Man turns down ₹26 LPA job on onboarding day, chooses freelancing despite uncertainty: ‘Decision feels scary’

The debate between the stability of a regular job and the freedom of freelancing has long been discussed among professionals.The job offered Tiwari around ₹2.1 lakh per month. (Pexels/Representational Image)Recently, a man shared online how he walked away from a ₹26 LPA job on the very day of onboarding, choosing an uncertain freelance path instead.In a post on X, website designer Pushkar Tiwari explained that the decision has left him with mixed feelings.“A few days ago, I walked away from a ₹26 LPA job right at the time of onboarding,” he wrote, adding that he has been thinking a lot about the choice since then.Also Read: 32-year-old man earning $4,200 weekly in Australia plans a permanent return to India over homesicknessFreelancing vs regular job:According to Tiwari, one side of him believes he made the right decision. He said he did not want to feel trapped in a traditional job role. However, another part of him keeps wondering if turning down such a large salary could turn out to be a major make.The job offered him around ₹2.1 lakh per month. While that amount may not seem extraordinary in some big cities, Tiwari said the situation looks very different when seen from his background.He explained that he comes from a small village in Madhya Pradesh, where earning ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 a month is often considered a good salary. Because of this, rejecting a job that offered several times that amount felt frightening.“ ₹2.1L/month might not sound life-changing in big cities. But I come from a small village in Madhya Pradesh where ₹20–30k is considered a good salary. So yes, it makes the decision feel scary,” the post adds.Despite the risk, he chose to continue working as a freelancer. Tiwari admitted that freelancing does not provide the same stability as a regular job and often comes with many ups and downs.Still, he said there was one thing he felt sure about. If he had accepted the job and started working, he believes he would have regretted the decision every single day.Also Read: Founder says flexibility helped him choose business over a 9-to-5 job: ‘Even when my business was in initial stage’HT.com has reached out to the user for more details. This report will be updated when he responds.Check out the post here:Here’s how people reacted to the post:X users quickly reacted to the post, sharing mixed opinions about the decision. Some supported his choice, saying that following one’s instincts and choosing freelancing can offer greater freedom and satisfaction than a high-paying job. Others felt turning down a ₹26 LPA offer was a big risk.One of the users commented, “I think you took the right decision. Risk-taking is at the core of empire building!”A second user commented, “It all comes down to priorities. Some folks go for stability, while others prefer freedom and control. Neither one’s wrong..it’s just about what you value.”A third user commented, “That was a great opportunity, bro! But yeah, that’s so true, you got trapped in a job. The job has stable income but not the freedom of freelancing.”“If you are under 30, then you made the right decision,” another user commented.