Fresher Leaves ₹10 LPA Job, Then Settles for ₹5 LPA Salary – The Reason Is…

Success in a career isn’t about landing lucrative jobs with high salaries but about continuous self-improvement. This is especially true during the formative years in the workforce. A Redditor—a 2024 engineering graduate—followed this philosophy, choosing growth over financial security, proving that skills trump salary in the long run.

The techie shared on social media that after securing a 10 LPA (lakh per annum) salary as a classic ABAP developer—a programmer who designs, codes, tests, and maintains applications within the SAP environment—through campus placement, they found the role lacking exposure to modern technologies like Fiori and UI5, offering little room for growth.

With a three-year bond in place, the decision to leave wasn’t easy, but the desire to become a full-fledged software development engineer (SDE) proved stronger.

"I am a 2024 pass-out, got a job through campus placement with 10 LPA and a 3-year bond. They assigned me as a classic ABAP developer—no Fiori or UI5. I found it boring as my first job is about SKILLS, NOT MONEY," the Redditor wrote.

Quitting the job in September 2024 marked the beginning of an intense six-month grind, filled with uncertainty, self-doubt, and relentless learning. Despite applying to various roles, no interviews materialized—until March 2025, when an opportunity finally knocked. A mid-sized company offered a Java Full Stack Developer position with a 5 LPA salary—half of the previous package but with no bond and, more importantly, a steep learning curve.

Now, as a junior developer on a crucial project, the decision to prioritize skills over salary is paying off. The challenges are tough, but so is the determination to grow. “If I had stayed in my previous role, I would have been stuck in office gossip with no real learning. Here, at 5 LPA, I am building myself into a true developer,” says the young engineer.

The post is gaining massive traction on social media, with a section of internet users applauding the Redditor’s effort and sharing similar stories in the comment section.

A user wrote: "Got placed in a very good IT firm out of college, where I did my internship, but I was clear that I didn’t want to work there. So, after 6 months, while most people were retained in the organization, I left and studied for 6 months, which was mostly passing the time.

After 6 months, I got a job with half the CTC that was offered after my internship. I took it, and after 4 years, I’m earning way more than the people who stayed back—and I’m skilled too."

Another said: "Exactly! Focus on learning and growth. Currently, I’m also in a company paying 12 LPA (2024 pass-out), doing WordPress. I felt stuck but had no better option and wanted to prevent a career gap. Now, I actively contribute to open-source projects, mostly based on React and JS, even though I work in WordPress. I’m getting better responses from other companies where I am now applying due to my open-source contributions.

And yeah, ‘compare yourself with yourself’—it will take you places."

A third user weighed in: "This isn't practical for many middle-class Indians. I would have preferred 10 LPA over career growth."