Hey folks, I’m stuck in a really confusing situation and could use some realistic advice from people who know how lateral hiring works.
My Background: I have 1.8 YOE. My current CTC is 8.63 LPA. Even though my title was "Data Engineer", my actual day-to-day work was basically just manual SQL runs. Recently, my company moved me to an SDET role where I'm doing manual Salesforce testing.
In my own time, I’ve built a solid portfolio with FastAPI, Kafka, AWS, and some GenAI (Gemini/RAG) stuff because my actual goal is to get into a proper Python Backend or Data Engg role. (Note: I’m not great at DSA, so I’m strictly targeting startups and mid-size product companies that do machine coding rounds).
The Problem (Current Job): The work hours at my current company are brutal. I am logged in from 9 AM to 9 PM every single day. I am completely burnt out. I have literally zero time or energy to upskill, build more projects, or even apply for jobs.
The TCS Offer: I recently interviewed with TCS and got a Digital offer (Systems Engineer - Grade C1) for 7.5 LPA.
Pros of taking it: Standard 9-hour workdays. I would finally get my life back and actually have time to prep and interview for the backend jobs I want. Cons of taking it: It’s a 1.1L pay cut. But my biggest fear is project allocation. Since my real-world enterprise experience is just manual testing, I am terrified TCS will look at my profile and dump me right back into a legacy support or manual testing project anyway.
The Alternative: My current company is introducing Playwright soon for the SDET role. I could theoretically stay, force myself to log off at 7 PM (quiet quit to protect my sanity), learn Playwright automation on company time, and use my backend portfolio to aggressively apply on Instahyre/Wellfound.
Is it worth taking a pay cut to join TCS just to get my WLB back, knowing I might get stuck in a support role? Or should I reject TCS, stay in my current exhausting job, learn Playwright, and hold out until I land a 10L+ backend role?
Has anyone here taken a pay cut for WLB to prepare for a better switch? Would really appreciate any guidance!