My Journey of Struggling to Get a Teaching Job in India (And What Finally Went Right)

I never planned on becoming a teacher. In India, everyone assumes teachers come from arts or science. I chose commerce. Back then, I thought I’d end up in a bank, maybe somewhere behind a desk crunching numbers. Life had a different script in mind.

My Journey of Struggling to Get a Teaching Job in India (And What Finally Went Right)

The truth is, my teaching journey didn’t begin in a college classroom. It began inside a small Sunday school room in my local church. Ten years of working with children there showed me a kind of peace I didn’t feel anywhere else. I didn’t label it a calling back then, but something about those little interactions lingered. Their questions, their curiosity, their trust — it stayed with me.

I only understood the weight of that feeling much later, after the rejections, the tears, and the long season of waiting.

When the Job Market Didn’t Feel Like Home

Once I completed my commerce degree, reality hit. The job market was brutal. The offers that did come in were barely enough to cover travel. One company offered me eight thousand rupees a month. I’d have spent almost a third of it just reaching the office.

But the strangest thing wasn’t the low salaries. It was the feeling in those offices.

I remember sitting in the waiting area of one company, waiting for my turn to be interviewed. Everyone around me was glued to their screens, typing numbers, updating spreadsheets, rushing through calls about clients and targets. I felt like I’d walked into a world built for someone else.

When one company finally offered me a “proper” job with a decent salary, I surprised myself. I asked for a day to think about it. On my way home in the Mumbai local, my stomach tightened. Something felt off. I didn’t have the language for it then, but looking back, it was simple:

I couldn’t become a machine among the machines.

That unease stayed with me all the way home. I sat down, opened my laptop, and typed out an apology declining the offer. Everyone said I was being impulsive. Maybe I was. Maybe it was the only brave thing I did that year.

Those next few months were full of questions. What am I supposed to do now? Where do I go from here? Somewhere in that confusion, I started writing online. Blogging felt like breathing. And slowly, a thought began taking shape:

Maybe I’m meant to teach.

Deciding to Give Teaching a Real Chance

I began looking up how to pursue a B.Ed. I started preparing for the entrance exam. I didn’t bother thinking about my commerce background — why would it matter? Teaching is about skill and heart, not streams.

I cleared the entrance with excellent marks.

For a moment, I thought the hardest part was over.

It wasn’t.

The real struggle was just beginning.

When Colleges Shut Their Doors (Just Because I Was from Commerce)

I started applying to B.Ed colleges, excited and optimistic. One by one, the rejections rolled in.

Not because my marks were bad.

Not because I lacked experience.

Not because I wasn’t capable.

Just because I came from commerce.

Some rejections were polite. Some were blunt. The message was the same:

Commerce students don’t belong here.

It felt absurd. Almost offensive.

I had a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, excellent marks — and yet I was treated like I was trying to sneak into a place I didn’t deserve.

Finally, after what felt like an endless cycle of disappointment, one college accepted me. Just one. I grabbed that chance and walked in with everything I had.

Those two years of the B.Ed program brought their own ups and downs — enough to fill another entire blog post — but I survived it. I learned. I grew. And I was ready to work.

Or at least I thought I was.

Placement Season: Watching Everyone Else Get Picked First

As the program neared its end, schools began hiring. One by one, my classmates from arts and science backgrounds got placed. Some walked into incredible packages. Some had offers lined up before the final exams ended.

Those of us from commerce?

Some got in. Some waited.

I waited.

One month.

Then two.

Then four.

Nothing.

Not a single school wanted to interview me. I wasn’t expecting a high salary. I was ready to work for a very minimal pay scale. All I wanted was a chance.

I remember one evening when everything finally hit me. I locked myself in my room and cried until my chest hurt. You know that kind of crying where you’re not just sad — you feel stupid? That was me. I kept hearing the voices of the people who called me indecisive, who said I was wasting time and money.

And the worst part?

Some classmates with lower marks and weaker skills got hired before me. I shouldn’t say this, but that reality stung.

I applied everywhere — Mumbai, Thane, Vasai-Virar. I still have some of those rejection emails saved.

The Interview That Changed Everything

One day, out of desperation, I asked a neighbour who worked in a CBSE school to submit my resume to her principal. I wasn’t hoping for much. I just wanted an interview. A chance to show who I am, not what stream I'm from.

That principal called me in.

She listened. She asked real questions.

She looked at me like a teacher, not a commerce student pretending to be one.

Before I left, she gave me one piece of advice I carry even today:

If you make a mistake, don’t hide it. Be upfront. Tell me you made a mistake. We’re all learning. How you handle it matters more than anything else.

When they offered me the job, I cried again — but this time it felt like all the weight I’d been carrying finally fell off.

I started teaching middle school math and English.

Walking into that classroom for the first time, seeing those excited little faces… it felt like coming home.

What Went Wrong (And Why It Hurt So Much)

Let’s break this down honestly:

1. A rigid system

India still treats certain degrees as “right” and everything else as wrong. Teaching is a victim of that mindset.

2. Lack of awareness

I didn’t know how the system worked. I didn’t know commerce was considered “unfit” for teaching roles.

3. Poor guidance

No one told me that choosing commerce might shut doors if I ever wanted to teach.

4. Bias in hiring

Some schools wouldn’t even interview commerce graduates. It wasn’t personal, but it felt deeply personal.

5. Self-doubt

After months of sitting in silence waiting for calls, you start believing you’re the problem.

What Went Right (And Why I’m Grateful)

1. One principal saw potential

She valued honesty, willingness to learn, and skill — not paperwork.

2. My Sunday school years mattered

Those years shaped my comfort in a classroom long before I knew it.

3. The corporate confusion pushed me toward clarity

If I had forced myself into that world, I would’ve lost myself.

4. My students became my anchor

The hugs, the excitement, the random “ma’am, you look so pretty today,” the accidental “mom” — nothing in corporate life can match that.

What I Wish New Teachers Knew

If you’re struggling to get a teaching job in India, here’s what I want you to remember:

• Your background doesn’t define your ability to teach

• One yes can change your entire life

• Schools that judge you by your degree aren’t schools you want to grow in

• Teaching requires heart, presence, humility — not just the “right” stream

• The wait feels endless until it ends

• Your students will make every rejection worth it

And most importantly:

Your calling doesn’t always appear at the perfect time. Sometimes it finds you after you’ve tried everything else.

Key Takeaways

• It’s possible to become a teacher even with a non-traditional background

• Rejections can come from bias, not incompetence

• One supportive mentor or principal can shift your entire path

• Teaching isn’t just a career choice — it’s a space where you grow with your students

• If you feel out of place in corporate life, you’re not alone

FAQs

Can commerce students become teachers in India?

Yes, but the process can be harder because of outdated biases. With the right qualifications and training, commerce graduates can absolutely build strong teaching careers.

Why do schools prefer arts or science graduates?

Tradition and old hiring patterns. Many schools still believe certain degrees fit certain subjects, even though teaching skill is far more important.

Is a B.Ed enough to get a teaching job?

A B.Ed opens the door, but interviews, skill, communication, and the right school environment matter just as much.

How do I handle rejection while applying for teaching jobs?

Keep applying, keep learning, and don’t measure your worth by one school’s opinion. Sometimes the right school takes time.