Techie quits job without backup, then takes ₹4 lakh pay cut for peace of mind: ‘I did what I felt right’

In a workplace culture often defined relentless hustle, a tech professional’s decision to trade a higher salary for personal peace has sparked a viral conversation online. Earning a CTC of ₹33 LPA in an in-office role, the engineer had spent months struggling with extreme workload and burnout while attempting to interview elsewhere. Finally, he took the bold leap of resigning without a backup offer. After taking time off to be with his family, he secured a ₹29 LPA remote job, gladly accepting a pay cut in exchange for flexibility and work-life balance.The techie took five days break before searching for a new job. (Representational image). (Unsplash)“One of my friend in IT was having Rs. 33 LPA CTC. Work from office,” founder Vanesh Mali, who also has experience as an engineer, wrote on X.Also Read: Techie says his father’s failed IIT-JEE attempt was ‘best thing’ that happened to him: ‘Zero downside. Horic upside’He continued saying that his friend was frustrated with his previous job. “He was frustrated with work load since more than 6 months. He was trying hard for other jobs. But was not getting time for preparation and interviews. The another major problem was 2 months notice period. Everyone wants immediate joiner.”However, instead of waiting for the right moment to arrive, the employee went ahead and resigned from the job, that too without any offer in hand.“He took 5 days break. No work. No job. No preparation. Full time with family and kids. After 5 days, he has updated his resume properly. Started preparing with discipline. Started applying for jobs of his interest. Got rejected 3 companies,” Mali continued.The founder added, “And then offer came from 4th company. But the offered CTC was 29 LPA. Work from home. Come to office as and when needed. He has accepted it. Yes. His gut feeling said this is good company. He has joined it. And he is happy with his decision.”Mali explained that his friend didn’t quit over money, nor was salary the driving factor for taking the new role. Instead, the decision was fueled entirely a search for peace of mind and better work-life balance.“He was looking for self time. He was looking for family time. He was looking for peaceful life at certain level. He took a risk of quitting current job without having offer in hand. But now he smiles and says ‘I did what I felt right. And I am happy with my decision’.”How did social media react?An individual commented, “It’s not always about money; sometimes peace is also required.” Another posted, “That’s exactly what people are scared to do. If you don’t have savings for 2-3 months of unemployment, you won’t risk applying for jobs after leaving.”A third expressed, “He had the confidence that he would secure a job. This is normal. Once you are an experienced working professional, switching companies is a piece of cake for them.” Mali responded, “In today’s market conditions, this is a little risky. But yes depends more on confidence and skills.”Also Read: No respect, no growth, low pay: Techie shares 3 clear signs it’s time to look for a new jobA fourth wrote, “As he said, ‘I did what I felt right. And I am happy with my decision’, this is the line we should look at, not work from home, less package,peace of mind etc , every one has their own priority if they achieve it, they are always happy.”