CHENNAI: R Subbiah was over the moon when he received a job offer in Singapore earlier this year. The new job meant an end to all his financial woes as the company promised him nearly 40 per cent hike. He resigned his job as the retail head of sales at a firm in Chennai and even visited Singapore in February. But then, Covid struck the world and the employment pass he had applied, got rejected.
“I was still positive that the situation might return to normal soon and was in fact happy that I got more time to spend with my son. I was very happy and relaxed in the first month, but five months later, I am battling mental pressure as I am still jobless and the commitments are plenty,” said 35-year-old Subbiah who is staying with his wife and son.
Armed with an MBA degree and 11 years of experience in the field, Subbiah is still searching all over the Internet and calling his friends and acquaintances for a job opportunity. “I could not even go back to the company from which I resigned because they had already shut down their office in Chennai. Pay cuts and layoffs had begun and that clearly meant a ‘no’. I had saved some money but it lasted for not more than three months,” said Subbiah.
By the beginning of July, he was scrambling to pay loans and his son’s school fee. “My son is in pre-KG and I always believed that I could pay his annual fee at once. Now, I am worried if I will be able to pay anything at all,” he said.
Subbiah added that it has been over a month since he slept properly. “I struggled to grow step by step for 11 years and when I finally bagged an offer that could change my life, the pandemic turned it upside down.” Subbiah said the pandemic has taught him a lesson to save more. “Post Covid, the rich may feel life is short and enjoy more, but the middle-class have learned the importance of savings. My 11 years of hard work hardly lasted for three months.”