Chasing money or skills? What paid off at the end?

0-3 years I would say skills, thats the time you are building you foundation, this might not be true for all but for most I think it should be. If you are really stuck in some service company and legacy obscure technology, this will be a tricky situation as the skills you learn its application in different companies will be limited.

For people starting with general programming languages and tech stacks, building the foundation will help command a premium even in bad market, again ignoring all those all talks no knowledge ppl because they always get top money and positions someway or the other, they have the art of selling themselves skills which normal engineer doesn’t have.

Have worked with ppl who switched every 7-9 months and reached 35-40 LPA in less than 5 years, getting laid off and finding it really difficult to get job because even basic understanding are missing.

Should alter the choice during switches.

If a switch is taken for money then next switch should be for skill or promotion and so on

Always chasing great work experience.
Worked out for me always.

Ended up giving me the money and company and career growth I desired

I'll give my example. When i joined after my graduation, high package was more important than good work, first 5 years after graduation is the time where i have to accumulate as much as i can to buy a car, buy own house and have more than needed amount laying in my bank, if i have all these then only someone gonna say YES to get marry to me, no one wants to marry a poor guy, this was important for my family too as they lived whole their life with almost no money so want to give them better life as early as possible before they get too old.

also having maximum money early is important so that i get the benefit of compounding later.

Chasing skills that "pay money"

Grinding Leetcode paid off the most

If your core focus is on money, you would be able to figure out all the factors involved and various skills (not just tech), brand, nature of experience (depth + breadth).

Advice coming from someone who is at 1 cr cash annually. During covid times, it was 1.8cr cash annually with all of the side projects included. ESOPs are not considered here.

For me pre COVID, 1 Lakh/month was enough But now even 2.5Lakhs seems low. Just my state of mind got changed.

Chase good work experience, good companies and Money.

The pressure will make you acquire skills.

You may even skill yourself at a bad company or at a low paying job but the pressure a good pay work environment gives will make you upskill better.

If you're starting with a salary between 9-12 LPA in Bangalore, Delhi, or Hyderabad, focus on honing your skills rather than just chasing money. The real rewards come to those who can solve problems with their tech smarts and sharp minds.

If your salary falls below this range, consider moving to a similar company that values your skill set. Early in your career, it's important to avoid money worries and focus on building a strong foundation for your future.

With a salary of 9-12 LPA, you can enjoy a decent or even comfortable lifestyle in these cities. Discover your passion and work hard towards it while making sure your basics are solid.

Once you feel confident in your abilities and ready to tackle industry challenges in your chosen field, consider making a move to a position that offers both satisfaction and a good salary.