u/WorldlinessBoring881

Today marks exactly one month since I left my job or perhaps, if I’m being completely honest, since I was asked to leave.

Usually, I don’t go for a walk after dinner. But tonight felt different. I stepped outside anyway, and somewhere between the familiar streets and the silence of the night, I found myself questioning everything.

Will I ever be able to build something of my own?

For a long time, I told myself that getting back into my core field finance was the goal. But tonight, I had to admit something I had been avoiding: maybe entering my core field is just a cover-up for my failures. A convenient explanation that makes everything sound like a career decision when, deep down, I’m not even sure whether I’m capable of doing something meaningful with my life.

That is the part that scares me the most.

It’s not unemployment. It’s not starting over. It’s the uncertainty of not knowing whether I actually have what it takes.

Somewhere along the way, I also seem to have lost most of the people I used to call friends. My phone barely rings anymore. And when it does, it’s usually a spam call. Yes, a friend does call sometimes but mostly when he needs money.

It’s strange how quickly life can become quiet.

People often say that if you stand in front of a huge glass building and dream big enough, maybe one day you’ll find yourself inside one of them.

I used to believe that.

Tonight, I realized I’ve even stopped looking for those buildings.

Maybe because there aren’t any big glass buildings around here.

Or maybe because, somewhere along the way, I stopped believing that I belonged inside one.

Still, I’m walking.

I don’t know where this road is going to take me. I don’t know whether I’ll find my way back to finance, build something of my own, or discover an entirely different version of myself along the way.

But perhaps I don’t need to know tonight.

For now, I’ll just keep walking.

Let’s see where it takes us.

Let's talk about the legendary "Happy Culture" everyone sees on LinkedIn.

The bean bags. The Fun Fridays. The smiling HR reels. The "we are family" captions.

Now, let's talk about the culture many employees say they experience.

The 10-Hour "Happy" Shift

Ten-hour shifts. Six mandatory peak hours. Every minute monitored.

Take a two-minute washroom break? Somehow, it becomes four minutes on the reports.

Because apparently:

2 minutes × Corporate Logic = Performance Discussion

Fun Friday But Not for Everyone

Fun Fridays are meant to boost morale.

Except many associates experience them through Instagram stories while handling customer chats.

Apparently, happiness is an invitation-only event.

Customer Abuse: Just Another Ticket

Employees are expected to maintain professionalism regardless of what comes their way.

Abuse. Threats. Personal attacks.

Sometimes, all you receive in return is a reminder to "handle it better."

Internal Movement: The Promise That Never Arrives

"You'll get promoted soon."

"Movement is happening."

"Let's revisit this next month."

Months pass, responsibilities increase, but titles and recognition remain the same.

You continue doing higher-level work while officially remaining where you started.

And when you ask questions?

"If you're unhappy, you're free to leave."

The Reality of CC2, CC3, and CC4

Handling multiple chats simultaneously while maintaining response time targets is demanding.

Miss a timer by a few seconds?

- Pressure.

- Warnings.

- Conversations.

Yet, recognition often remains a distant possibility.

The Part Nobody Talks About

Talk to employees who've spent months on the floor.

Many will tell you they're happy.

But it's often the kind of happiness where you sit quietly before your shift starts and wonder:

"How much longer can I keep doing this?"

ATL (Asked to Leave)

My favorite part?

More than 2,000 employees were reportedly asked to leave without what they felt were valid reasons.

Walking into the office ready to give your best, logging into your system, and immediately receiving a Slack message:

"Please come to the meeting room."

A conversation follows.

Sometimes, employees feel that decisions affecting their careers are made without enough transparency. Questions remain unanswered. Proof feels insufficient. Decisions feel final.

The same, many would argue, happened to more than 2,000 employees at Eternal, who were asked to leave without feedback or what they considered to be a valid reason during layoff periods.

And then comes the silence.

Many employees don't speak about their experiences. Some move on quietly. Others choose not to risk future opportunities.

There have also been reports and discussions surrounding large-scale layoffs in recent years. Yet, for many affected employees, the biggest frustration isn't necessarily the decision itself it's the lack of communication and closure that often follows.

I'd genuinely like to hear about this from Aditya Mangla and Deepinder Goyal.

The Corporate Reality

From the outside:

- Cool culture

- Fun Fridays

- Motivational posts

- Office photos

- Corporate branding

From the inside, for many employees:

- Burnout

- Constant pressure

- Uncertainty

- Lack of transparency

- Feeling unheard

I'm not writing this out of bitterness.

I'm writing this because workplaces should be held accountable for the gap between what they advertise and what employees experience.

Every organization has challenges. The question is whether employees are allowed to speak about them without fear.

It's time we stop celebrating workplace culture based solely on LinkedIn posts and start listening to the people behind the screens.

Written by a former employee who signed an offer letter expecting an opportunity and walked away with a very different experience.

