Rs 42,000 salary, layoffs, scam and lost offers: How a Bengaluru techie reached Rs 75 lakh package

Career journeys rarely move in a straight line. For some professionals, progress comes after repeated setbacks, uncertain periods and difficult choices. One such story has been shared by Pooja, a social media user, who detailed how her cousin went from earning Rs 42,000 a month to commanding a Rs 75 lakh package in just 15 months. His journey included financial struggles, job losses, a recruiter scam, lost offers and a difficult startup experience.

From a Tier-3 college to Bengaluru

According to Pooja, her cousin graduated from a Tier-3 college before moving to Bengaluru in 2023. He arrived in the city with very little money and no contacts. The initial days were particularly difficult. Pooja said he slept in different places for the first five days before starting his career with a job that paid Rs 42,000 a month. His routine was demanding. He worked at the office during the day, handled cooking and household chores in the evening, and spent his nights studying.

Thousands of applications and a new opportunity

After sending thousands of job applications, he eventually landed a role at a product company with a monthly salary of Rs 1.10 lakh. At that point, it seemed as though his career was finally moving in the right direction. However, the stability did not last long. Before he could even complete a year at the company, his entire business unit was laid off. The setback was followed by another difficult phase. According to Pooja, he encountered a recruiter scam, lost multiple job offers and eventually joined a toxic startup.


Each setback brought him back to the same uncertainty. Pooja recalled that he repeatedly wondered whether his career goals were simply not going to happen.

From Rs 42,000 to Rs 2.30 lakh a month

Despite the setbacks, he continued applying, learning and trying again. Pooja said that he eventually reached a monthly income of Rs 2.30 lakh, with his overall package touching Rs 75 lakh. The transformation took just 15 months, according to her post. The journey can be summed up through three figures shared by Pooja:

- Starting salary: Rs 42,000 a month

- Current monthly income: Rs 2.30 lakh

- Package: Rs 75 lakh

- Time taken: 15 months

Pooja also highlighted just how significant the change was by noting that his monthly income tax is now higher than his entire first salary.

‘Keep showing up’ was the bigger lesson

For Pooja, however, the salary jump was not the most important part of the story. She said the bigger lesson was that a person does not need to remain motivated every single day. Instead, she emphasised the importance of continuing to show up even during difficult periods. Her message was simple: when someone is tired, they should keep going. When frustrated, keep going. And when results are not visible, keep going.

Pooja summed up the lesson by arguing that success is not always about how talented someone is, but about how many times they are willing to get back up after life knocks them down.