A software professional recently revealed how his earnings soared from ₹10,000 a month in 2018 to ₹3.5 lakh per month within a few years, all without elite college credentials or industry connections. Sharing his insights on the Developers India subreddit, he broke down the five strategic steps that transformed his career trajectory.
Frequent Job Changes Early On
He emphasised that loyalty seldom pays off in the initial phase of one’s career. By changing jobs every 12 to 18 months during his first five years, he received salary hikes ranging from 50% to 100%. His career path showed steady leaps—from ₹10K as an intern to ₹35K full-time, followed by ₹45K, then ₹80K, and finally ₹3.5L for a remote role. The biggest regret, he admitted, was staying too long at his first company—nearly 30 months—which cost him an estimated ₹5–8 lakh in potential income.
Mastering Emerging Technologies Early
He credited his success to adopting upcoming technologies before they became mainstream. Spotting blockchain’s rise in early 2021 gave him a competitive advantage when demand later surged. His advice: follow venture capital trends, track growing job listings, and observe the focus of major tech conferences to identify the next big thing. Currently, he sees AI/ML agents, Rust, and edge computing as hot areas to explore.
Branding as a Specialist
Positioning himself as a niche expert proved transformative. Changing his LinkedIn profile from a general “Full-stack Developer” to a focused “Blockchain Developer” dramatically boosted recruiter interest—from zero messages to over ten weekly inquiries. The key lesson: specificity attracts opportunity.
Aiming for Global Remote Roles
After gaining 2–3 years of experience, he shifted his focus to international opportunities. Applying to over a hundred remote firms he secured multiple offers and chose one that paid ₹3.5 lakh monthly. He observed that while Indian employers valued his experience, global companies valued his expertise.
Always Negotiate Offers
Negotiation, he said, is non-negotiable. His final offer rose from $3,800 to $4,200 per month with an added ₹50K signing bonus after he countered confidently. That one email increased his annual pay by ₹5 lakh.
Costly Mistakes to Avoid
He admitted to three missteps: staying too long at his first job, failing to negotiate early offers, and investing time in outdated technologies like jQuery instead of React. These errors, he estimates, cost him ₹10–20 lakh
Frequent Job Changes Early On
He emphasised that loyalty seldom pays off in the initial phase of one’s career. By changing jobs every 12 to 18 months during his first five years, he received salary hikes ranging from 50% to 100%. His career path showed steady leaps—from ₹10K as an intern to ₹35K full-time, followed by ₹45K, then ₹80K, and finally ₹3.5L for a remote role. The biggest regret, he admitted, was staying too long at his first company—nearly 30 months—which cost him an estimated ₹5–8 lakh in potential income.
Mastering Emerging Technologies Early
He credited his success to adopting upcoming technologies before they became mainstream. Spotting blockchain’s rise in early 2021 gave him a competitive advantage when demand later surged. His advice: follow venture capital trends, track growing job listings, and observe the focus of major tech conferences to identify the next big thing. Currently, he sees AI/ML agents, Rust, and edge computing as hot areas to explore.
Branding as a Specialist
Positioning himself as a niche expert proved transformative. Changing his LinkedIn profile from a general “Full-stack Developer” to a focused “Blockchain Developer” dramatically boosted recruiter interest—from zero messages to over ten weekly inquiries. The key lesson: specificity attracts opportunity.
Aiming for Global Remote Roles
After gaining 2–3 years of experience, he shifted his focus to international opportunities. Applying to over a hundred remote firms he secured multiple offers and chose one that paid ₹3.5 lakh monthly. He observed that while Indian employers valued his experience, global companies valued his expertise.
Always Negotiate Offers
Negotiation, he said, is non-negotiable. His final offer rose from $3,800 to $4,200 per month with an added ₹50K signing bonus after he countered confidently. That one email increased his annual pay by ₹5 lakh.
Costly Mistakes to Avoid
He admitted to three missteps: staying too long at his first job, failing to negotiate early offers, and investing time in outdated technologies like jQuery instead of React. These errors, he estimates, cost him ₹10–20 lakh
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