My Journey From My College To SDE At Amazon
I am Jiganesh Patil. Here is my journey from my college to "SDE at Amazon".
Third Year Second Semester:
During my third year, second semester, I made a lot of progress in my software development skills. I learned Python, DBMS, and DSA basics for the InfyTQ (Infosys Exam). I was able to clear Round 1 of InfyTQ and continued to practice my skills through resources such as HackerRank and Codewars, which were recommended at my post-beginner stage. I also learned from resources like Telusko and a book on one liners in Python. One of my key takeaways was to learn as much as possible from others' code and discussion sections. I also participated in HackWithInfy and was able to clear both Round 1 and 2 of the competition, with difficulty levels ranging from easy to hard.
Fourth Year:
In my fourth year, I prepared for the Infosys Interview by studying OS, CN, DBMS + SQL, DSA, CPP, Java, JS and working on projects. The interview consisted of behavioral questions, project-related questions, and DSA and DBMS questions. I was offered a position at InfyTQ for 3.6 LPA and HackwithInfy for 5 LPA in December 2020, but I didn't do much programming after that. In September 2021, I joined Infosys and quickly got allocated to a good project, allowing me to avoid further training or a period on the bench. In November, I started doing DSA and used resources like Leetcode, Coding Decoded, the Strivers YouTube Channel, and a book on system design by Alex Xu. I even applied for a role at Accenture for 4.5 LPA, just for fun, and received an offer for a 6.5 LPA role, which I declined. In March, I applied to Amazon and went through several rounds of interviews, including OA and behavioral questions, managerial questions, and a HR and Bar Raiser round. I accepted the offer I received.
Key Takeaways and Learnings:
Throughout my journey, I learned several important lessons that have helped me improve my problem-solving skills. I found that solving one question a day was the secret to avoiding depression, burnout, and maintaining consistency. I also learned to solve one question with three different approaches to improve my skills even further. I recommend reading others' code and focusing on development for the long run, with a 70-80% development and 30-20% DSA balance. Staying consistent, focusing on medium Leetcode questions, doing system design, and taking a day off every month to avoid burnout are all important things to keep in mind. Finally, I learned that quality is more important than quantity and to hang on to DSA for 1-2 years, as everything takes time.
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