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Background Employment is a significant stepping stone towards recovery for persons with severe mental illness. In the last two decades there has been increasing focus on obtaining professional courses and degrees for employment in India. Aim To understand the challenges faced by persons with severe mental illness with professional degrees in obtaining and maintaining employment. Methods We interviewed 31 individuals with severe mental illness, who had professional degrees, using qualitative interviews. These interviews explored factors that facilitated as well as those that hindered the process of obtaining and sustaining jobs. Results Factors that were identified as facilitators for obtaining and maintaining employment included personal strengths, social support, accommodative work environment, disclosure, support from mental health professionals and services. Factors that were identified as hindering for obtaining and maintaining employment included symptoms of the illness, side effects of medications, stigma, poor social support, academic underachievement, disjointed work history, poor workplace environment and specific cultural, gender issues. Conclusion Factors such as workplace accommodations, creating an environment that is permissive of disclosure, using family support and support from mental health professionals will facilitate employment. Addressing factors that hinder such as stigma, academic under-achievement, improving workplace environments, social support will also be important in vocational recovery.