u/Medical-Book-3051

I'm looking for some advice from people who've been in a similar situation.

I currently have 1.4 years of experience as an SDE at a fast-paced startup in India. I've learned a lot, worked on production systems, and handled a lot of responsibility. The problem is that the pay is below market, and I haven't received any meaningful increment.

My goal is to get a fully remote software engineering job. I've been applying while working, but it's been difficult to prepare properly for interviews after long workdays.

I'm seriously considering quitting my current job and spending the next couple of months doing interview prep, improving my resume, building a couple of projects, and applying full-time.

I do have some savings to support myself for a while, but I'm worried about:

How employers view a career gap.

Whether quitting without another offer is a bad idea in the current market.

Whether it's easier or harder to get interviews when you're unemployed.

For those who have done this:

Was it worth quitting first?

How long did it take you to find a remote job?

Would you recommend staying employed until I get an offer instead?

Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated.