SWE/SDE Interviews: Do’s and Don'ts!!

Hey folks !!
After receiving tremendous requests on LinkedIn regarding how to prepare for SWE/SDE Interviews? Where to apply, to hunt for such roles in the tech industry, I decided to blog this on my medium channel.

A quick introduction of mine, I am Siddharth Raja, a Computer Engineering Undergrad from a TIER-3 College in India, placed at NCR Corporation as SWE-1. I have been preparing for such roles since my early college days, to hunt and grab opportunities in the world’s leading tech industry.

In this blog, I will share Do’s and Don’ts while preparing for SWE/SDE Interviews through my learning and Interview Experience.

Do’s surely to be done 😺

• Think beyond FAANG: The fact that FAANG is the best is not something that can be denied, but one should realize that everyone doesn't go to FAANG, there are many product-based companies around you, where you can grow as freshers.
• Never lose opportunities: People say they lack opportunities especially in this Covid Pandemic, but still, companies are hiring. Companies want skills, they hire the best.
• How to be the best? : Just focus on basics. SWE/SDE jobs require a fresher to be the best in Computer Fundamentals which involve Programming Methodology, Data Structures & Algorithms, OOPS Concepts, Databases (SQL), and Operating Systems. The cherry on top of the cake is when you have knowledge of the latest trending technologies used in the software industry.
• Where to learn and practice the above-mentioned subjects from? : Reading books and maintaining notes is a good habit, but I will strongly recommend everyone to study from GeekforGeeks and practice Interview Problems and enhance Problem Solving Skills from HackerRank, CodeChef, and LeetCode.
• Is CP (Competitive Programming) essential? : Yes, CP helps you to be a good problem solver. Don’t be the best, just learn Time Management and Problem Solving.
• Own your Resume: Copy other’s templates and not contents. “Your resume is your fingerprint.” Be true to yourself and the projects you have worked on.
• Where to apply?: Good companies always host an online competition/hackathon through which they hire top percentile and bright developers always participate in such contests over HackerEarth, TechGig, HackerRank, CodeChef, and other websites. Referrals are again important, connect to people over LinkedIn/Twitter and ask for profile reviews and referrals.

Don’ts never to be done 😄

• Do not demotivate yourself: Rejections are part of life. If you don’t get anything on the first attempt, doesn’t matter, put your heart and soul in it, be consistent and trust yourself that what you are doing is right, you will surely end up with something better than what you have today.
• Never make bad choices: Choices you make decide your fate for tomorrow. Learn the best techniques, good designs, and good algorithms to solve any problem optimally. Tip: always begin with Brute Force Approach and try to optimize further.
• Procrastination is not healthy: A person who procrastinates never achieves success, so try to solve any problem in a restricted time span and learn new things as early as possible. Upsolve problems you were unable to solve which is a good sign of improvement.

“Bad Programmers worry about code. Good programmers worry about data structures and their relationships.” — Linus Torvalds

Thus, understand what you do and why you do, never procrastinate and be a better problem solver. You will land up with something best for you. Never compare and keep learning. Happy Coding and Problem Solving!!