Mumbai woman quits ₹1 crore job to take up cleaning work in Melbourne: ‘Money means options... happiness’

A Mumbai woman has spoken about the importance of being financially independent, irrespective of the profession you are in. The woman, who goes by the name Shweta Desai opened up about how she had to switch from her lucrative job in London to cleaning Airbnb apartments in Melbourne.

Before relocating to Melbourne in 2023, she shared that she had been working as Head of Product for a major commercial business website in London and had built a successful career over 15 years in the UK.

However, after moving to Melbourne in late 2023, it became difficult for her to secure a similar role.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, she said the transition from a corporate leadership role to manual work forced her to rethink how deeply she had tied her identity to her career.

“The job market in Melbourne is very different, so I couldn’t find what I wanted,” she explained.

Unable to find work in her field, she accepted the first opportunity that came her way — managing Airbnb apartments, which involved cleaning rooms, handling laundry, and responding to guest queries.

Reflecting on the transition, Shweta admitted that she initially felt completely lost.

“I went from Head of Product in London to cleaning apartments in Melbourne,” she said in her Instagram video. “And for a long time I thought I’d lost myself completely.”

Originally from Mumbai, Shweta had moved to London for higher studies in 2008 and spent over a decade building a successful professional and personal life there.

By 2023, she was reportedly earning close to £100,000 annually — roughly ₹1 crore — before leaving everything behind after her husband secured a job in Melbourne.

How did the move change her lifestyle?

Shweta said relocating to Australia significantly altered her lifestyle and financial independence.

“In London, she had clothes in her wardrobe. She had six or seven pairs of shoes, branded makeup, handbags. She lived life queen size,” she told HT.

“The title. The salary. The wardrobe. It was all gone.”

She recalled feeling emotionally exhausted and disconnected during the period when she was unemployed.

“The person who remained was like a shell,” she said. “She was bending over backwards for everyone, making sure that any needs that she had didn’t really get done, were not prioritised, were not asked. And it was bad.”

How did cleaning apartments help her reconnect with herself?

Despite the emotional toll, Shweta said the work unexpectedly became a turning point in her life.

“When nothing was working out in the job market, I picked up the first job that I found which was managing Airbnb apartments. This includes cleaning them, doing the linens, answering questions on their platform,” she explained.

Over time, the routine work helped her regain a sense of purpose.

“It’s a functional job. It gave me a small part of myself back, so I do it,” she said.

Today, besides managing apartments, she also teaches English to children and is building her own business and coaching practice.

What did she learn about identity and financial independence?

Shweta admitted that being unemployed deeply affected her confidence, especially when people asked about her profession.

“Everywhere we went, people would ask me, so what do you do? I didn't really have an answer,” she said.

“I would say stuff like, I'm figuring it out, I'm a housewife. And no disrespect to housewives, but I felt like I was putting on a mask.”

However, the experience also pushed her towards self-discovery.

“But here’s what nobody tells you about losing a career you worked fifteen years to build. When the title goes — you find out who you actually are underneath it. And I found someone I really like,” she said.

Shweta also reflected on the role money played in her life and how her understanding of financial independence has evolved.

“I’ve realised that money equals freedom,” she said. “It means not having to explain why a lip balm costs as much as it does!”

“Jokes apart, money means options, freedom and sometimes happiness too.”