FORESIGHT(2023): Summer Internship at Adobe| Shaurabh Tiwari|

Introduction:

Hello everyone, I am Shaurabh Tiwari. I am a fourth-year student, pursuing a Dual Degree course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Manufacturing Science and Engineering. In the 2022 CDC Internship Drive, I got a Research Internship offer from Adobe Research for a duration of 12 weeks.

How did you get into Adobe? What was the selection procedure?

The selection procedure started with a written test followed by the Interview. The written test consisted of questions from Probability and Statistics, Basic OOPs, DBMS, some general Aptitude questions, and two Medium Level programming questions (Difficulty Level: 1300 to 1700) related to Data Structures and Algorithms.

There was one Interview round for the students who cleared the written round. In my case, the Interview started with the CV Discussion, In which I explained the projects mentioned in the CV. While discussing the projects the interviewer did ask some questions related to basic ML, DL, and basic mathematics behind them. After that, we had a 15-minute discussion on a research paper, which I had read in the past. The interview ended with some basic HR questions to test your teamwork skills.

How to prepare for them?

You need to have a good grasp of Machine Learning and Deep Learning, and for that, Coursera ML and DL specializations can be a good starter, also blogs at Towards Data Science will be good for those who prefer reading over watching videos. It will be preferred to have at least one good project/internship on your CV for a better understanding of the domain and also it’ll help as a starter for discussion during the interview. If you have time I’ll suggest looking into NLP or Computer Vision domain.

For the written round a good grasp of competitive programming will be required for that try solving problems on any competitive programming platform like Leetcode, Codeforces, Codechef, etc. Also, good knowledge of Probability and Statistics will be required, for this solving Heard on the Street or 50 Challenging Problems will be more than enough. Try to have some basic knowledge of OOPs.

What difficulties did you face while preparing for this Profile? How did you overcome this problem?

The major issue here is you need to have knowledge of many different domains. To clear the written round a good knowledge of Data Structures Algorithms will be needed along with Probability and Statistics. For interviews, knowledge of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Algorithms will be required. Also, you need to have some good projects in this domain for your CV to stand out among the other candidates. Keeping a hand on all these things at once is very tough but not impossible. The strategy which worked for me is to divide the duration for each task and prepare for one task at a time while keeping a fixed revision schedule for the things which I’ve already learned. In this way, things will not feel like a burden. Try to participate regularly in competitive programming contests on any platform.

According to you, who should ideally apply for this job?

For anyone who likes brainstorming to find new and unresearched problems in the world and wants to explore the difference between academic and industrial research fields, this is an ideal opportunity for him. Also If you like working with the newest technologies and have a hunger for exploring the latest inventions and technology advancements, then you should apply for this.

Any specific advice you want to give to the junta sitting for internships this year?

Preparing for internships can be a stressful and competitive process, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind. Firstly, remember that an internship is just a small part of your long and promising career ahead. Even if you don’t secure your desired position, it doesn’t define your capabilities or future success. Secondly, surround yourself with a supportive friend circle who can help you practice and conduct mock interviews. Their feedback and encouragement can be invaluable during this time. Additionally, luck can play a role in the selection process, so don’t be disheartened if things don’t go your way initially. Remember, there’s no single right path to success, and each person’s journey is unique. Be resilient, stay focused, and prioritize your happiness. Don’t let the preparedness or success of others affect your self-confidence. Trust in your abilities, give your best, and success will come your way.

What are some of the major points you think would be valid to mention in your CV while targeting this profile? (any specific suggestions you would like to make?)

CV is an essential document that highlights your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Here are some points which I think will help your cv to stand out:

• Try to do a research project/internship under any professor at any institution. In case you didn’t get any, do some self-projects which require some effort to complete and are worth the discussion during the interview. Having a good project/internship will help your CV to stand out.
• Maintain a good CGPA because sometimes it plays a crucial role in getting shortlisted.
• Try maintaining a decent rating on competitive programming platforms like Codeforces and Codechef. Having a good rating shows your problem-solving skills.
• Do participate in various competitions conducted by IIT Kharagpur or any other organization as these things add value to your CV and show your teamwork capabilities.
• CV plays a crucial role in the selection process so be very attentive while making it. Take references from the CVs of seniors and get your CV reviewed by seniors and batchmates.