Career advice from a Sr. Software Engineer for Freshers

I am a 2014 pass out from a Tier-2 Engineering College, currently making $90,000 annually from India, working remotely for a US-based tech firm.

This advice is for folks who:

  1. Have the freedom to relocate.
  2. Have minimum to no liabilities or dependents.
  3. Are passionate about learning and up-skilling.
  4. Want to feel compensated for the skillset they have.

A little about me: My area of expertise is Web. I have 0 certifications. My skillset is acquired over the years through reading official documentations, RFCs, YouTube videos and most importantly – by contributing to Open Source projects.

If you relate to the 4 points above, and if you're working for any of the mass hiring MNCs for more than 2 years, you are a fool, hear me out.

Unlike other sectors, a lot of IT companies (non-MNCs) in India have an open-door policy, which means you can return to the same company after a few years, and they'll gladly hire you. Such employees are usually called boomerangs. Don't fear quitting a non-MNC IT company. Remember this.

Rules:

  1. Don't work for any mass hiring companies for more than 1.5 to 2 years. Join them just to show the next company that you're no longer a fresher. If you don't, you'll never be able to grow financially.
  2. When you grow your skillset and are confident about it, switch every 2-2.5 years if possible. When you switch, you get a hike between 20% to 50% to even 100% depending on your skills and the company, When you stay at the same company, especially the mass-hiring ones, the growth is comparatively very less.
  3. Don't make salary your priority at this stage. Skills is where your focus should be.
  4. If you decide to moonlight for side-income, never moonlight in another Indian company. Your employer will be able to find out. Moonlight for a company abroad that doesn't operate in India. Moonlighting should be a part time role. Don't exhaust yourself by doing 2 full time jobs.
  5. Indian IT companies don't pay well is a myth. MNCs don't, but the right ones do if you have the skillset, and I am not talking about FAANG.
  6. Don't chase ESOPs.
  7. Contribute to Open Source projects. A set of good Pull Requests will do wonders for life, and the most difficult technical question during the interview would be, "What's your favorite band?"

This is my career trajectory with my income:

  • 2014-2015: took a break to clear GATE, could not clear.
  • 2015-2017: worked at a small scale digital agency with 2 employees.
    • Starting salary: Rs. 9000/month.
    • Quit at Rs. 20,000/month.
  • 2017-2018: worked at a small-size startup with 30-40 employees
    • Starting salary: Rs. 30,000/month for probation period
    • Quit at Rs. 50,000/month.
  • 2018-2018: worked for a US-based agency (8 months)
    • Starting salary: ~80,000/month. (depending on USD to INR rate)
    • Quit at Rs. ~95,000/month.
  • 2018-2021: relocated to a different city for an Indian company
    • Starting: Rs. 1,08,000/month
    • Quit: Rs. 1,20,000/month
    • 2019: Moonlighting in an Italian-based agency for 4 hours/day at $20/hr. Continued this for 5 months.
    • Moonlight in another UK-based company for 4 hours/day at $25/hr. Continued this between 2019-2021.
      • Earned more than my full-time job.
      • Quit in 2021
  • 2021-current: switched to a US-based tech firm with an offer of $75,000, currently at $90,000

Throughout my trajectory, I have up-skilled whenever possible. I contribute heavily to Open Source, and built a great portfolio over the years.