Techie reveals how his salary grew from Rs 2.16 LPA to Rs 92.5 LPA in 9 years

India Today

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A 31-year-old techie shared his journey in a now-viral Reddit post, detailing how he went from earning Rs 2.16 LPA to Rs 92.5 LPA in just 9 years.Sharing his story on the subreddit 'r/Indian_Flex', the user titled his post 'My 9 Years in Corporate', offering a glimpse of his professional growth. The now-viral post outlines how he went from being a B.Tech graduate from a tier-3 college in 2016 to earning nearly 43 times his starting salary.advertisementIn his post, he wrote that he landed his first job straight after graduation, earning Rs 2.16 LPA through mass hiring, and began training in Java. Reflecting on that time, he recalled, 'I still remember how my cousin, who runs a retail store in our hometown, laughed and said, I'll pay you more to work in my store as a salesperson. That stung. I was honestly embarrassed at the time.'
By 2017, he had received two salary hikes, first to Rs 3.35 LPA at the same company, and then to Rs 6.5 LPA after switching to a frontend role in a product-based company.Later that year, he was earning 7.3 LPA but admitted struggling with interviews, as his experience was limited to the work done in his previous job. Eventually, he settled at a company offering Rs 9.75 LPA and stopped job hunting altogether. 'I was getting a good hike, got comfortable with the job and stopped appearing for interviews—also because I couldn't crack any,' he wrote.In 2020, although he secured a raise to Rs 12.5 LPA, he said that bonuses and perks were missing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This motivated him to start learning again and prepare for interviews.His career trajectory picked up from there. By making a few smart switches, his salary jumped from Rs 25 LPA in 2020 to Rs 60.8 LPA in 2024. However, due to the company's poor performance and eventual layoffs, he took a break and went on vacation. On returning, he began applying again.Six months ago, he interviewed once more, this time with minimal preparation, and landed a role with a package of Rs 92.5 LPA.'This year has been wild. I've started making more in a day than I used to make in a month at my first job. My cousin, the same one who mocked me, now wants me to invest in his shop. He even tells his kids to 'be like chachu.' Not gonna lie, that hits different,' he added in his post.The techie also said that he neither attended prestigious institutes like IIT nor had influential connections. 'This didn't happen overnight. No IIT, no big references. Just kept grinding, switching smartly, and learning along the way. It took 9 long years. I truly believe I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,' he added. He ended his post with a message to those starting or feeling stuck: 'It can get better. Stick to it.'advertisementTake a look at the post here:The comments section was soon flooded with admiration and support. 'Whoa, man! You did great. Congratulations on your success,' one user said, while another added, 'This is wonderful, congratulations.'Some users were also curious about how he managed to convince employers despite multiple switches.One of the users asked, 'If you switch so much, how do you convince HR that you'll stay and not leave in a few months?' The techie replied, 'I have hardly made three switches in nine years. I've spent close to four years each at two companies. The third switch was only this year. The company I spent the least time at shut down, so I had to move on.'The post has resonated with many social media users, sparking conversations about how perseverance and career growth go hand in hand.- Ends
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