College - Tier 2, 2023 Passout - CSE branch
Experience - 1 year 5 months at startup, excluding internship.
Current Designation - **Software Engineer**
Current Compensation - 15 base + 1.5L year end bonus + 5000 units esops (vesting over 4 years 25% each with 1 year cliff)
First Year compensation at current company = 16.5L + 1250 units stock options

Current Offers (based on date of offers in ascending order):
1. **IBM - Backend Developer**
    Location - Kochi, Kerala
    Compensation - 16L base, 2L bonus (1L in first month and 1L in 13th month with 1 year clawback each)
    No stocks
    Date of offer - will update
    First Year compensation = 16 + 1 = 17L

2. **LambdaTest - MTS [Software Engineer]**
    Location - Noida
    Compensation - 22L base = Total CTC 22L
    No joining bonus, No retention bonus, No stocks
    Date of offer - will update
    First Year compensation = 22L

3. **MindTickle - SDE1**
    Location - Pune
    Compensation - 25L base + 1L JB (1 year clawback) + 10% retention bonus (2.5L) + 1000 units esops (vesting over 4 years 25% each with 1 year cliff)
    Date of offer - will update
    First Year compensation = 28.5L (25 + 1 + 2.5) + 250 units of stock options

There were other offers as well but I think those were not adding significant value so skipped them (this also includes the ones that ghosted me at any stage). After the lambdatest offer, my current company did counter (and honestly, I was about to stay back). But, while negotiating I got the offer from MindTickle and moved on. The offer from MindTickle would have been a bit on lower side if I didn't had competing offers and if I was not on notice period.

I was looking for a good company since May-June 2024, got rejected at multiple companies and honestly the market seem to be in a bad phase as of now (not sure how others feel about this). Most of the good offers came to me not by applying rather the HR directly reached out over mail or Linkedin (I would say I was lucky here). But, parallely I was applying to my target companies one after another improving my resume after each rejection. And what helped me most at the interviews was my diverse profile that I got working at my current startup in multiple domains.

Rejected IBM due to low balled offer and location. Rejected Lambdatest as they were not ready to give ESOPs even though they are a startup (this is based on my own principle where I join a startup only when they give ESOPs, others might think differently).

I'm not sure of the value of ESOPs of MindTickle at this point. [I don't believe HRs on this front]. Still, since its series E funded startup 1000 units looked good to me. It would be of great help if someone can help me know the current value of these shares!!

I'll post the interview experiences soon.