In a motivating post for students and fresher techies amid widespread news of layoffs, AI and fewer tech jobs, a software professional from a Tier 3 lesser-known engineering college has shared how he increased his salary from ₹10 lakh per annum to ₹40 lakh per annum in just two years. The story, shared on Reddit, has struck a chord with young engineers trying to find their footing in India’s highly competitive tech job market.
‘Please never ever give up on your dreams’
The Reddit post, titled “From Tier 3 College (10 LPA to – 40 LPA)”, was written with a clear message for students who feel their college brand holds them back.
“Please never ever give up on your dreams. Just work hard and one day you will succeed for sure,” the user wrote.
He said he wanted to encourage students from smaller colleges who often feel discouraged during placements and early career struggles.
Turning point during college years
According to the post, the techie began taking coding seriously in his third year of engineering. He admitted he was not very career-focused in the early semesters, but certain personal experiences pushed him to rethink his priorities around the fourth semester.
That shift, he said, made a big difference during campus placements, when preparation and consistency started paying off.
First job, quick switches, big jump
The user said he secured his first job through pooled campus placements with a ₹10 LPA offer and joined the company soon after graduating. Over the next two years, he switched jobs twice.
Those moves eventually led him to a ₹40 LPA package after he received an offer from a Hyderabad-based company, marking a fourfold jump in a short span.
How he prepared for new jobs
Spelling out his no-particular strategy he said he used to focus more on DSA patterns and coding. “I used to focus more on dsa patterns and coding is the key bro. Just 2 problems a day and then working on one pattern a week gives basic knowledge on it. I used to make changes in my resume according to job description for each and every company and then if you are still in college then please participate in codeathons and hackathons and get some achievements from it ..it will be helpful for u,” he explained.
Challenges beyond salary growth
The post also talked about struggles that money does not solve. The techie, who is originally from Andhra Pradesh, said he had never lived in Hyderabad before and did not know anyone in the city.
He compared the experience with his earlier stint in Bengaluru, where he found it easier to network through startup meetups and sports activities. Moving to a new city, he said, made building both professional and social connections harder.
Looking to build a community, not chase money
Now based in Hyderabad, the techie also asked fellow Reddit users for suggestions on how to build a network from scratch. He said he was exploring ideas beyond his full-time job, not to earn extra income, but to form meaningful connections and a sense of community.
He shared several ideas he had been considering, from content creation to community-building, but admitted he felt stuck.
“I recently got a thought of starting some YouTube channel and do something else to build some network or community…and thought to do either edtech content for software coding and interviews related …but already lots of channels are there …and then thought to do video game streaming…but i know it’s not that easy for a man to get views through gaming. Then thought to build a community for all unemployed software job aspirants and arrange meetups every weekend and support eachother in getting jobs… referrals and celebrate each and everyone whoever gets jobs…like that …but I am really stuck what to do…can you please suggest me what to do ….Just to build some good network, but not to earn money,” he wrote.
For many young engineers, the story offered both inspiration and a reminder that success in tech is not only about cracking the next offer, but also about building connections along the way.