I'm 61 and can't find a job. I've drained my savings and started a GoFundMe to help pay the bills.

Gautam Dev turned to gig work after struggling to find another full-time tech job.

Gautam Dev Gautam Dev worked in tech for more than two decades before quitting his job in 2024.

Two years of job hunting later, he's still without a full-time role.

The 61-year-old is struggling to afford rent and is considering leaving the US.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gautam Dev, a 61-year-old job seeker in Dallas.

He previously worked as a software engineer before resigning in 2024.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2024, while working as a software engineer for an IT company in Dallas, I was told I'd have to relocate to another state to keep my job.

That September, I decided to quit my job, stay in Dallas, and look for a new role .

That decision became a disaster.

I didn't realize how difficult finding another job would be I'd worked in the IT industry for more than two decades and had gaps of a few months between jobs before, but I was always able to find another one.

This time has been completely different.

I never expected to still be without full-time work nearly two years later.

After I resigned, I didn't immediately start seriously searching for another job, but I soon began applying, mostly to jobs through LinkedIn.