A Tale of Two Companies.
Nothing can compare to campus placements when it comes to sheer randomness in this chaotic world. Happening AF. You never know where you’ll end up. :D
Those random shortlists, sudden calls and moody interviews were enthralling in a way – as it is said about IITs, you don’t realise but they are preparing you for the worst. Admire the system all you want.
For me, it was different. Yes. Different and easy. Read entire post to understand why I say easy.
If you want to succeed as bad as you wanna breathe, then you’ll be successful.- Eric Thomas
As the title suggests, this first-hand account talks about my experience with two companies belonging to different domains and offering different profiles.
Works Applications
As it is customary, resume is verified by TPO in September and company notices start pouring in October. As a Production and Industrial engineer, I have to rely on non-core sector (nobody realises our importance in India). WAP was the first company for me, offering a whopping salary of 6 million yen p.a. I saw BigData Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in their job description. I applied.
By the time you reach final year, you are already aware of 1cr packages that IIT rolls out to 20% of undergraduate students by a lucky draw! Parents have expectations. You are heavily under pressure. You give in. You shouldn’t. Never ever!
Owing to past good deeds, i.e. being a part of ACM ICPC Regionals, earned me some brownie points. WAP allowed me to sit for interviews directly.
Interview #Day1
Coming to the day of interview, WAP visited R on the much-hyped DAY 1. I entered the placement complex and got a warm welcome by the Japanese HR. The next thing I knew, my name was first on the list. It was a 1-on-1 affair. Coding round. Yes. It was a live coding round where I was given a Codeblocks interface and a set of questions pertaining to Linked list implementation using Classes. I knew the answer, but wanted to do ML. Conveyed that to the interviewer in a subtle manner. He said we want people who can deliver codes like machines for clients. I understood that job description was just a way of glorifying the work. He understood my disinterest and said “I guess we both understand that this doesn’t fit well.” I abided by his conclusion and walked out with a smile.
I was proud of myself that day. I had conquered it what I expect all of you to fight and overpower – the rapacity. Because, it’s all about doing what you want to do, and not what people want you to do.
Fuzzy Logix
Core data science company open for all disciplines. Tailor-made for me. So I thought. So my friends thought.
Just to put things in perspective, I WANT to do data science. Without a second thought, I applied. They were offering almost one-third of what WAP was shelling out.
- Shortlist from Resume – I don’t understand why they say resume. They should rename it to Shortlist from CGPA. Seldom, companies look at your past experience and projects. One of the astonishing reasons why TPO doesn’t allow everybody to give the test is scarcity of computers in Computer Center - Lack of infrastructure in IITs! Thankfully, I was shortlisted.
- Online Test – It was a one and a half hours gig. There were numerous MCQs on Quantitative Aptitude, Programming, DBMS and Bitwise operators in particular. I learned FL’s obsession for Bitwise a day before. In the end, 40 minutes were given for 2 coding questions. The compiler was sucky. Had to submit the codes on a piece of paper. The test was relatively easy. Coding was ad-hoc and bitwise. Anyone with a little bit of practice can crack it. Do go through SQL as well.
- Case Study – The selected ones were divided into groups of 4 “randomly”. Yes, people in IIT are noobs and don’t understand sorting by last name. Anyways, it was a study of changes in the oil prices for the past 15 years. Given the data, it was expected to come up with mathematical models to support the fall at the time of Great Depression and the Chinese effect of 2014. Around 18 hours were given for this activity. All it demands is Confidence, Clarity of approach and Luck.
- Written Essay – To ensure that the candidates have proper sense of grammar and language, we were supposed to submit a 2 page essay on “As the director of the Institute, how would you promote and ensure research and innovation” or the talk-of-town Demonetisation. I chose the former. This wasn’t an elimination round, but just for additional evaluation.
Interview #Day2
After I didn’t get placed on Day 1, and couldn’t update it on social media, I had immense pressure for Dec 2. FL was coming, right in the morning. Data Science was coming.
On a cold winter morning, I walked from my room to the complex, controlling all random thoughts. My name was not first on the list. Some relief!
Around 10.05 AM, I was called in for the interview. It was a two-membered panel. I walked with conviction and shook their hands. They introduced themselves as CMO of the firm and senior data scientist and asked me to give a brief introduction. I started with general details and hobbies followed by my slightly-significant contributions to the world of Data Science. Then, they started reading my resume and asking practically everything that was written on those 2 pages. (Go for a 1 page resume if you go off-campus)
From internships to projects to extra curricular, everything was talked about in detail. When you are in that room, time passes away very quickly. CMO was chipping in between the tech talks with HR questions like “Where do you see yourself in 5 years”, “What is success for you” and “How will you be a good fit for the company“. It’s all about convincing the person in front of you.
For technical questions, even if you are not aware of the answer, never go plain blank. Tell them whatever you know or the closest you can reach. The perseverance and zeal to try is what matters.
The interviewers were quite impressed, atleast that’s what I judged that time. I thanked them and left the room. Again with a SMILE.
If an interview goes too long, it’s generally in favor of the candidate. I repeat generally. The first doubt when I came out was how long was my interview. I was told, it was 45 minutes. But, you know the diverse and negative nature of human brain, maybe that was non-general.
After a wait of around 4 hours, the result was declared and my name was there. I felt satisfied. Happiness wasn’t the first reaction, but satisfaction. Satisfaction of doing what I always wanted to do. I had defeated campus placements. This is why I said easy. It clicks, always, in the end.
Follow your passion!
I don’t want this post to be about my placement experience, but what you should always keep in mind:
- Do what you want to do. Things do fall in place eventually.
- Put a price on yourself. Don’t seem easy in interviews. Show your competency.
- Be frank. Lying and being fake will take you nowhere.
- Small things and gestures do matter. Be appreciative of everyone, from the TPO guy to the CMO.
- Suggestion: Grab a PPO. Enjoy your final year!
Also, placements are over-hyped. At the end of the day, self-contentment and inner peace is what matters.
I didn’t grab a 1cr package. I didn’t get placed on coveted day 1. I didn’t get selected in a giant company. But, am happy. This tale for me was a life lesson in itself. Everybody has theirs!
Thanks for reading. :)
And, ❤ if this was a good read. Enjoy!
