‘No job, no backup plan’: Bengaluru man goes viral after quitting corporate job, up more than 6% | Today’s news
A Bengaluru man’s decision to quit his corporate job without another offer has hit social media after he opened up about burnout, long hours and the toll they took on his mental health.
In a video shared by Humans of Bombay, Pramod Paul announced that he has decided to quit his job despite not having a backup plan.
“See that glow on my face? The day has come. I’m resigning. I have no job offers, no backup plans, nothing,” he said.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
A Bengaluru man, Pramod Paul, quit due to burnout, long hours and the mental toll it took on him because he felt his salary didn’t reflect the work he was doing.
Paul found his annual salary increase of 6% (approximately ₹2,600 per month) inadequate, leading to feelings of anxiety and depression, which ultimately contributed to his decision to resign.
To cope with the increasing stress of his job, Paul sought professional help, including seeing a psychiatrist and attending stress-management therapy, which he noted with humor cost him more than a raise.
Warning signs of a debt spiral include high monthly loan payments that exceed 40% of take-home income, accumulating new loans to pay off old debts, and increasing loan interest rates due to a declining credit score.
Financial preparedness, such as building an emergency fund before crises strike, helps individuals avoid relying on loans for unexpected expenses, thereby mitigating the risk of falling into a debt spiral.
Paul said that he handled the duties well beyond his designation, but felt that his salary was not commensurate with the work he was doing.
“After working day and night, the line between day and night was blurred. At this point, I got the job of senior analyst, the position of analyst and the salary of an intern,” he said.
Read also | ‘No free snacks, no coffee’: NVIDIA’s surprising office culture shocks the internet
He also expressed disappointment with his annual ranking.
“So much anxiety, depression, for what? 6% increase? 6%! Effective.” ₹2,600 per month,” he added, referring to the increase in monthly wages.
“Therapy costs more than my annual hike”
Paul also talked about seeking professional help to cope with stress.
Describing the situation with humor, he said: “After so much anxiety, I went to see a psychiatrist. The consultation fee was ₹2000. She referred me for stress treatment. That was it ₹3,000 per session. If the price of a therapy session is more than your yearly hike, then you’re definitely set.”
Growing up with financial responsibility
According to Humans of Bombay, Paul grew up in Kolar near Bengaluru in a debt-ridden family.
“My reality was shaped by my family’s sacrifices. Dad was a pastor and mom was a stay-at-home mom, so they had to take out heavy loans to educate my brother and I, and the weight of that responsibility fell squarely on my shoulders,” he said.
After graduating, Paul said he started working as a property manager while getting married ₹A loan of 8 thousand to help pay off his family’s debts.
He later joined a large financial firm where he spent almost four years. According to Paul, things changed after the company went through a corporate acquisition.
“I gave it my all for almost four years. But after the company was acquired, management changed, greed grew and promotions dried up,” he said.
Describing his frustration, he added: “I followed the local tea sellers ₹2,000,000 a month while I was on a salary that was basically peanuts.”
Read also | ‘No free snacks, no coffee’: NVIDIA’s surprising office culture shocks the internet
Finding an outlet through content creation
As the workload continued to mount, Paul said he turned to content creation as a creative outlet.
“I started joking about the corporate grind and making videos with my mom. As my videos took off, I got around 100k followers,” he said, adding that creating content helped him stay afloat both financially and mentally.
Despite building an online following, he said his office workload continues to grow.
“At one point I was doing the full workload of a lead analyst, but during the evaluation I got ₹2000 hikes. That’s when I knew I had to quit,” he said.
Read also | Salary isn’t everything for Gen Z, 50% prefer work-life balance: Naukri report
‘I’m totally lost’
Paul said his last day of work would be August 15th. While he admitted that he doesn’t know what’s next, he said that he considers leaving the job to be the right decision.
“I still have ₹There are 3 million left from this loan to be settled. If you ask me what my exact plan is now, I’ll be honest: I’m completely lost. But until I figure it out, I choose the uncertainty of my talent over the certainty of corporate exploitation,” he said.