Got a big shock at start of career

At the very start of my career, I faced a big shock. I joined BitGo as a Software Engineering Intern with the hope of full-time conversion, as HR mentioned the conversion rate was good.

Despite consistently delivering results and even demoing my work to the Head of Engineering and CEO, two interns including me were laid off with vague and shifting reasons.

First, we were told the team capacity was 13 while we were 15 — yet two new FTEs were hired after us. Then we were told we were working on “less important” tasks, even though we had repeatedly asked for critical work. Finally, I was told I hadn’t coded enough hours — despite clear output and appreciation in demos. It felt like pure office politics. Recently hired FTEs — who were related to existing top performers — were retained, and interns were let go. Escalations to HR and leadership didn’t change anything.

Walking away from a 35 LPA CTC (15 LPA fixed) opportunity was tough, but staying would’ve meant surviving politics over performance.

Today, I’m working as a Data Engineer at Accenture. The pay may be lower, but I’m genuinely happier. My team is supportive, ideas are heard, and politics — though present everywhere — is minimal in my experience.

Sometimes peace of mind > compensation.