Layoff Tales: 'Job market will improve by the end of this year'

Image: Dominic Xavier

Some weeks ago, we asked Get Ahead readers to send us their layoff tales. We still get a lot of mail from employees belonging to different sectors of the Indian economy, indicating how difficult the employment scenario is out there.

In the 43nd part of this series, young IT executive * Rajeev A narrates how he -- and many others like him -- was cheated by a software company which duped gullible job seekers.

Name: Rajeev A (* name changed on request)
Company/Sector : IT

Background:

I finished my engineering in electronics in 2008-09 in Hyderabad with aggregate 64 per cent marks. Like many of my friends I applied to a lot of software companies but couldn't immediately find a job because of the current economic recession.

I came to Bangalore as soon as I finished engineering to search IT related job.

How I got selected:

I was selected by a software company in Banshankari, Bangalore as a trainee software engineer on several conditions.

I had to pay Rs 50,000 to the manager as soon as I were selected

I was promised a salary of Rs 4,000 in the first four months

I was to be trained on the .Net platform for the first four months

How I lost my job:

I joined the company despite these conditions. In the first three months every thing went fine. I was trained on .Net platform. I was so glad that I got selected in recessionary times even though I was a fresher. In the fourth month the company didn't pay salary to most of the employees. We came together and went to the manager asking for our salary. The manager somehow convinced us to come the next day to collect our pay cheques.

However, the manager fled the country the very next day. On realising this we lodged a complaint against the company and the management at a local police station. Many of us got selected after we paid more than Rs 1,00,000. While this case was highlighted by the media we still lost our jobs as the company closed down.

What next?

I soon realised that trying to recover Rs 50,000 I paid to this company to get selected was waste of my time as the case is pending in a court of law. I am looking out for a new job and my resume still says that I am a fresher.

Lesson learnt:

Please do not join any domestic company by paying money

Please do not keep quite if you have been laid off for whatever reasons. Do some courses, learn new technologies that will strenthen help you strengthen your career

Job market will gradually improve by the end of this year. Don't lose hope

Do you have a layoff tale to tell?

Have you lost your job? Do you know someone who has lost her/his job recently and is trying to come to terms with the situation?

If you, your friends or relatives have a layoff story to tell, to inform readers about the lessons that you have learnt, please write to us at getahead@rediff.co.in with the subject as 'The Layoff Tales'. Your name and identity will not be disclosed unless you want them to be.