At a time when conversations around layoffs, college pedigree, and job insecurity continue to dominate online spaces, a Reddit post has offered a different perspective. A professional recently shared how he grew his salary from Rs 1.84 lakh per year to Rs 75 lakh per year in nine years, despite not having an IIT, IIM, or even a B.Tech degree.
From Tier-3 college to first job
The user said he completed a B.Sc. in Mathematics with Computer Applications from what he described as a Tier-3 college. There was no strong placement network or big company exposure. He started with a WITCH company at a salary of Rs 1.84 LPA.
He did not claim to be highly skilled at the start. In fact, he mentioned beginning as a service desk agent and learning basic communication and customer handling in the early months. Over time, he moved across roles within the same team and slowly picked up technical exposure.
Gradual growth and the COVID turning point
After four years, his salary had reached Rs 4.5 LPA. Then came the COVID phase, which he described as a turning point. He switched to a Big 4 firm and saw a sharp jump to Rs 8 LPA.
However, he did not stay long. Within a year, he re-entered the job market and focused on getting multiple offers at once. This helped him negotiate better and he moved to Rs 17.4 LPA.
Talking about this phase, he further said, “I went from 8 LPA to 17.4 LPA simply by not settling for the first offer. Negotiating is a skill.”
Switching roles, learning on the job
Between years six and eight, he stayed in one company where his salary reached Rs 30 LPA with steady hikes. But he also described this period as difficult due to management issues. He eventually moved to a startup, taking his pay to Rs 42.2 LPA.
He works in infrastructure and cloud-related roles, covering areas like DevOps, automation, and deployments. In one reply, he described himself as someone handling multiple responsibilities across cloud systems, automation tools, and architecture.
What stands out is his approach to learning. He openly admitted, “Every job I joined, I learned a new skill. I bullshitted in the interview by reading about the skill set & tech they needed. Then I learned on the job and mastered the skills.”
Layoff that led to a bigger jump
The biggest shift came after he was laid off from his startup role. While it looked like a setback at first, he used the notice period and severance time to prepare again. That eventually helped him land a new role at Rs 75 LPA.
He wrote, “Getting laid off at 42 LPA felt scary, but it actually provided the bridge to 75 LPA.”
The post ends with a message aimed at people from non-engineering backgrounds or Tier-3 colleges. He stressed that a degree only helps in getting the first job, and after that, growth depends on skills and decisions.
He further advised against random upskilling and suggested focusing on related skills that build on each other. On comparing with others, he said people should avoid it completely and focus on their own path.
“Your career is never over till the time you decide it is,” he wrote, adding that consistency and switching at the right time made the biggest difference in his journey.
The original Reddit post also led to a wider discussion in the comments about how non-linear career paths are becoming more common in the IT industry. The user further clarified that many of his role changes were not part of a planned roadmap but came from responding to opportunities and shifting market demand. He also mentioned that early in his career, he relied heavily on self-learning through online resources and documentation rather than formal training programs, especially when moving into cloud and infrastructure-related work.