Take the opportunity when it arrives.

On June 12th 2013, When I tied my shoelace to board a bus to Bengaluru in search of a job, I did not expect to earn a lot of money. I was open to work on anything. I did not see which is FAANG or MAANG company or I didn't even think of the question "Should I join a startup or an MNC ?"

Deep inside I knew that as long as I do what I like and I do it sincerely, life cannot throw me into difficult situations. This was one of the reasons why I chose Software development even though my core subject was Electronics. I also understood that I did not study in a top-class school or a college. I did not have a double degree and I did not have a laptop either. I had an old desktop which I could not carry around.

I remember I had 8000 /- rupees in my pocket which I decided to spend on travel and lodging expenses in Bengaluru for a week. I came on a bus with 3 of my friends cum classmates cum best buddies to date. I never thought these 8000 rupees given by my mother will bring the fortune I never imagined in my life. I am always grateful to my mother who sacrificed everything for me.

I remember giving 4 interviews during my stay in Bengaluru and I failed in 3 of them. One last interview (I did not know anything about the company) I passed and they ended up offering me the job. The company opened a new office with 9 employees. I was the third one. Some of my friends were travelling to USA to do Masters and some got into big MNCs. BUT Make no mistake, I learnt a lot from this opportunity.

The point I'm trying to make here is ...

You don't know what you will gain if you limit your choices. Had I limited my choice to only FAANG or MAANG, I would not have joined that company which gave me the opportunity to learn and join another company. And that another company taught me even more lessons to join yet another company until I found the one I truly like. I have given 40+ interviews till now and I have taken 100+ interviews of candidates for frontend roles.

You will not get the job that you would absolutely Love to work on the first attempt itself. It takes time and life will test your resilience. If you give up, you will not reap the benefits that are ahead of you in the long run. If you limit yourself to the best companies, you will end up not liking the work there.

I have a lot of friends who hated working in the top companies in the world after they graduated from college and ended up leaving them to join startups. it may not be the case for everyone. I'm just telling you about my experience and what I saw. I also have a lot of IITan friends who are earning way less than me now.

So take the opportunity when it arrives.

It will not look like an opportunity when it comes.