The placement process started amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, and our batch was the first to experience the ‘online placement process’, along with an online academic semester cut down to three months, with Saturdays being working days.
But you need to keep in mind that, no matter how many problems come in your way, you are not alone there. This time demands only one thing, and it all boils down to having the right temperament.
Seemingly small but essential things
During the preparation, having the right peer group and healthy discussions with friends helped me stay motivated and figure out problems that I might face in the actual interviews. I ensured that I had good earphones and my voice in the video call was clear. I bought one webcam because, with the camera’s location on my laptop, eye contact could not be made.
The First big stages — Coding tests and Résumé building
The first stage among all the companies is the resume shortlisting and coding test, and one needs to devote proper time while making his/her resume. While mentioning your projects in resume, make sure to mention the impact or the results of the project with numbers, and get your resume reviewed by your seniors and batchmates. Make sure to have in-depth knowledge about everything you choose to mention in the resume.
Coding tests for companies started around October. Since everything was going to be online, I got a stable internet connection as there can be network problems or electricity cut off because we were at home, which did happen and ruined some tests, but the crux is to minimize these issues. It is also essential to balance academics with placement preparation and tests. You should be able to prioritize your time, and it is fine if academics take a backseat this semester.
How I prepared for the Interview
Shortlists for interviews are mostly declared in the second half of November. For interviews, I started to revise everything around mid-November. While revising my projects, I even wrote what I would speak about each point in my resume. I also wrote down all the possible questions that may be asked and what answer I will give to them. I read about the companies I was shortlisted in and wrote down their values too. I even discussed my resume on a video call with my friends. It is advised to have a written script memorised for everything in the resume and also about all the famous HR questions.
Interview process starts at around 9 pm on 30th November. It is necessary to have a good sleep before interviews as it is going to be a long day and a very long night. I had a very light dinner and kept some fruits along with me to eat if I get time. Stay hydrated and keep water beside you. I had three company interviews scheduled for the night — Google, Microsoft and Alphonso. Each company has around 2–4 interview rounds, most of them being elimination rounds, and time is of the essence here, so one needs to keep in mind to keep all the answers to the point so that you get sufficient time to solve the real coding questions.
Some important words of wisdom
Remember that placements should not be seen as competition, it can only be aced with collaborative efforts.
The hard part is to deal with rejections in your targeted companies. But rejections are a part of life, keep your preparation at the level where a few rejections won’t matter to you.
The Interviews
First, I got a call for Microsoft interview at around 9 pm, and there were two rounds back to back. The first round started with a discussion around my resume, and the interviewer asked me to introduce myself and tell them about my projects. He asked a few related questions on the spot while I was describing my projects. I was able to answer them. And then, he moved to the coding part and gave me one challenging question, which I was supposed to solve on any IDE of my choice and send the codes to him at the end. I was able to solve the question. At the end of the interview, he asked me if I had any questions, and I got a call for the second round immediately after the first round ended. The second round format was almost similar, but in this round, I was asked 2 coding questions, which I found comparatively easier than the first round.
After the second round ended, I got an interview call for Google at around 12 am, and there were about 4 rounds for me each of 45 mins, which went on till 3 am at night. In google, each interview starts with your introduction and what you have done, after which they share with you one google doc link on which the interviewer asks 2–3 coding questions in each round within those 45 minutes. One of the rounds also includes an HR round, where they check the googliness. Almost all of the questions asked were new to me and of good quality. I enjoyed solving them. One of the mistakes I made in this interview was that I picked up my phone in between the discussion. Keep your mobile phone away from you on silent while giving interviews, and pick it up only after each interview ends to take calls for the next round for online interviews.
After this, at around 4:15 am, I was called for Alphonso’s interview. They started by asking me questions on operating system, which I could answer. After that, I was given two different codes, and I had to calculate their time complexities. I was able to answer, but I feel I gave the wrong answer to one of them. Then I was asked one system design question. I could list out the features needed, but I could not explain how to design classes so I was not called for further rounds in Alphonso.
It was 5 am already, and the next slot was supposed to start at 7:30 am in the morning, so I decided to sleep, but I couldn’t sleep. Fortunately, I didn’t have to sit for the next slot. In the morning, the results came out and my happiness knew no bounds. I got placed at Microsoft. I was flooded with congratulations messages.
At the end, I want to conclude by saying that there are enough companies out there to get you a good placement, and do not assume that any company is big enough to be out of your league.
If the door is closed, doesn’t mean it’s locked and even if it is…You just might have the key!