Let's talk about the legendary "Happy Culture" everyone sees on LinkedIn.

The bean bags. The Fun Fridays. The smiling HR reels. The "we are family" captions.

Now, let's talk about the culture many employees say they experience.

The 10-Hour "Happy" Shift

Ten-hour shifts. Six mandatory peak hours. Every minute monitored.

Take a two-minute washroom break? Somehow, it becomes four minutes on the reports.

Because apparently:

2 minutes × Corporate Logic = Performance Discussion

Fun Friday  But Not for Everyone

Fun Fridays are meant to boost morale.

Except many associates experience them through Instagram stories while handling customer chats.

Apparently, happiness is an invitation-only event.

Customer Abuse: Just Another Ticket

Employees are expected to maintain professionalism regardless of what comes their way.

Abuse. Threats. Personal attacks.

Sometimes, all you receive in return is a reminder to "handle it better."

Internal Movement: The Promise That Never Arrives

"You'll get promoted soon."

"Movement is happening."

"Let's revisit this next month."

Months pass, responsibilities increase, but titles and recognition remain the same.

You continue doing higher-level work while officially remaining where you started.

And when you ask questions?

"If you're unhappy, you're free to leave."

The Reality of CC2, CC3, and CC4

Handling multiple chats simultaneously while maintaining response time targets is demanding.

Miss a timer by a few seconds?

\- Pressure.

\- Warnings.

\- Conversations.

Yet, recognition often remains a distant possibility.

The Part Nobody Talks About

Talk to employees who've spent months on the floor.

Many will tell you they're happy.

But it's often the kind of happiness where you sit quietly before your shift starts and wonder:

"How much longer can I keep doing this?"

ATL (Asked to Leave)

My favorite part?

More than 2,000 employees were reportedly asked to leave without what they felt were valid reasons.

Walking into the office ready to give your best, logging into your system, and immediately receiving a Slack message:

"Please come to the meeting room."

A conversation follows.

Sometimes, employees feel that decisions affecting their careers are made without enough transparency. Questions remain unanswered. Proof feels insufficient. Decisions feel final.

The same, many would argue, happened to more than 2,000 employees at Eternal, who were asked to leave without feedback or what they considered to be a valid reason during layoff periods.

And then comes the silence.

Many employees don't speak about their experiences. Some move on quietly. Others choose not to risk future opportunities.

There have also been reports and discussions surrounding large-scale layoffs in recent years. Yet, for many affected employees, the biggest frustration isn't necessarily the decision itself it's the lack of communication and closure that often follows.

I'd genuinely like to hear about this from Aditya Mangla and Deepinder Goyal.

The Corporate Reality

From the outside:

\- Cool culture

\- Fun Fridays

\- Motivational posts

\- Office photos

\- Corporate branding

From the inside, for many employees:

\- Burnout

\- Constant pressure

\- Uncertainty

\- Lack of transparency

\- Feeling unheard

I'm not writing this out of bitterness.

I'm writing this because workplaces should be held accountable for the gap between what they advertise and what employees experience.

Every organization has challenges. The question is whether employees are allowed to speak about them without fear.

It's time we stop celebrating workplace culture based solely on LinkedIn posts and start listening to the people behind the screens.

Written by a former employee who signed an offer letter expecting an opportunity and walked away with a very different experience.

Let's talk about the legendary "Happy Culture" everyone sees on LinkedIn.

The bean bags. The Fun Fridays. The smiling HR reels. The "we are family" captions.

Now, let's talk about the culture many employees say they experience.

The 10-Hour "Happy" Shift

Ten-hour shifts. Six mandatory peak hours. Every minute monitored.

Take a two-minute washroom break? Somehow, it becomes four minutes on the reports.

Because apparently:

2 minutes × Corporate Logic = Performance Discussion

Fun Friday  But Not for Everyone

Fun Fridays are meant to boost morale.

Except many associates experience them through Instagram stories while handling customer chats.

Apparently, happiness is an invitation-only event.

Customer Abuse: Just Another Ticket

Employees are expected to maintain professionalism regardless of what comes their way.

Abuse. Threats. Personal attacks.

Sometimes, all you receive in return is a reminder to "handle it better."

Internal Movement: The Promise That Never Arrives

"You'll get promoted soon."

"Movement is happening."

"Let's revisit this next month."

Months pass, responsibilities increase, but titles and recognition remain the same.

You continue doing higher-level work while officially remaining where you started.

And when you ask questions?

"If you're unhappy, you're free to leave."

The Reality of CC2, CC3, and CC4

Handling multiple chats simultaneously while maintaining response time targets is demanding.

Miss a timer by a few seconds?

- Pressure.

- Warnings.

- Conversations.

Yet, recognition often remains a distant possibility.

The Part Nobody Talks About

Talk to employees who've spent months on the floor.

