The tech industry is volatile, and other than the usual mass layoffs, recruiters are looking at skills and age as major factors deciding the hiring. As an example, consider Mody Khan, a 50-year-old techie with origins in Pakistan. Khan, who has previously worked with Microsoft for a stint of five years, has been without a job for several months and is exhausting his savings as well as investments to support his family.
Khan, who was laid off in December 2024 from Microsoft as a cloud solution architect, is presently residing in Texas. He revealed that his savings have been almost entirely depleted as he continues his prolonged job search. In a statement to Business Insider, he said he is in a “very tight spot” and has only “$10,000 left in savings,” – an amount he estimates will last him and his wife “about two months.”
Khan said that after his savings are gone, he would have to resort to using his remaining investments or 401(k). The situation is so concerning that it has put him at risk of losing his home due to falling behind on mortgage payments.
50-year-old techie faces struggle
His struggles, however, are not just financial. Khan believes that his age and lack of a startup background are impacting his job prospects. Khan says that it makes him feel as if some recruiters are “looking for Superman.”
He went on to express frustration over the hiring process, saying he has had several good interviews but never received a clear reason for rejection, with some recruiters even “ghosting” him after initial contact. “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,” he added.
Khan also believes that his ethnicity plays a crucial role in denying him a job opportunity. Khan’s Pakistani origin often tends to make him fall out of favour with Indian tech firms or Indian interviews. “It’s a very, very dangerous situation.”
Khan has less time left to address the situation
The emotional and financial strain of the situation has raised concerns for Khan and his family. Khan had already sold his Microsoft stock holdings after losing his job to make ends meet. He now faces the possibility of foreclosure if he cannot make his mortgage payments after his forbearance plan ends.