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Woman on ₹12 LPA shares ‘sweetest loss’ after applying for ₹65 LPA role: ‘Don’t doubt your potential’
A woman shared how losing a ₹65 LPA job boosted her confidence and changed her career outlook.
A woman has gone viral on social media after sharing a personal story about applying for a job paying ₹65 lakh per annum while she was earning around ₹12 lakh. Although she did not get the position, she described the experience as the “sweetest loss” that helped her realise her potential.
Taking to Instagram, the woman identified as Ritu Maurya shared a video in which she recounted how a job opportunity that initially seemed out of reach eventually became a turning point in her career journey.
In the video, Maurya explained that a few months earlier she had come across a job opening for a GTM engineering role that offered a salary between ₹65 lakh and ₹75 lakh per year. At that time, she said she was earning roughly ₹12 LPA and felt the role was far beyond her experience.
“I don't know if you're gonna believe this or not, but when the universe has its own way of showing you your potential,” she said in the video, recalling the moment she first saw the listing.
Maurya admitted she initially decided not to apply, assuming the company would prefer someone with significantly more experience. However, a colleague encouraged her to try anyway.
“I said I'm not that experienced. He said you should apply it anyway,” she said. “So I gave it a shot and I made it till the final interview.”
‘The sweetest loss I’ve ever faced’
Although she eventually lost the role to a candidate with about 15 years of experience, Maurya said reaching the final stage of the hiring process was a major confidence boost.
“But wahan pe unhone 15 years of experience wale bande ko le liya instead of me, which made total sense for me,” she said, adding that she was still thrilled the company considered her capable of competing for the role.
“I was just thrilled with the fact that they thought I was good enough, that they shortlisted me till the final interview and I was competing against a person with more than three times experience than me.”
She explained that the experience made her realise she could aim for higher paying roles without doubting herself.
“I think that was one of the biggest incidents that gave me the confidence that I can apply for roles which pay higher. I can aim for that. That's what I did and that's how I landed where I am today.”
Maurya ended the video with a message for viewers: “Don't doubt your potential, because you never know.”
In the caption accompanying the video, she wrote: “Still gives me goosebumps! When I applied for a 65L job at 12 LPA I had no hope that I’ll even pass the screening round but I ended up losing against someone with 3x my experience. Still the sweetest loss I’ve ever faced.”
She added that the experience helped her realise that the limits she had set for herself were not real. “Stop filtering yourself out before anyone else gets the chance to. You’re meant for so much more.”
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The video quickly drew reactions from viewers, many of whom said they found the story motivating. One user wrote, “This is such an inspiring perspective. Sometimes rejection teaches us more than success.” Another commented, “Your confidence and honesty are refreshing. Thanks for sharing this.”
A third user said, “This is exactly what people need to hear. Apply first, decide later.” Another added, “The fact that you reached the final round itself shows how capable you are.”
(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.)
