Worked for 4–5 years in Services companies as Engineer and MBA. Please find my 2 cent

1. Shift to Product company if you really wish to actual build product. The majority of projects are support projects. Not much learning
2. Custom Product Development vs Enterprise Products developed for products have completely different standards. The learning I got in SAP vs my previous company was way different and steep.
3. Try to identify if your role is susceptible to automation or outsourcing and are you in growing role
1. Support projects are being automated by bots (RPA/ Chatbots)
2. Server Management, Network Management etc roles are no longer needed as companies Moving away from On-Premise implementation to Cloud
3. Technology becomes obsolete like Mainframe, PASCAL etc but this you may not be able to predict
4. Try to be in a role which is relevant and niche, cause you can’t demand more in salary unless you are doing different than what everyone else is doing. Today roles like Full Stack Developers, Machine Learning Engineers, Data Scientist, etc are not easy to master skills and are in dearth. Startups are ready to hire people if you are good and pay really good
5. Hikes will be minimal, culture might be in some cases be toxic in some teams. Check with your senior or Glassdoor how much you can expect to earn in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years in the same company. Go for glassdoor to see the minimum and maximum
6. The reason the salaries are low also has to do that their business model is low-cost delivery model compared to let’s say management consulting or Product companies where the focus on selling maximum license or charging really good per consultant. In both cases, the company really pays well as your value depends on how much you deliver.
7. Ever questioned why the maximum MBA / Mtech/ UPSC / SSC applicants are from Infy, TCS, Wipro, and other IT Services. I have seen so many people in libraries preparing for CAT/ GATE rather than improving coding skills. Not everyone is happy with their job/team/salary. Everyone is right to happiness and if it is money, you may be at the wrong place. Job Security may be altogether a different matter if that is what you are upto.
8. You already have witnessed the CROWD- Crowd to use sports and recreation facilities, a crowd in Canteen, Crowd in the promotion. Remember, you are just one in 2lakh or 3 lakh. So what is the probability of you reaching the top by the end of your career? Think about it.
9. Where will you switch, same IT companies like Infy- TCS , Wipro, your skills will not be good unless you practice actual coding competitions. you will realize where the world has moved and where you are.
10. The only thing good about these companies which I truly believe, their shares have given real good returns. I would any day be their shareholder rather than employees.

   
My final advice, do whatever you want to make something of your career. Be it an MBA, be it Product company switch, be it UPSC/Bank exam.
 
 Do it fast. Single-minded focus and decision and stick to it. I gave 4 times CAT ended up back in the IT Services industry but was able to get out.
 
   It took me almost 4 CAT attempts, 8 years (2011 - my first job at Infy, 2019- my first Product company - SAP). Don’t make the same mistake. Take a call, Stick to it, Work your butt off for that and be patient.

-Udit Chandna,IIM Calcutta

(Bachelors from Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology)