Background

- Graduated from a tier-1 engineering college (among the top 3 NITs) in 2025

- Worked ~2.5 years at an early-stage startup during college (4-member team, remote, unpaid, but basically full-time hours) across product, building, and distribution

- Skipped campus placements because I was set on product roles

What happened at my current company

- Joined a famous mid-size company in Hyderabad in late 2025 as a 6-month intern (25k stipend), with a verbal promise of 6–8 LPA on conversion and a product role. Nothing in writing (my mistake)

- Got a marketing ops designation on joining; was told "ignore it, focus on the full-time role"

- Took ~17 days (Not a continuous one) of leave + remote work for my sibling's wedding. The internship was then extended by 2 months "to cover the leave", even though I kept working remotely during that time

- The senior manager who made the promise left, and now denies it

- At conversion time, they offered 4 LPA. I said I'd leave. They converted me to full-time anyway, without my consent, ~9 months after joining

- After more back-and-forth: 5 LPA, arrears "pending founder approval", designation Junior Product Associate

- When I asked to at least drop the "Junior", I was told that title sits in a higher salary band

What I've worked on in ~10 months

- an AI doubt-solving app for Class 11–12 students. Photo of a problem in, step-by-step video explanation out, in regional languages, with voice. I own it end-to-end: PRD, roadmap, key product decisions, development, distribution planning

- Owned a RAG chatbot end-to-end: payment and CRM integrations, reduced token consumption, chunking and fine-tuning improvements

- Built a second RAG bot, revamped a lead-prediction tool's logic, and led a chatbot-to-website transition (planning, development, marketing dashboard)

- Multi-channel campaigns (SMS, WhatsApp, email)

All this on a 6-day week, often working late.

Job search so far (APM / product roles)

- Some say I'm "overqualified" because their role is mostly coordination

- Some ask if I'd rather apply as a developer

- Recent ones say my ask for Market band (12–14 LPA) is too high and offer ~30% over current CTC

- Cleared some rounds, failed some

Seniors and Peers say do not leave the current role without an Offer in Hand.

Constraints

- Need to stay in Hyderabad for family health reasons. Open to remote

- Current pay doesn't cover my living expenses

What I'd love advice on

- Is 12–14 LPA unrealistic for my profile, or am I just being anchored to my current CTC?

- How do I handle the "current CTC" question without badmouthing my company?

- Which roles or companies value a "builder + PM" profile? AI PM, product analyst, founder's office, GCCs, something else?

- Should I take a ~7–8 LPA offer with a proper PM title just to reset my base, or hold out?

- Has anyone been in a similar spot? How did you get out?

Honest feedback welcome, including if I'm overestimating myself.

I'm a 2025 B.Tech CSE graduate from a Tier-1 non-IIT college. I interned at a product-based company (PBC), but due to an injury, I had to take a break and couldn't convert the internship into a full-time offer.

At the beginning of this year, I started working at an ed-tech company where I primarily teach MERN stack development and DSA. The compensation is good for my current situation, with approximately ₹90K in monthly in-hand salary. The work environment is decent, the people are good, and honestly, I'm living a pretty comfortable life right now.

However, I don't see my compensation growing significantly here over the next few years, so I'm trying to figure out the best long-term career path.

My current skill set:

• Good command of DSA, and I'm reasonably confident in my ability to clear coding rounds.
• Comfortable with MERN stack development.
• Have built and shipped projects, including full-stack and GenAI-based projects.
• Have a decent understanding of GenAI concepts and their practical applications.
• Haven't focused much on system design yet.
• My biggest weakness is limited production-level software engineering experience, since my current role primarily involves teaching rather than working as a full-time SDE.

Option 1: Switch to a high-paying SWE/SDE role.

My target is an SDE-1/SWE-1 role with a base salary of at least ₹20–25 LPA, ideally with a total CTC of around ₹30 LPA or more.

I'm willing to put in the work required to get there. However, I'm unsure how much companies value candidates with strong DSA skills and personal projects but limited professional software development experience.

For those who've been in the industry for 4–5 years:

• Is this target realistic with my background?
• How much of a disadvantage is my current non-SDE role?
• Given the layoffs and uncertainty in the tech industry, is pursuing this path still worth it?
• What would you focus on over the next 4-6 months to maximise your chances?

Option 2: Government jobs

My parents are encouraging me to prepare for technical government positions, such as Scientist/Engineer roles in government organisations, and are asking me to prepare for GATE.

I understand the appeal of stability, but I'm unsure whether I should seriously pursue this route or continue investing in the private sector. I'd appreciate perspectives from people who've worked in these organisations or made a similar career decision.

Option 3: Quant roles

I've also been curious about quant roles. I have a CSE background and enjoy DSA and problem-solving. Mathematics has actually been one of my favourite subjects, so I'm not hesitant about the mathematical side of things.

However, I don't have a clear understanding of how realistic this transition would be at this stage.

• Is it feasible to break into quant development or related roles as a 2025 graduate?
• What additional skills, mathematical concepts, or preparation would I need?
• How different are the entry barriers compared with regular SWE roles?

My main dilemma:

I'm not unhappy with my current job. The pay is decent, the work environment is good, the people are supportive, and my lifestyle is comfortable. But I don't want to become complacent and realise a few years later that I've limited my career growth.

At the same time, I don't want to chase a higher salary blindly without considering job security, long-term growth, and the risks involved in making the wrong move.

I'm willing to work hard and commit seriously to a path. I just want that effort to translate into sustainable career growth and financial security.

If you were in my position, what would you do?

I'd especially appreciate advice from people with 4–5+ years of industry experience, those who've switched from non-SDE roles into software engineering, or anyone who's had to choose between private tech and government careers.

Honest opinions and constructive criticism are welcome. Thanks for reading!

Hey, I am in my final year that iit madras, civil branch. I have recently completed my summer intern at Amazon, hyderabad and secured a ppo. Does anyone know Abt my career trajectory and the nw that I am gonna make after 15 yoe. Is it good for me to join Google after 2 yoe, but I won't get 80 percent of the rse of amazon ifbi leave after 2 years. So basically can anyone give me a trajectory of three paths amazon, google and a quant (graviton, quant brokers) in terms of nw. I would be personally happy if I earn 5 lakhs a month. Do you know any other lath to earn the amount instead of this path?

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Hi everyone! I’m a 2026 CSE graduate and have offers from both TCS (Ninja) and HCLTech (Mainframe Trainee).

I’ve received TCS pre-joining training access and HCLTech training-related communication, but I’m still looking for clarity on joining timelines.

I’m confused about which one to choose for long-term career growth.

1. Which company would you recommend and why?

2. Is starting in Mainframe a good career choice, or does it limit future opportunities?

3. Which offers better learning, salary growth, and job-switching opportunities?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people currently working at either company.

Thanks!

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Hi everyone! I’m a 2026 CSE graduate and have offers from both TCS (Ninja) and HCLTech (Mainframe Trainee).

I’ve received TCS pre-joining training access and HCLTech training-related communication, but I’m still looking for clarity on joining timelines.

I’m confused about which one to choose for long-term career growth.

1. Which company would you recommend and why?

2. Is starting in Mainframe a good career choice, or does it limit future opportunities?

3. Which offers better learning, salary growth, and job-switching opportunities?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people currently working at either company.

Thanks!