A techie who once dreamt of earning just ₹ 30,000 per month shared the journey of the salary progression from ₹ 3 LPA to ₹ 20 LPA. Facing layoffs, low-tier college backgrounds, and tough salary negotiations, the individual shared their story online to inspire struggling IT professionals.
Explaining the educational background, the techie shared, “I’m from Uttar Pradesh, and growing up I was just an above-average student. I was never great at coding. I tried, but programming never came naturally to me. Imagine earning that much! That was my definition of success. I simply didn’t have that level of confidence. The techie landed the first job through campus placement but was laid off after just two months. By then, I had gained enough confidence to start interviewing again.
I completed my BCA from a Tier-3 college and later pursued an MCA. The individual recalled, “One thing I still remember from my teenage years was that my biggest dream was to earn ₹ 30,000 per month. I used to think, ‘That’s ₹ 1,000 a day. I never imagined earning ₹ 1 lakh a month. The person recalled, “I joined another small company and worked there for around 1.5 years. They added that after working at the company for over two years, they landed a role with ₹ 9.5 LPA at Capgemini.
Though they managed to get another job, the entire team was laid off due to the pandemic.
Explaining the salary progression, the person continued, “Eventually, I received an offer from one company that verbally promised ₹ 15 LPA, but after all the interview rounds, they offered only ₹ 12 LPA. Initially, I was told ₹ 17 LPA. After clearing every interview, HR reduced it to ₹ 16 LPA with a ₹ 1 lakh variable. The very next day, they called again saying management had approved only ₹ 15 LPA plus the same variable. That is when, the techie told the company that they have received a better offer and claimed that HCL later matched that ₹ 20 LPA offer. “My salary journey has looked like this: ₹ 3 LPA (Fresher) → ₹ 4 LPA → ₹ 9.5 LPA → ₹ 20 LPA.
Another company did something similar. Then HCL entered the picture. “You don’t have to be the smartest coder in the room. You don’t need perfect communication skills from day one. You might get rejected, laid off, put on a PIP, or made to feel like you’re not good enough. Just don’t stop learning, don’t stop interviewing, and don’t stop believing that your next opportunity can completely change your career. An individual wrote, “It’s tough to navigate IT sometimes, sharing your experience can really help others feel less alone. Another shared, “Nothing is impossible. A third posted, “You’ve been on quite a journey! If you’re still working on your coding skills, try focusing on projects or problems that interest you. It can make learning more enjoyable. Practice is important, so consider building small apps or tools.” (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
Labelling the journey as “not really extraordinary”, the person explained that it still may serve as an inspiration to someone who is struggling.
