For many tech professionals, deciding on the next step in their software development career can be a challenge. These choices are not always clear but are essential for moving forward in one’s career, especially in tech. Changing careers for a better job, more money, or a bigger role is common. So is the anxiety about when and what to choose.
Career Cafe is here to help you with your questions related to career transitions, breaks, salaries, and many such related topics.
In this blog, we'll discuss whether you should focus on a great company, a bigger salary, or a better role in your career.
Our Co-founder, Rathinamurthy with almost 18 years of experience delves into these aspects individually, providing clear insights on when and how to prioritize each of them.
What to prioritize?
To gain a deeper understanding of Rathina's approach, let's examine a real-life scenario of a user named Amith.
Amith has been working as a manual tester with TCS for the last three years. In his career transition into development, he aims to increase his salary from 9 LPA to 12 LPA. He also intends to move from his current position in a large service firm to a coveted role in a well-known product company.
Amith's aspirations can be broken down into three key goals:
1. Transition from manual testing to a development role.
2. Elevate his current salary from 9 LPA to 12 LPA.
3. Shift his workplace from a services-based company to a more prestigious product-oriented one.
To implement Rathina's approach effectively, Amith should follow this sequence:
1. Transition to a Developer role: Begin the journey by shifting from manual testing to a role centered around software development. This involves acquiring the necessary skills to thrive in a developer role, thereby aligning your career with your aspirations.
2. Focus on joining a product company: Make a choice to join a product company that lays the foundation for a more dynamic and growth-oriented path. Also, offering diverse opportunities and exposure to advanced technologies for enhanced skill development.
3. Be open to initial salary trade-offs: Understand that career transitions may involve certain initial trade-offs. So staying flexible about potential salary adjustments as you step into your desired development role showcases your commitment to long-term career growth and skill development. This will ultimately lead to achieving your dream compensation package in the future.
Rathina suggests making clear priorities to reach career goals. It's okay to make some sacrifices early on, like starting with a modest salary for valuable upskilling. This sets the stage for future success and achieving your dream compensation package.
Keeping all this in mind, here are some of the key takeaways:
- Set clear priorities.
- Pursue a more fitting role for career growth
- A modest initial salary is a trade-off for early upskilling, but it paves the way to your dream compensation package later
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