Laid-Off Microsoft Techie Struggles To Find Job In US, Shares Ordeal: 'Being A Pakistani May Play Into Biases...'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A 50-year-old tech professional, Mody Khan, lost his job at Microsoft last December and has since been struggling through a nine-month-long job hunt. The Pakistani-origin immigrant revealed that his savings are nearly exhausted, putting him at risk of losing his home in Texas.

"I had savings, and I've depleted almost all of it," Khan told Business Insider.“I'm in a very tight spot.”

Despite years of experience in the tech industry, including a five-year stint at Microsoft , Khan said landing a new role has been an uphill battle.

"It feels like recruiters are looking for Superman," he shared. "I've been constantly applying, and I've had interviews, but I've been turned down everywhere.”

Khan noted that while some interviews initially seemed promising, they never led to an offer. "I've had so many good interviews where I'm ready for them to say, 'Mody, let's rock 'n' roll' - and then they don't move forward.”

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What frustrates him the most, he said, is the lack of feedback. "Recruiters contact me, take my resume, and they ghost me.”

What does he think is impacting his chances?

Khan believes age discrimination is a major factor, as some recruiters may assume he is not in touch with the latest technologies. He also feels that his lack of startup experience works against him.

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On ethnicity, Khan said biases may also play a role: "Being a Pakistani may play into the biases of some Indian recruiters or interviewers. It's a very, very dangerous situation.”

Khan had moved from Pakistan to the US in 2007 and joined Microsoft in 2019.

Risk of losing his house

Khan disclosed that he has only $10,000 left in savings - enough to support him and his wife for about two months. Beyond that, he may have to dip into his remaining investments or 401(k). He had already sold his Microsoft stock holdings earlier this year after being laid off.

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The former cloud solution architect admitted he has fallen behind on his mortgage payments. If he fails to resume them after his forbearance plan ends, he could face foreclosure.

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