An engineering graduate faced significant challenges, ending his academic journey with 11 backlogs. By his final semester, he successfully cleared six of these courses. After graduating, he joined a small startup in Lucknow as an Embedded Developer. While working full-time, he dedicated himself to preparing for his remaining examinations and managed to clear the final five backlogs within six months. Ultimately, he received his degree in 2022.
Since the work shifted towards cybersecurity, he chose to move again, keeping his interest in embedded systems and Linux in focus. After four months, he switched again after feeling the role lacked the technical growth he wanted. His starting initial salary was Rs 8,000 per month, but he said his priority was “experience, learning, and getting my foot into the industry. During 11 months at the startup, he worked on embedded systems, device drivers, Yocto, customised operating system development and device flashing. He then moved to Hyderabad for a role paying around Rs 6 lakh per annum. The engineer later joined a global technology company in Bengaluru working in the television and gaming console domain at around Rs 8 lakh per annum. Over the next three-and-a-half years, his compensation rose to about Rs 12 lakh as he gained experience and continued learning. He later moved to Hyderabad, joined an Indian multinational company at Rs 20 lakh and worked with a Korean automotive company. He eventually joined a US-based company as a Senior Engineer with a package of around Rs 50 lakh .
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “Your starting point doesn’t decide your destination,” highlighting the importance of continuous learning, calculated risks and persistence.
