreciate and thank all of you for your empathy and wonderful suggestions. I am still open to receiving more advice. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Roy for his genuine concern. Thank you very much, sir. I have forwarded my CV and truly appreciate your kindness.

Regards

Why not post your resume also on CiteHR? That, too, could draw attention to your multi-skills experience. In a way, that could also give the members a chance to look at your situation from different angles—many times, proximity to a situation blinds or clouds the judgment capabilities of the individual(s) involved. In such scenarios, allowing others (whose judgment you can trust) to have a look—as close as possible—helps a lot. In the given situation, I guess posting your resume on CiteHR would be the nearest you can get to it.

Having said that, I also think you surely shouldn't get disheartened at a time when you need the courage to face life the most. Though saying it is easy, practicing it is indeed quite tough, especially when all you can depend on is YOURSELF & HIM (I know this, having gone through many such cycles in life). As the quote goes: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"—applying this to you, this is your testing time.

All the best.

Regards,
TS

To continue my earlier response [can't help it, I guess, with the limited Edit time feature now available] ---- There's one line that you mentioned that drew my attention: 'I am still teaching in the school but that is not where I belong.'

I think you are mixing up 'what has come your way' AND 'what you want to come your way'. Hope you see the difference.

Take it from me—NOTHING ever comes one's way without any context or purpose. It's just that we EITHER refuse to see or notice it OR are looking the other way. Maybe you are cut out MORE for teaching than other professions? Or maybe this is some sort of a foundation for what you MAY need to achieve later in life? The possibilities are plenty—just do wholeheartedly what comes your way, even while you keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities [meaning NOT getting into a depressive mood, by which you end up NEITHER solving the problem NOR doing justice to your present]. If you think this is just some 'bhashan' or consoling words, please perish the thought—I am saying this from personal experience.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS