This is not a brag post. I just want to share some motivation for anyone who might need it.

Effective YOE: 5.5 years
Note: The names of the organisations have been hidden purposefully for anonymity.

July 2017: Graduated from a Tier-1 college with an on-campus placement at Organisation A, securing a package of ~14 LPA.

March 2019: Left Organisation A due to a lack of interest in software engineering and a desire to explore other opportunities. Started my own business.

March 2020: Realized things weren’t going well and decided to return to a stable software engineering job. Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit, making it a challenging time to secure employment.

February 2021: Applied to numerous companies but received no interview calls. Finally got an offer of 6 LPA (less than half of my previous compensation) from Organisation B in February 2021, which I accepted due to a career break and lack of confidence.

October 2021: Began studying diligently and worked hard to upskill. Successfully cracked multiple offers, the highest being 30 LPA.

June 2022: Accepted the 30 LPA offer from Organisation C and continued putting in significant effort.

March 2024: Earned a promotion, and my package increased to ~39 LPA.

November 2024: Once again cracked multiple offers, ultimately accepting a 60 LPA offer (50 LPA base + 10 LPA bonus) from Organisation D.

Final Thoughts
The journey wasn’t easy, and there were plenty of doubts and setbacks. But persistence, consistent effort, and a willingness to adapt made all the difference.

If you’re feeling stuck or demotivated, remember this: your current situation does not define your future. With focus, hard work, and determination, you can turn things around and achieve more than you ever imagined. Keep learning, stay resilient, and never stop striving toward your goals. The best is yet to come!

Edit: Seeing a lot of backlash on this post about being fake. Adding a post which I created a year ago about the switch in 2022. I don't need to prove anything to anyone but just want that the person who needs this, gets this, without thinking if this is fake. if I can do it, you can do it too
https://leetcode.com/discuss/compensation/4123131/Optum-or-Senior-Software-Engineer/

Couldn't have planned to fake it a year ago XD