SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget

5 years in my first job (28M//18LPA) and got an offer for 68LPA

Saw my first job offer letter today after 5 years of working at IBM because I wanted to show my nephew who is starting college how it looked(he had asked for it). The blue logo, weirdly reminded me of a time when everyone around me was jumping ships for quick hikes, while I chose a different path.

My friends would usually say something along the lines of:

  1. "You're wasting your potential."
  2. " Pranav from our batch is already at 25 LPA"
  3. "Big companies will make you slow"

But I saw something they didn't.

When seniors in my team were solving problems that affected enterprise users, I chose to be the quiet guy understanding how things work and ;positioned myself in the most technical roles possible. When my batchmates were updating their job titles every 8 months, I got various opportunities to publish patents in USPTO which IBM rewards with financial rewards. While others chased startup money, I wanted to build the right narrative for my career.

Honestly?

From a naive fresher to someone who now leads critical projects was actually very chill. It was built in silent moments and hard work. Two instances really jump out to me:

  1. Those late night debugging sessions with my first manager.
  2. The embarrassing mistakes in early client meetings that taught me more than any course.

The salary grew from 6LPA to 18 LPA in big jumps, but I still feel it did not match my real growth. Each increment felt earned, not negotiated. Today, when freshers join our team and look at me with the same eyes I once had, I see myself in them. When clients specifically ask for "that IBM guy who built this library," I realize stability wasn't a weakness, it was my biggest strength.

After 5 years, I got an unexpected call from a FAANG recruiter. Initial conversations led to interviews, and then I received an offer for 68 LPA. I want to tell you something nobody talks about the power of being patient and building deep expertise.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - there's no "right" path. Some of my friends who jumped jobs earlier are doing incredibly well too. But if you're someone who's feeling the pressure to switch jobs just because "everyone else is doing it", DONT. Build your story. Make it compelling. The money will follow.

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4mo ago
724views
GroovyBagel
GroovyBagel
SAP4mo

Thanks for posting this.
Otherwise I only see posts like- "I have 2 YOE with 30LPA salary, is it less?".

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

I just wanted to show what is really possible, and no hopium

PeppyKoala
PeppyKoala
SAP4mo

🤣🤣🤣 I am there with u

SquishyQuokka
SquishyQuokka

This actually is the reality that most of these ZIRP era Gen-Z babies wouldn't get.

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

There is exactly right

GoofyRaccoon
GoofyRaccoon

It's all random.

I've seen people achieving greater hieghts by switching jobs as well. We must know when to stay or leave a job

we just need to know the correct place to stay and work on your skills.

Everyone takes their own bets and I'm happy it worked out for you.

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

Thank you so much. I completely agree with you. What you are saying right now.

SillyPenguin
SillyPenguin

Yeah, totally agree. But learning technology is always better the simply switching for higher pay.

Helps to cope up with layoffs. The junior folks I talk to just plan to switch every year, they don't understand shit.

JumpyPretzel
JumpyPretzel

Wow!! Great. Congratulations man, this is some real shit! 👏👏

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

Thank you very much

PeppyTaco
PeppyTaco

Congratulations..

FluffyKoala
FluffyKoala

Don't you think you are an outlier? I haven't heard many such stories

FluffyKoala
FluffyKoala

Congratulations though, consistency/hardwork always pays off

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

I wouldn’t say that. I know many people who went to CMU, NEU, Columbia, UT Austin, UWash, UofTo, UBC etc for MS/PhD with similar profiles

WigglyRaccoon
WigglyRaccoon

What’s your motivation to stay there for 5 years from starting as fresher??

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

I really wanted to understand the fundamentals behind what it really means to work at a company with greater resources and potentially maximal upside in growth

DizzyKoala
DizzyKoala

68 LPA break up please? Base? Stocks per year?

New Company name?

What's the whole point of your post? Kehna kya chahte ho??

FuzzyNarwhal
FuzzyNarwhal

I suppose you did not understand what he is trying to say in this post. It was never about CTC or anything like that. Not every story ends up with how much you are making in the end. Build your own path to success.

CosmicBurrito
CosmicBurrito

He's a clown who thinks he's better than others because others "solve issues" while he "understands" systems. It's ok to brag but don't put others down while doing it.

FluffyLlama
FluffyLlama

I'd love know your skillset so that I and many others like me can pave our career path

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

Yeah, for sure, tensorflow, PyTorch, pandas, cudf, cublas, cudnn, TensorRT is what I use.

Core skill set, Applied CS+Math+Stats

FluffyLlama
FluffyLlama

Thanks

DancingNoodle
DancingNoodle

This is really a nicely written piece, I can affirm that this is not written by chatgpt , which is good, love it for authenticity

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

I dont know if that’s a compliment or not but still thank you very much.

DancingNoodle
DancingNoodle

It's a compliment man! And a very positive one

JazzyBurrito
JazzyBurrito

You could have done the same thing without all of that hassle by just mugging up leetcode. That's what gets asked anyway. And FAANG recruiters keep mailing us anyway as well

SwirlyNugget
SwirlyNugget
IBM4mo

My role is less LC and more Data Science and Applied AI heavy. Patents and Research >>> Random ass case studies or LC medium.

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