Assalaam Alaikum Auntie, 
I am a 29-year-old girl from Karachi. I belong to a poor family. Six months ago, I left my job at the airport because of the tough conditions that I was facing there. I thought that, being well-educated and having done my postgraduation in history, I would find a better job.

Unfortunately, for the last six months, I have been struggling to find a better job. Now, I have given up on my job search and I am thinking about rejoining my difficult job at the airport again, at a better rank, but I am worried about what people will say. Please guide me!

‘Is Returning to My Old Job My Failure?’

Job Seeker
Waalaikum Assalaam Job Seeker, Let me be upfront with you, love. You don’t owe anyone an explanation about why you rejoined a job.

Here’s how I see it: you were working hard at a difficult job at the airport. It became too much and you left it, hoping that you would find a better job. You applied to many places but things did not work out. It happens and it is not the end of the world. That’s life. It takes a lot of courage to walk away from a difficult job and it takes even more courage to return with your head high.

You are not going backwards. You are actually very lucky that your previous employers are still willing to offer you a job. What’s the alternative? Sitting at home worrying about what people who don’t pay your bills are going to say?

And the reality is that if you had landed a fancy easy desk job with a two-day weekend and high salary, the same people would have had something to say about that, too. People talk. They always do. And the best way to deal with that is to let them. You go build your future.

Take the job. Turn a deaf ear to naysayers and own your decision. Also, this needs to be said again and again in our country: there is dignity in any work that you do with honesty. Whether it’s at an airport, in a classroom or in a shop. If you are showing up to work and putting in the effort, you are already several miles ahead of people who sit around doing nothing and think passing judgement is a form of work.

You are working for your independence and for your future. Maybe, you are even supporting your family. That takes a lot of guts. And if you are returning to your old job, you are also rising to a better rank. How is that going backwards? In fact, it is levelling up.

Also, who says you will be stuck working at the airport forever? Take this job because it has been offered to you, to keep you going while you work towards your next position. There’s no rule stopping you from applying to other places. You can grow here and even shift careers later. Nothing is fixed, especially not at 29.

I encourage you to move forward. Take on the difficult job and do it with grace. It is much better than sitting and waiting for permission to live your life.

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in crisis and/or feeling suicidal, please go to your nearest emergency room and seek medical help immediately.

Auntie will not reply privately to any query. Please send concise queries to: auntieagni@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 20th, 2025