Advice from someone who went from 8LPA to 84LPA in a decade

I saw the IBM post on Grapevine, and seeing the positive response felt the urge to share my story as well. I tried finding my old offer letters, but I couldn't because I lost that email account.

For the first 4 years of my career, I worked in IT companies. My roles were less than stellar. I had a nasty smoking addiction, and honestly, I was probably wasting my life away. This changed when I joined Deloitte.

While going through some old files, I finally found my offer letter from Deloitte. It was from 6 years ago, 16LPA (with a 1L signing bonus I was so thrilled about back then). Looking back, I never imagined I’d be where I am now, working at Google, with 84LPA CTC.

When I first joined Deloitte, the excitement of a signing bonus and the thrill of joining a Big 4 firm were more than enough. I had no grand plan, just a desire to learn and improve. Over the years, my journey took me through moments of doubt, endless learning, and unexpected growth.

A few pieces of advice I’d like to share for anyone building their career:

1. Growth is Never Linear. If it Is, You’re at the Wrong Place

Early in my career, I felt behind. Friends who jumped into startups, management consulting, or fast-growing roles like Product Management would talk about their rapid raises and big titles. I didn’t feel like I was falling behind, but I’d sometimes wonder if my slower path would pay off.

In the end, eventually, your intrinsic value catches up with your market value. If you have a high-paying job but don’t provide value that matches it, then sooner or later you will have to concede to a lower job offer.

Similarly, if you are underpaid right now but bring real skills and value to an organization, then you are bound to achieve a great offer down the line. So focus on adding value, money will follow.

1. Specialize, but More Broadly

In each role, I focused on understanding the business deeply, working on projects that pushed my skills, and staying updated with industry trends.

Moving to different companies at key points helped me diversify my expertise without losing depth.

Know when to stay and when to go. It's hard, but you get better with age.

1. Networking is Underrated

I realized this very late, honestly, it took me 6 years to figure this out. I made it a point to connect with mentors, those who had navigated similar paths or who excelled in areas I admired.

Those conversations don’t have to be formal; sometimes it was just a chat near the watercooler, sometimes a quick Slack message.

But those relationships brought insights and encouragement I couldn’t have found alone.

1. Negotiate, but also out-deliver anyone

I’m a BIGGG believer in fair negotiation; if you bring value, know your worth.

However, each pay raise or promotion felt meaningful only when I felt my contribution matched it.

The most satisfying moments weren’t just about the LPA numbers but the challenges I’d overcome and the projects I was proud of.

This is something I feel goes wrong when people glorify salary numbers but not impact on platforms like Quora, Reddit, and even Grapevine. Don’t seek validation; make your own path.

So here I am, ten years later, looking at this piece of paper from Deloitte that marked my start.

It’s a reminder of the journey, one filled with doubt, hard work, and quiet growth.

To anyone who’s just starting or feels behind in their career, know that there’s no “one right way.” Every career path has its own twists. All I can hope is that this was helpful to you.