So you’ve spent years grinding away in the US corporate world. You’ve got some solid experience. Maybe even saved a decent chunk of change. Now you’re planning to move back to India. And that old MBA dream is knocking again. I get it. I was in your shoes in 2017. When I moved back from…

When I landed back in Kochi after almost a decade in the US, everyone asked the same question. “So, which company are you joining?” I just smiled. Truth was, I didn’t want another job. Been there, done that. Many NRIs face this dilemma. You’ve worked at big companies abroad. You’ve climbed the ladder. Now you’re…

Hello folks! Mani here. The guy who thought jobs only existed in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi. Boy was I wrong. I returned in 2017. Focused exclusively on metro cities. Created unnecessary competition for myself. Later discovered thriving opportunities in smaller cities. Better quality of life too. Let me save you from my metro-only tunnel vision.…

Hello folks! Mani here. The guy who thought finding remote jobs would be easy. Like finding a parking spot in Bangalore on a Saturday night. I returned in 2017. Thought I could continue my US job remotely. My boss laughed. Actually laughed. On a Zoom call. With colleagues present. Let me save you from my…

Hello folks! Mani here. The guy who jumped back into Indian professional life after 12 years in America. Talk about culture shock! I returned in 2017. My professional skills were frozen in 2005 India. I still thought “Orkut” was a thing when I landed. My resume got more rejections than my high school crush gave…

Hello folks! Mani here. The guy who applied to the same five tech companies for two months straight. Then discovered an entire universe of other employers specifically seeking NRI talent. I returned in 2017 with tunnel vision. Applied exclusively to Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and a couple of Indian tech giants. Created application echo chamber. Achieved…

Hello folks! Mani here. The guy who returned to India thinking 10 years of Silicon Valley experience would have companies fighting over me. Boy was I wrong. I landed in 2017 with an impressive resume. Got rejected for being “overqualified” seven times in my first month. Overqualified. The rejection that sounds like a compliment but…

Hello folks! Mani here. The guy who thought Silicon Valley experience would automatically translate to premium job offers in India. Like expecting everyone to immediately recognize your designer watch that’s actually only famous in another country. I returned in 2017 with impressive US tech experience. Assumed employers would roll out red carpet. They did not.…

I still remember my panic. Three months before our flight back to India. No job lined up. No clear plan. Just faith that things would work out. My wife wasn’t impressed. “Mani, you’re moving us across the world without a job?” She had a point. But here’s the thing. I did it all wrong. You…

Hey folks! Mani here. Remember me? The guy who thought his Silicon Valley salary would directly translate to India. Big mistake. I returned in 2017. Asked for 80% of my US salary. The recruiter laughed. Not chuckled. Laughed. Loudly. I’ve learned a lot since that humiliating moment. Let me save you from salary negotiation disasters.…