- Yashaswi Soni declined a Rs 55 lakh Japan job to stay in India and work remotely
- He prioritized family, stability, and work-life balance over a higher salary abroad
- Soni considered offers from London, Dubai, and EPAM before choosing a remote Jaipur role
A techie has caught social media's attention after revealing why he turned down a Rs 55 lakh job offer in Japan to stay in India and continue working remotely. In a now-viral LinkedIn post, Yashaswi Soni, a Jaipur-based senior software engineer, detailed that he prioritised family, stability and work-life balance, which prompted him to pass on the lucrative Japanese offer that came with a higher salary.
Soni explained that he started looking for a new job two years ago after his company at the time asked him to relocate to Pune. Consequently, he received multiple offers, which included a fully remote role with a London startup offering Rs 37 LPA, a Dubai-based position worth Rs 47 LPA. A Japan-based role paying around Rs 55 LPA and a remote position with EPAM offering Rs 29 LPA.
"On paper, the Japan offer was the obvious choice. 1.5x of what I'd made before. International experience. Different life. But I kept coming back to one question: What am I actually optimising for?" wrote Soni.
Soni stated that his wife had just settled into her job in Jaipur and they finally had a life they had aspired to. Picking the job abroad would have meant uprooting everything they had worked towards over the years
"Japan meant uprooting everything. A new country. A new language. A new life at a time when we had just found stability. Dubai meant a tax-free salary but a life we didn't particularly want," he said.
Soni said that he was close to accepting EPAM's remote offer when his current employer reached out.
"I stalled EPAM. Went through current company's interview rounds. After my final round, I did something unusual," he wrote, adding that he messaged one of his interviewers on LinkedIn and asked whether the company planned to move forward with his application because he had another offer awaiting a response.
After receiving the nod, he declined Japan, Dubai and EPAM offers before joining his current firm in a fully remote role from Jaipur.
"Money is important. But it's one variable. The city you live in, the people around you, the pace of your life, those are variables too. Optimise for the whole equation. Not just the biggest number," he said.
Check The Viral Post Here:
Social Media Reactions
As the post gained traction, one user wrote: "I have also worked in a remote setup, and it's something I am actively looking for again. Over time, I have realised that flexibility, peace of mind, and being close to family often matter just as much as the salary."
"This makes a lot of sense because you took your time to figure out the best opportunity for yourself and your family. Decisions made without being in rush do work out," another commented.
A third said: "Well done. Good decision. I also made decisions in the past favouring remote opportunities vs big brands with WFO, and it turned out to be a great career-boosting decision as well so far."
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