From layoff to ₹1.5 crore UAE offer: How reskilling helped a tech professional rebuild his career and boost earnings
A Reddit user has shared how an early layoff, a move into big data and several job switches took his reported annual compensation from ₹2.9 lakh to a UAE opportunity worth around ₹1.5 crore. His account highlights the role of reskilling, workplace mobility and timing in career progression.
A tech professional who was laid off from his first job after failing internal examinations shared his career journey on Reddit's r/Indian_flex community. He began his career at L&T Infotech in manual testing, but lost his job after failing seven internal examinations within eight attempts. He quickly joined IBM, where he worked on JD Edwards but wanted to pursue a career in big data.
Despite initial setbacks, he secured a role in a big data project after discussions with his manager. His salary increased to around ₹3.78 lakh a year by January 2022. He then interviewed with several companies, including TCS, Cognizant, Wipro and Nineleaps, receiving offers ranging from ₹7.5 lakh to ₹13 lakh a year. He eventually accepted a role at Airbus, earning ₹23 lakh annually with a ₹5 lakh joining bonus.
After a performance rating and reduced variable pay, he joined Thoughtworks at ₹48 lakh annually. Two months later, he accepted a lucrative offer from a consulting firm in the UAE, with an annual compensation of around ₹1.5 crore. The professional credited his progress to persistence, timing, connections, and opportunities he could not have planned in advance.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
