A Microsoft techie has sparked discussion online after sharing how staying too long in one company slowed his salary growth. In a video shared on Instagram, Sailesh Gurung said, “The biggest mistake that delayed my salary growth by four years was loyalty,” reflecting on his early career decisions.
Gurung shared that he began his journey at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), where he spent nearly 4 years. During this period, he said he worked hard, stayed consistent, and trusted that growth would follow.
However, the outcomes did not match expectations. “The hikes were small, the growth was slow,” he said, adding that the experience led him to realise that “loyalty does not increase your salary”.
In the caption, Gurgun expressed gratitude toward TCS for providing a strong foundation, discipline, and early career skills, but he admitted that staying in a comfort zone may have held him back.
“For the longest time, I thought staying longer automatically meant growing more,” he wrote in the caption, adding that the real problem was not necessarily the company, but comfort. “The real shift happened when I started investing more intentionally in my growth, built the right skills, and finally stepped outside what felt safe,” Gurung said.
“That one decision changed everything: TCS – Deloitte – Microsoft. This journey taught me that growth is not always about leaving. It’s about recognizing when you have outgrown the version of yourself that feels comfortable,” he added.
How did social media react?
The post quickly caught the attention of social media users, triggering mixed reactions. While some shared similar experiences, others shared differing perspectives on the idea of loyalty in careers.
“Did the same for 6 years..later realised its not Loyalty..its laziness. Loyalty is the self justification we give ourselves for our mistakes,” one user wrote.
“Nowadays, people getting addicted to comfort instead of putting more after hours on themselves and calling it ‘loyalty’” commented another.
“Not loyalty. Loyalty made u learn skills that increased ur salary and the city where u were loyal. Kolkata never offers good salary. Try switching jobs in Kolkata itself and see where u stand.. Your salary grew because you went out of Kolkata. Your salary grew because you did not get an opportunity in Kolkata,” wrote a third user.
“You moved city thats the secret,” said one user.