Many will tell you they're happy.

But it's often the kind of happiness where you sit quietly before your shift starts and wonder:

"How much longer can I keep doing this?"

ATL (Asked to Leave)

My favorite part?

More than 2,000 employees were reportedly asked to leave without what they felt were valid reasons.

Walking into the office ready to give your best, logging into your system, and immediately receiving a Slack message:

"Please come to the meeting room."

A conversation follows.

Sometimes, employees feel that decisions affecting their careers are made without enough transparency. Questions remain unanswered. Proof feels insufficient. Decisions feel final.

The same, many would argue, happened to more than 2,000 employees at Eternal, who were asked to leave without feedback or what they considered to be a valid reason during layoff periods.

And then comes the silence.

Many employees don't speak about their experiences. Some move on quietly. Others choose not to risk future opportunities.

There have also been reports and discussions surrounding large-scale layoffs in recent years. Yet, for many affected employees, the biggest frustration isn't necessarily the decision itself it's the lack of communication and closure that often follows.

I'd genuinely like to hear about this from Aditya Mangla and Deepinder Goyal.

The Corporate Reality

From the outside:

- Cool culture

- Fun Fridays

- Motivational posts

- Office photos

- Corporate branding

From the inside, for many employees:

- Burnout

- Constant pressure

- Uncertainty

- Lack of transparency

- Feeling unheard

I'm not writing this out of bitterness.

I'm writing this because workplaces should be held accountable for the gap between what they advertise and what employees experience.

Every organization has challenges. The question is whether employees are allowed to speak about them without fear.

It's time we stop celebrating workplace culture based solely on LinkedIn posts and start listening to the people behind the screens.

Written by a former employee who signed an offer letter expecting an opportunity and walked away with a very different experience.

I completed my MBA in Finance and started my professional journey in customer support at Zomato, where I worked for about 1.8 years. Recently, I resigned because I always wanted to build my career in finance, which is my core field.

However, after spending nearly two years in a completely different domain, I feel like I've forgotten a lot of the concepts and I'm unsure about the best way to get back on track.

I would really appreciate some guidance from people who have made similar transitions or work in the finance industry:

Which courses would you recommend to refresh my finance knowledge (e.g., Financial Modelling, Excel, SQL, Power BI, NISM, etc.)?

Which finance roles should I target as someone trying to re-enter the field?

Are there any good consultancies or placement agencies that can help candidates land finance-related jobs?

Any tips on how to explain this career switch during interviews?

I'm willing to put in the effort and upskill myself, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to start. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I completed my MBA in Finance and started my professional journey in customer support at Zomato, where I worked for about 1.8 years. Recently, I resigned because I always wanted to build my career in finance, which is my core field.

However, after spending nearly two years in a completely different domain, I feel like I've forgotten a lot of the concepts and I'm unsure about the best way to get back on track.

I would really appreciate some guidance from people who have made similar transitions or work in the finance industry:

Which courses would you recommend to refresh my finance knowledge (e.g., Financial Modelling, Excel, SQL, Power BI, NISM, etc.)?

Which finance roles should I target as someone trying to re-enter the field?

Are there any good consultancies or placement agencies that can help candidates land finance-related jobs?

Any tips on how to explain this career switch during interviews?

I'm willing to put in the effort and upskill myself, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to start. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I completed my MBA in Finance and started my professional journey in customer support at Zomato, where I worked for about 1.8 years. Recently, I resigned because I always wanted to build my career in finance, which is my core field.

However, after spending nearly two years in a completely different domain, I feel like I've forgotten a lot of the concepts and I'm unsure about the best way to get back on track.

I would really appreciate some guidance from people who have made similar transitions or work in the finance industry:

Which courses would you recommend to refresh my finance knowledge (e.g., Financial Modelling, Excel, SQL, Power BI, NISM, etc.)?

Which finance roles should I target as someone trying to re-enter the field?

Are there any good consultancies or placement agencies that can help candidates land finance-related jobs?

Any tips on how to explain this career switch during interviews?

I'm willing to put in the effort and upskill myself, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to start. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou in advance

I completed my MBA in Finance and started my professional journey in customer support at Zomato, where I worked for about 1.8 years. Recently, I resigned because I always wanted to build my career in finance, which is my core field.

However, after spending nearly two years in a completely different domain, I feel like I've forgotten a lot of the concepts and I'm unsure about the best way to get back on track.

I would really appreciate some guidance from people who have made similar transitions or work in the finance industry:

Which courses would you recommend to refresh my finance knowledge (e.g., Financial Modelling, Excel, SQL, Power BI, NISM, etc.)?

Which finance roles should I target as someone trying to re-enter the field?

Are there any good consultancies or placement agencies that can help candidates land finance-related jobs?

Any tips on how to explain this career switch during interviews?

I'm willing to put in the effort and upskill myself, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to start. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.