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Techie gets offer from US client to moonlight, asks Reddit’s to help decide: ‘Can potentially earn ₹24 lakh’
A Reddit user shared that a client of his company approached him with an offer to moonlight. The client suggested paying him a rate higher than his employer.
A backend developer working in a small service-based startup found himself in a tough spot when his company's client approached him to freelance for him. He turned to Reddit for help, seeking advice on whether he should moonlight for the client, who promised to pay him $15/per (approximately ₹1200). His post received a flood of comments, with most suggesting he work for the client full-time or not risk his career for a few thousand rupees.
The developer revealed that the client extended the offer after discovering that his current company paid him less than 30% of the amount the client is paying his employer. Furthermore, the client proposed that he could potentially earn nearly ₹24 lakh in the next 12 months through moonlighting.
Also Read: Techie who failed to crack IIT, NIT says he draws more than ₹50 LPA, shares how: ‘Most realistic success’
He saw it as a good opportunity to earn extra money, but there was a catch. The client specifically told him to keep the job secret from his current employer.
"Company can terminate you, and it will be a red flag for new employers, and getting a new job will be difficult. Please let me know what I should do here (sic)," he wrote as he asked for Reddit's help.
Take a look at the entire post:
What did social media say?
“Ask the client to hire you full-time. If that doesn’t work, I’d personally start freelancing. Can’t grow with a leash on,” posted a Reddit user. Another added, “Get a new job, then only start freelancing, or you can quit and start freelancing and look for another job. It’s really risky to work with a client of a company and get caught. You won’t get any experience letters, and it will be difficult to clear background checks in the future. Don’t risk your entire career for this freelance work.”
A third expressed, “It's called moonlighting. You either work with him and be jobless once he's done with his no written agreement job offer, or you stick with your current job. Unless your current job is extremely toxic and you do not having job security, only take the risk if you think it is worth it. If this client is big enough to pay you this much, tell him to hire you full-time as a consultant. And why has he taken YOU specifically? Something just seems wrong overall here.”
A fourth wrote, “Tell the client you are not interested in freelancing, because of your personal choice since it can negatively affect your resume. Tell him you can’t do part-time hiding from your current company because it goes against your ethics; this will show him you are a loyal employee. Ask him if he would like you to have a full-time job at his company. This would be beneficial for him because he won’t have to hire and train anyone else. This would be beneficial for you because you either get a job in the US or get a remote job.
Also Read: Bengaluru techie earned ₹35,000 per month after 9 years of working at one of India’s largest IT firms
What is moonlighting?
It is a practice of taking up secondary jobs after regular work hours but without the current employer's knowledge. Jobs in this category are usually taken up at night or on weekends. This form of dual employment is not permitted in many companies, and if found, the employees can lose their jobs.
