Woman says she went from Rs 5 lakh to nearly 6X salary in 5 years: ‘This didn’t happen through 10% appraisals’

A woman’s account of how she increased her salary from Rs 5 lakh per annum (LPA) as a fresher to nearly six times that amount in five years has gone viral on social media. Shrasti Chaudhary said frequent job changes and negotiating better compensation at each move played a key role in her salary growth.

Chaudhary said her compensation did not increase primarily through routine annual appraisals. Instead, she said changing companies helped her secure significantly higher salary packages, with her first job switch doubling her pay and subsequent moves bringing hikes of 30% to 50%.

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From Rs 5 LPA to nearly six times in five years

Sharing details of her five-year career journey on Instagram, Chaudhary said she had worked at four companies during the period. She also addressed the common advice that professionals should remain with one employer for longer to build their careers.

“I started with Rs 5 LPA, the typical fresher's package. Today, I'm at almost 6X growth in 5 years. This didn't happen through 10% appraisals,” Chaudhary said.

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According to her, her first job switch resulted in a 100% salary hike, effectively doubling her compensation. She said every subsequent switch brought a 30% to 50% increase. On one occasion, she also received an appraisal while remaining at the same company.

‘Your CV will look bad’: What Chaudhary was told

Chaudhary said she was repeatedly warned that switching jobs frequently could negatively affect her CV.

“5 years, 4 companies, almost 6X growth. People used to say, 'Your CV will look bad, stay loyal.' If I had listened to them, I would still be stuck in that same salary range today,” she said.

She added that interviewers questioned her about the number of companies she had worked for and asked why she had made so many switches.

“At every switch, I was asked, 'Why so many switches?' I said, 'I wanted growth.' And I still got the offer,” Chaudhary said.

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She urges professionals to check their market value

Chaudhary also encouraged professionals to assess their market value regularly rather than relying solely on internal salary appraisals.

She said companies internally tend to consider an employee’s previous salary, while external hiring can reflect prevailing market rates.

“Internally, companies look at your previous salary. Externally, the market values you based on current market rates,” she said.

Based on her experience, Chaudhary suggested that professionals check the job market and attend interviews every 1.5 to 2 years, even if they are not actively planning to leave their current employer.

“Whether you are underpaid or not won't come from a feeling; it comes from data,” she said, adding, “Switching jobs isn't just company hopping; it's growth.”

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