‘Good Pay, But…’: Techie earning Rs 12 LPA shares struggle with burnout

A post on Reddit by a young software engineer has sparked online discussion about burnout and the lack of onboarding support for freshers at large tech companies. In a post titled “First job out of college – 12 years of annual salary – good pay, but I’m plagued by no guidance, unrealistic expectations, and constant anxiety,” the anonymous user explained that he recently joined a multinational company as a developer. He said that the role has become “mentally exhausting” due to unrealistic expectations and little to no guidance.

“I recently joined my first job as a developer at an MNC, where I’m getting a good salary and good technical skills, but the conditions have been difficult. What seems like a dream job to many is mentally draining me,” the Redditor wrote. He explained that within a few weeks of joining, he was given numerous development tickets and told to “figure everything out on his own,” despite being unfamiliar with the company’s internal systems.

Furthermore, he stated that the codebase is “huge and undocumented,” and even small changes require navigating multiple files. Although his superiors expect him to be self-sufficient, he claimed they spend hours answering questions and later accuse him of being “too dependent on them.”

The user said, “I understand what he’s trying to say, but sometimes I really don’t know where to start.”

The OP also pointed out inequities in onboarding between teams. He said other new hires receive lighter workloads, time to understand the codebase, and gradual help, while he is handling six stories in a 12-day sprint, and is under pressure to avoid spillover. He wrote, “The Scrum Master gets angry if anything goes wrong, and on top of that, my team leader doesn’t even protect me because, according to him, ‘the things assigned to me are very straightforward.'”

Long hours have added to the stress. Although his official working hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., he said he often works late and continues to think about tasks even after logging off. He said, “I can’t quit because of family responsibilities and debt.”

First job outta college ~12 LPA — good pay, but I’m drowning with zero guidance, unrealistic expectations and constant anxiety….
byu/IntelligentFigure854 inIndianWorkplace

Social Media Reactions

The post has resonated with many people, especially first-time developers, who say that new hires in the industry are expected to work without proper guidance.

“Welcome to the real world, away from college. Sorry to blow your mind, but that’s just the way things are. You’re paid X as an investment in the company, and that applies to everyone, and everyone faces some challenge depending on their seniority. If anyone says otherwise, they’re either lying or delusional. Most of us are lucky to have a good mentor. College doesn’t teach anything useful, so blaming anyone else is pointless,” one user wrote.

“I had the same experience in my first two and a half years at my first company. It wasn’t easy, but that experience taught me that I can handle any technical challenge. Now, find and understand things, no matter how frustrating. Now, my life is calmer, especially because everything else seems easier now,” another commented.

“If possible, schedule a time with your senior and discuss your expectations. Tell them you feel their expectations are not right and you want to improve. Write down what they can expect from you and then go to the meeting. If there’s a mismatch, tweak the conversation to make it right. Set a deadline and ask them to review it. Remember that you’re eager to improve. No manager will refuse someone who wants to improve and reduce their burden,” suggested a third user.

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