A Java Full Stack Developer with nearly 5 years of experience has shared how he managed to nearly 3X his salary in just one year, jumping from ₹7.8 LPA to ₹24.8 LPA through strategic job switches, relocation to Bengaluru, and multiple interview offers during his notice period. In a Reddit post, the techie explained how a slow career at a service-based IT company eventually turned into a sharp upward curve. He credited his career growth to his risk-taking abilities and consistent upskilling.ALSO READ: How a trip to Bali inspired this engineer couple to quit corporate life and build a Rs 18 Lakh per month sustainable fashion brand Starting point: Slow growth despite strong performanceAccording to the Reddit post, he began his career at Tata Consultancy Services as a Ninja fresher with a package of ₹3.3 LPA. Over the years, he worked on a strong tech stack such as Java, Spring Boot, AWS, Angular and Python.Even though he consistently performed well and received good appraisal ratings (A–B–A across years), his salary progression remained slow and reached only ₹7.8 LPA after nearly 5 years.ALSO READ: Padma Shri awardee R Madhavan’s favourite high-protein South Indian breakfast dishFirst big switch: The Bengaluru decision that changed everythingIn July 2025, he received multiple job offers:One fully remote role (lower pay)One high-paying Bengaluru offer (~100% hike)One mid-range offer in the same locationEven though relocation felt uncomfortable, especially as an introvert, he decided to take the Bengaluru offer after advice from a colleague. "I was planning to accept the last one because, as an introvert, I find it hard to make new friends and I hated relocating. But one of my colleagues told me that I should accept the Bengaluru offer and relocate because it would be better for my career," his post read.How things started changing in BengaluruAfter a few stable months, things started shifting. Cost-cutting in the project led to multiple teammates being released, creating uncertainty.Soon after:A colleague’s project endedAnother teammate was releasedHe also began actively looking for a switchThis phase pushed him back into the job market sooner than expected. "That was when I started looking for a change. I got a walk-in interview invite from a fintech company and cleared all the rounds on the same day itself, but the HR called after a week and offered only a 22% hike on my current CTC. I didn't have any better option, so I accepted the offer and resigned," his post stated.Increased my salary by 3x within the span of an year byu/classhacker indevelopersIndiaFirst switch attempt: quick offer, low hikeHe attended a walk-in interview at Philips and cleared all rounds on the same day.However:He received only a 22% hikeHe accepted it due to lack of better immediate optionsBut continued preparing during his notice periodNotice period hustle: where the real jump happenedThe 60-day notice period turned out to be the most important phase of his career growth. He actively interviewed with multiple companies, including:Delta Air LinesAmerican Express Global Business TravelSeveral other enterprise IT firmsDuring this phase:He cleared multiple interview roundsHe gained strong negotiation leverageHe compared competing offers strategically"During my 60-day notice period, I gave lots of interviews for companies including Philips, Delta Airlines, AMEX GBT, and many other service-based companies.AMEX GBT offered me a 50% hike, and during the HR discussion with Delta Airlines, I asked for a 75% hike, but they said it was outside their budget. So, I finally joined AMEX GBT this month."Key outcomes:Delta Airlines: offer rejected after asking for 75% hike (budget issue)AMEX GBT: offered ~50% hikeMultiple parallel opportunities increased bargaining powerHe ended his post by saying, "Started my career at TCS with a 3.3 LPA CTC. Over the next few years, through consistent performance, good ratings, and clearing the Wings 1 (Digital) exam, my CTC grew to 7.8 LPA.Took a risky decision to relocate to Bengaluru for my first switch, adapted to a completely new city, made great friends, and gained valuable exposure.A year later, after multiple interviews and negotiations during my notice period, I finally joined AMEX GBT with a salary that is almost 3x compared to what I was earning in June '25. My current CTC is 24.8 LPA." (sic)Social media is super impressedHis post went viral in no time and users appreciated hos efforts and consistency with one user commenting, "You da real hike bro". Another one asked, "What role at Amex GBT? If its SDE 3 they are hugely underpaying you. I was offered 37 LPA for the same role."Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on Reddit. ET.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET.com. Reader discretion is advised.