{"id":9806,"date":"2026-08-07T16:19:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=9806"},"modified":"2026-08-07T16:19:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:19:38","slug":"work-life-balance-after-420-rejections-indian-woman-lands-new-york-job-but-refuses-to-let-it-define-her-life-my-career-is-something-i-do-its-not-who-i-am","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=9806","title":{"rendered":"Work-Life Balance: After 420 rejections, Indian woman lands New York job, but refuses to let it define her life: &#8216;My career is something I do; it\u2019s not who I am&#8217; |"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133035794,imgsize-296775,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg\" alt=\"After 420 rejections, Indian woman lands New York job, but refuses to let it define her life: 'My career is something I do; it\u2019s not who I am'\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>An Indian woman who landed her first job in New York after 420 rejections and visa struggles talks about something most professionals won\u2019t even dare to think of. In a video that is going viral on Instagram, Divya Bansal talks about landing her first job in New York.<!-- --> While she acknowledges that this is indeed a \u2018big deal\u2019, she doesn\u2019t let it define her life.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>\u201cAs an international student with limited options and visa struggles, I landed this job after 420 rejections. It\u2019s a big deal for me, but not so much that I make my life revolve around it,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>While she affirms that it is a \u2018dream come true\u2019 moment for her, she doesn\u2019t want it to be her whole life. \u201cThis dream also comes with a realisation that your job is a part of your identity, not your entire being.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Career is a part of life, and that\u2019s it<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Indian woman\u2019s New York job story goes viral\" msid=\"133035794\" width=\"\" title=\"\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-133035794\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>International students navigating the US job market face constraints their peers don\u2019t: sponsorship requirements, visa timelines, work authorisation limits, and the constant anxiety that one bad move could end the entire plan. Despite all the struggles, as she lands her dream job, the woman talks about the balance she wants in life.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>In a video recorded on her way to the office, she said, \u201cI got a job in New York and today is the first day of it, and here\u2019s the badass energy I\u2019m starting it with. Backstory: I landed this job one week after graduating from NYU as an international student. I applied to about 420 jobs, got three interviews and landed two, and in an economy where getting a job is tied to your self-worth, it is a big deal for me. But here\u2019s the energy I\u2019m starting my job with.<!-- --> This job is not my entire life; it\u2019s a part of a life that challenges me, helps me grow and pays my bills. But it\u2019s not my identity.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>Most career advice pivots here: land the job, pay dues, climb, repeat. <!-- -->Most of us are constantly pushed to make work the central organising principle of our adult lives. But Bansal wants a beautiful life outside the office too. She still wants to enjoy the little things that make her happy and make her life exciting.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>In the video, the woman talks about how she wants to cook her meals, continue her dance lessons, focus on her health, and live a life that is meant to be.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>\u201cI am going to make my work revolve around my life and not the other way around. <!-- -->I will still dance, I will go to the gym, I will cook the meals that make me happy and remind me of home. I will still make time for my loved ones who need me because the moment you start making work your entire identity, you start losing interest in it,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A deliberate life outside the office&lt;br&gt;\" msid=\"133035775\" width=\"\" title=\"\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-133035775\/a-deliberate-life-outside-the-officebr.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The woman also made one thing clear. She came to New York for a reason. \u201cI came to New York to build a life and not just a career. My career is something I do; it\u2019s not who I am and it\u2019s not what defines me.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>Check out the video here:<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>The Indian woman\u2019s video has garnered over 307k views in a matter of weeks, and the internet is absolutely loving it. One netizen expressed that her thoughts were \u2018inspiring\u2019. Another spoke about how it took her years to understand the very thing she just said: \u201cGood for you! It took me years to realise what you shared. Please \u2013 to all young people \u2013 live life positively (God first), then everything else. <!-- -->Work is not all that life should be about.<!-- --> Take time for you and your family.\u201d A third appreciated the woman for making it, and still not obsessing about it: \u201cWell done! That too in this economy. I can imagine your hustle. Commendable to point out that this is still not your whole life.\u201d A fourth told her how right she is: \u201cYou\u2019re so right. Career is just a part of your life. Wishing you all the best things ahead. 420 rejections. <!-- -->My God. That would have eaten up my self-esteem. But you did great.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>The video has sparked discussions about work\u2013life balance. Professional environments reward visible commitment, long hours, and the aesthetic of urgency. They reward people who make their job their whole life. And unfortunately, society tags along.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/life-style\/relationships\/work\/after-420-rejections-indian-woman-lands-new-york-job-but-refuses-to-let-it-define-her-life-my-career-is-something-i-do-its-not-who-i-am\/articleshow\/133035509.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Indian woman who landed her first job in New York after 420 rejections and visa struggles talks about something most professionals won\u2019t even dare to think of. In a video that is going viral on Instagram, Divya Bansal talks about landing her first job in New York. While she acknowledges that this is indeed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"An Indian woman who landed her first job in New York after 420 rejections and visa struggles talks about something most professionals won\u2019t even dare to think of. In a video that is going viral on Instagram, Divya Bansal talks about landing her first job in New York. While she acknowledges that this is indeed [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/indian-womans-new-york-job-story-goes-viral.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}