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'Pure failure to ₹21 LPA offer': 25-year-old shares how he turned his life around
A Reddit user shared how he overcame academic failures, health struggles and job setbacks to secure an ₹21 LPA offer by age 25.
A Reddit user has shared how he went from repeated academic failures, health issues and job setbacks to landing a ₹21 lakh-per-annum offer at the age of 25.
In a post titled ‘My story: From a pure failure in college to here at 25’, the user described himself as an introverted and average student who scored 92% in Class 10 but struggled academically after that. He said he scored 72% in Class 12 in 2019 and performed poorly in entrance exams, with a JEE Main rank of around 6 lakh.
Despite aspiring to become a software engineer, he enrolled in a BSc Mathematics course at what he called a poor-quality college and failed all subjects in his first semester. His struggles continued during the Covid period, when he dealt with depression and repeated failures in university exams, eventually passing only on his final attempt in 2024.
At the same time, his health worsened. He was diagnosed with hydronephrosis and chronic kidney disease, had low vitamin D levels and a BMI of 19. He also spoke about ending a relationship during this period due to the pressure he was facing.
“Left my girlfriend being the villain(never cheated on her/hurt her) coz of all the things was going through in life and didn't wanna suffer her for this and also lost feeling of love as well from inside,” he wrote.
“All together this was my situation in 2022-23. Extremely poor, complete hopeless,” he added.
(Also Read: 3 LPA to ₹9 crore net worth: 'Average IT guy' shares his investing journey)
₹7K a month to ₹21 LPA
Further, the Redditor said that after college, he began learning coding on his own. His first part-time job in August 2023 paid ₹7,000 a month, followed by freelance work. In 2024, he secured a ₹6 LPA job but was laid off after five months.
Later that year, he said that he got a ₹7.5 LPA role and continued preparing for better opportunities. By October 2025, he received two offers from mid-level startups and joined one with a ₹21 LPA base salary and ESOPs.
Now 25, the Redditor said that his health has improved, he has started going to the gym, and his life feels far more stable and fulfilling. In a postscript, he noted that he is currently not seeing any tax deducted at source through Razorpay Payroll as his income for the financial year remains under the taxable limit.
While he said the journey is still ongoing, he added that he is happier now and optimistic about what lies ahead. “Just one regret now, haven't found the love of my life yet. Trying to complete that goal now,” he concluded.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
