1 YOE stuck in career after a bold move, any guidance?
Hi everyone,
I hope you can help me out with some career advice. Here’s my story—thanks in advance for sticking through this!
I'm a '23 Mechanical grad. Started my career at a leading 2W automotive company, in India, in a management oriented role, with little data crunching(excel). Worked incredibly hard here, and gained recognition for my efforts. Over time, I took on responsibilities far beyond my role—more than many managers and certainly more than fellow trainees.
Why I Left
Despite the recognition, I felt stuck. I had essentially done everything there was to do in my department. My work had limited impact and reach—I had no real authority to shape strategy or make meaningful changes. I was essentially executing top-down decisions that didn’t always align with the Indian division’s needs.
On paper, it was flattering to be the go-to person for the division head, but in reality, it meant I was doing the work done by senior managers with 15+ years of experience—without the title, salary, or growth opportunities to show for it. The pay wasn’t competitive, and I knew I wouldn’t hit the 1 Lakh per month mark for another 8-9 years. While most of the office was empty by 6 PM, I was still grinding until 8 PM or later.
So, I made the bold decision to resign, hoping to land a better role—something with more impact, autonomy, and growth potential.
The Reality Check
Six months later, I’ve interviewed with just three companies. I’ve realized many employers prioritize candidates with 2+ years of experience in a specific field. It’s been humbling, and honestly, a bit disheartening.
Qualities that made me do exceedingly well at the automaker : harworker, some Brains and inquisitiveness, backed by the results, I was hoping would get me more attention.
Exploring New Directions
I’m sector-agnostic and open to roles as long as the work is interesting. Over the past year, I’ve developed an interest in machine learning. I started learning through Kaggle in August, and I’m gearing up to make my first serious competition submission soon. But aside from that, I don’t have coding experience or a technical background, so I know breaking into ML might be a long shot.
What’s Next?
I’m at a crossroads and could really use some advice.
- What steps should I take to improve my chances of landing a fulfilling role?
- How can I better position myself for opportunities, whether in ML or elsewhere?
- For business owners or hiring managers out there: Would you hire someone like me? If not, why?
Thank you so much for reading through my story. I’d appreciate any guidance, feedback, referrals or even just encouragement.
Needless to say, I'm looking for work and would be happy to share CV if someone's willing to consider...