I Graduated in 2022 from a tier-3 college. Like many others, I had big dreams but an unclear path. I gave 2 attempts at UPSC, even reached the Mains stage in my first attempt, but couldn’t make it further. By mid-2023, I decided to switch to the IT field — with absolutely zero background in coding or development.

I started with DSA from scratch. No shortcuts — just LeetCode, mentorship from college seniors, YouTube, and endless doubts. But reality hit hard — MNCs weren’t shortlisting me, and startups rejected me for having no dev experience. Every rejection chipped away at my confidence. I went through severe self-doubt and depression.

In January 2024, after hundreds of applications, I finally landed a small role earning ₹10,000 per month. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a start — and that’s what mattered the most at that time.

Three months later, I got a remote opportunity at an Australian startup with a ₹40,000 stipend. That moment gave me a glimpse of hope — proof that my efforts were finally paying off. I took a short break afterward to recharge and refocus.

By November 2024, I started applying again — and this time, things were different. My skills had grown, my projects were better, and I had real confidence. I started getting calls from MNCs and top startups that once ignored me.

Finally, after multiple rejections and almost 10 months of continuous effort, in September 2025 I cracked an offer for ₹19 LPA CTC(17 base) at a Bangalore-based B2B SaaS startup.

From ₹1.2 lack per annum to ₹1.25 lakh per month — that’s been my 1 year 9 month journey into IT sector.

Was it luck? Maybe. I do believe God has been kind, but more importantly, it was patience, pain, and persistence that made it possible.

To anyone who’s struggling right now — don’t lose hope. Keep learning, keep building, and most importantly — keep believing.

Please share this with your friends who are preparing for UPSC.
Life is much bigger than a single exam — it always gives you more chances to prove yourself.
All you need to do is never let your hope die down. 🌻

I’ll be taking another short break now, and this time, my focus is to get into FAANG SDE2. Hoping to make it happen in 2026.
Cheers!

#career, #motivation, #leetcode, #journey, #Faang, #grind, #DSA