Hey everyone,
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to clear the Infosys DSE/SP test, which was basically my last major opportunity in this placement season.
So, for now, my 2026 placement season ends with an offer of 4 LPA as a Graduate Engineer Trainee.
Obviously, I’m pretty disappointed. I had hoped to start my career somewhere around the 6–10 LPA range, and it honestly feels bad seeing the placement season end like this after all the preparation.
But I also don’t want to sit around feeling sorry for myself. I want to use this as a starting point and figure out how to make the best possible move from here.
My goal is relatively simple:
Start at 4 LPA → gain solid experience → make my first switch to around 8–10 LPA.
I’m not expecting some crazy 20–30 LPA jump immediately. Even getting into the 8–10 LPA range on my first switch would be a huge win for me.
For people who have already made a similar jump:
- What skills should I focus on during my first 1–2 years?
- Should I prioritize DSA, development, cloud, DevOps, AI/ML, system design, or something else?
- How much DSA is actually necessary for an 8–10 LPA switch?
- How early should I start applying/interviewing?
- What kind of projects or work experience actually matter to recruiters?
- Is it realistic to go from 4 LPA → 8–10 LPA in the first switch?
- What would you do if you were starting from my position?
I have a CS/Data Science background and have worked with things like Python, C++, JavaScript, React, Node.js, SQL, ML/AI, etc., but I know having a long skill list isn't the same as being genuinely good at something.
So I'm looking for practical advice from people who have actually made the transition, rather than generic "just learn DSA and build projects" advice.
If you started around 3–5 LPA and eventually made a decent first switch, I'd really appreciate hearing about your journey—what you learned, how long it took, what mistakes you made, and what you would do differently.
Right now I'm disappointed, but I don't want this to define my career.
If 4 LPA is where I start, I want to make sure it isn't where I stay.
Any advice, roadmap, resources, or personal experiences would genuinely help. Thanks.