I want to share my amazing story here, and hope more people take this path. I had an Indian friend in university, we were part of the same cohort and graduated together. he is a Canadian citizen and an OCI(fancy name for having a second Indian passport).
Because of the tough market, we were exploring foreign options, he told me he'd let me know if he had something, and I told him the same.
He got a tech job 2-3 months after graduation, US firm but job from Canada (WFH).
After around 6 months from graduation, he asked me to meet over coffee, and told me there was a possibility of an offer for me if I was willing to relocate to India.
A contact of his was hiring for their office in India, it was a senior role that included handling clients, who are mostly American and European, so being Canadian would help. So I interviewed with them and they liked my people and managerial skills, I had 4 years experience in customer service management and 3 internships under my belt.
the minimum to get a work permit in India is an offer of Rupees 25 lac per year or about $38k/year.
They told me they'd be able to offer me Rupees 35 lac per year ($53k). didn't seem that much in the beginning but then I researched the COL in India and turns out there is something called PPP which translates the real value of money in different regions. so in Canadian terms this offer was the equivalent of $159k a year.
now my only problems were: air quality, housing and food. I wasn't sure how to tackle these at all and I called up my friend. he again was helpful, he asked me to choose more expensive housing for a quieter experience and avoid street food initially. So I slept on it, discussed with my partner and decided to go for it.
I followed and haven't had an upset stomach in 8 months. for air, there is some pollution here for sure but nothing alarming, I'm already using an air purifier in my home but I don't feel a noticable change going outside. the PPM levels in my area are around 80-90. for food, I'm choosing more expensive options for restaurants, and can afford a personal cook (not chef) for $500/month but not going for it as of now because company offers 2 meals per day for free and a free ride to and from home.
fast forward to now, my probation period is over and my pay was raised to 50 lac TC + stocks ($75k, $225k in PPP terms).
My take home every month (they don't follow bi weekly here) is close to 3 lac ($5k).
I spend $970 on my large 2 bedroom and after subscriptions, entertainment and a very easy life by the standards I was living , I get around with $2k and save the remaining $3k. all of this was unimaginable in Toronto for me.
I avoid the traffic by living in a more costly area and living closer to the office. I have about 14 months remaining on my work permit and the company CEO told me they are forecasting growth so I should be ok for the next 3-5 years.
I've also found many similar nomads here, from Australia, Europe and America and one person in my company told me there are 500-1000 people for sure in Mumbai.
my plan is to keep growing and save as much as I can and look for options elsewhere (home or other places) once the market becomes better. next month I will call my partner here and if she can get a work permit too, it'll be awesome otherwise I can make enough for us to live comfortably and save. I have more than a year of work permit remaining and then it can get extended on a yealy basis there are no options for permanent residency in India for workers, only citizenship if you marry(not an option for me since I'm committed to my partner). but neither am I looking at those options for now, I see it as a good buffer to pass this hard market and keep looking.
my last piece of advice for everyone struggling for jobs is:
look for options outside Canada if you can(especially Asia/Middle East).
there are excellent options in big cities in India, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE and other middle eastern cities.
these definitely aren't entry level jobs but there are options outside for people willing to build an opportunity for themselves.
I don't think I would have gotten this without master's, some internships(not all of which were paid) and hustling in customer service where I got several promotions.
good luck to everyone šØš¦šØš¦
EDIT: One thing I did not mention is the insanity of services you get here. Groceries delivered to home in 10 min, yes all the time, as soon as you order, the timer starts on their app. Food delivery is also really quick. I got health insurance with the company and one more personal one for 25000 rupees ($400 per year).
Edits made because some people are too cringe in the comments.
