As the job market evolves with the growing impact of artificial intelligence, skills and practical experience are increasingly becoming important factors in building a career. While a degree from a reputed institution can open doors, there are also professionals who have built successful careers by developing relevant skills and gaining experience outside traditional academic pathways.
Pavan Chindukuri's career journey is one such example. After dropping out of college and facing financial difficulties at home, he began learning new skills, explored opportunities through online communities, and started his career with a salary of Rs 3,000 per month. Over the years, his earnings rose significantly, eventually reaching Rs 58 lakh per annum through a remote job.
Pavan's career journey has been shared by users on LinkedIn and X. He has now been laid off and is looking for new opportunities.
Pavan Chindukuri's Early Struggles
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Pavan's family faced severe financial difficulties, while his father's health also deteriorated. His father worked as an auto driver to support the family and fund his children's education. Pavan said his mother also contributed significantly to his education by selling her gold and taking loans.
Speaking to NDTV, Chindukuri said he initially joined Lovely Professional University to pursue Computer Science and Engineering. However, he found it difficult to adjust to living away from home and eventually dropped out. He joined the National Institute of Technology the following year.
"I first joined Lovely Professional University's Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), but as I never left my place, and that being a distant place from my home, I wasn't able to be present and it took a mental toll on me. I dropped out from there and got into NIT the next year," he said.
Pavan later had to drop out of college amid financial difficulties and began looking for ways to support his family. After leaving college, he initially considered becoming an Uber driver. However, his friends suggested that he learn new skills through YouTube.
Pavan said his uncle lent him a seven-year-old laptop. He also borrowed money from friends to buy a keyboard and mouse and pay for a six-month Wi-Fi plan.
From Rs 3,000 Salary To Rs 1.2 Lakh Per Month
Pavan subsequently began learning new skills and joined communities on Reddit and Discord, where he connected with others and explored job opportunities. His first job paid him Rs 3,000 per month.
He later joined a Dubai-based startup, where his monthly earnings increased to around Rs 60,000, according to a LinkedIn post detailing his career progression. He continued to upgrade his skills, expand his network and look for new opportunities.
Through a LinkedIn connection, Pavan later landed a job at Mosaic Wellness, where his monthly earnings increased to Rs 1.2 lakh.
According to a LinkedIn post by Praveen Singampalli, which was reposted by Pavan, he has more than six years of work experience and has worked entirely in remote roles.
Singampalli shared Pavan's career progression, noting that his first job paid Rs 3,000 per month, his second paid Rs 60,000 per month and his third paid Rs 1.2 lakh per month. His fourth and fifth jobs paid around Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 2.1 lakh per month.
Remote Job Took Earnings To Rs 58 Lakh Per Annum
Pavan told NDTV that his remote job paid him on an hourly basis. His rate started at $28 (around Rs 2,691) per hour and later increased to $32 (around Rs 3,076) per hour.
"The amount I mentioned is post taxes and converted to Indian rates, considering 40 hours per week. If we do not consider all the deductions, the amount will be Rs 63.5 lakh per annum," Pavan said.
According to his account, his earnings after taxes amounted to around Rs 58 lakh per annum.
Pavan, however, recently lost his Rs 58 lakh-per-annum job in a layoff. He is now looking for hybrid roles as a Software Development Engineer (SDE) or AI Engineer/FDE.
He said he has experience working with startups and has asked people in his network to share relevant job leads.
Pavan On Building A Career Without A Degree
Pavan said he appreciated the startups that hired him despite him not having a degree or prior experience.
"I appreciate the startups that hired me even without a degree or experience. I'd like to especially thank Mosaic Wellness and its CTO, Shouvik, who trusted my skills and gave me a base to prove myself. Special thanks also to Swapnil, who helped me land my first job and now runs cactro.com, which helps people, with or without a degree, get jobs or build their skills for free," he said.
He further said that in the era of artificial intelligence, companies should look for talented candidates rather than judging them solely on their degrees or the colleges they attended. He also expressed disappointment over job postings that seek candidates only from Tier-1 or Tier-2 colleges.
"I believe that in this era of AI, companies need to look for genuinely talented candidates rather than judging by a degree or the college it came from. It is disappointing to see job postings that only want people from Tier-1/2 colleges," he said.
