For many Telugu families living in the United States, the biggest concern today is no longer about settling abroad, but about the uncertain future of their children.
Parents who once believed that studying in America would automatically lead to a bright career are now seeing their children struggle even to secure internships or entry-level jobs.
The intense competition and slow job market have created anxiety in many NRI households. Even students with good academic records are finding it difficult to get opportunities.
Ramesh Reddy, an IT professional living in Dallas for nearly two decades, says the situation has changed drastically.
“When we came to the US in the early 2000s, there were plenty of opportunities. Now my son Arjun has applied to hundreds of companies for internships and still has no offer. It is very stressful for parents,” he said.
According to him, the old belief that a degree from a reputed university would automatically lead to employment is slowly fading.
Lakshmi Narayan and his wife Padma, who live in New Jersey, share similar concerns.
Their daughter Keerthi, who is studying business analytics, spends most of her evenings applying online for internships.
“Every posting has hundreds of applicants. Sometimes she gets rejection emails within minutes,” Padma said.
Students themselves say the pressure is enormous.
Rahul Varma, a graduate student in California, said, “Many entry-level roles are asking for experience. As fresh graduates, we don’t know how to compete with that.”
This means that even the children of NRIs who are US citizens are facing serious challenges.
But the situation is even tougher for Indian students who go to the US for higher education with dreams of getting internships and jobs.
For them, visa restrictions, limited opportunities, and intense competition are making things far more stressful.
“At least our children are citizens here,” said Ramesh Reddy. “But the pressure on Indian students who come with big dreams is much higher. Their worries are on another level.”
At the same time, parents living in India are also feeling the pressure because of the huge financial burden involved.
Tuition fees, living expenses, and student loans often run into tens of lakhs of rupees.
Srinivas Rao from Vijayawada said his family spent nearly ₹80 lakh on his daughter’s education.
“We believed it was the best investment for her future. Now she is struggling even to get internships. Naturally, we feel tense,” he said.
What is worrying many families even more is that some students are struggling even after doing internships and building professional contacts.
In many cases, even the networks they developed during internships are not helping them secure full-time jobs.
All of this reflects the harsh reality of the current job market, where even talented and qualified students are finding it difficult to get a proper start.
