Preparing the right way

In this episode, we are going to discuss interview preparation strategies. We'll discuss in detail the things that need to be done before, during and after the interview.

Ideally, interview preparation should start either from the freshman or sophomore year. The earlier, the better. Because you'll get more time to experiment and explore and learn various things.

Start early, you will enjoy the journey. You'll get a chance to make mistakes early so that you can improve yourself in a better manner.

Without a great resume`, there's no interview. And without great experience, there's no great resume`. Therefore, the first step in landing an interview is getting great experience. Students can do the following to gain experience: work on side projects that solve real-world problems, get an internship in a start-up or a well established company, participate in hackathons or contribute to open-source projects.

During the first two years of your college, try to gain working experience through the aforementioned ways and also start your interview preparation process along the way. Some key points that would help you in this process are: doing several mock interviews, practising coding problems consistently, building your programming portfolio that showcases your experience.

Let's design a roadmap for your interview preparation process.

Research and Explore

First and foremost, it is important to research and explore various on-campus and off-campus opportunities. You can do so by: visiting your college website and taking a look at the various companies that visit your college campus for placement drives, being active on various professional social networking platforms to be aware of the various off-campus opportunities. Make a target list of preferred companies.

Importance of grades

It is crucial to understand the importance of grades and GPA. Some of the companies do filter out candidates based on their GPAs. Maintain a good GPA across all your semesters.

Computer Science Fundamentals

While some of the subjects that you study in your curriculum do not necessarily contribute to your placement preparation, there are subjects that are considered important in the interview process such as Operating Systems, Database Management Systems, Computer Networks and Design and Analysis of Algorithms. It is crucial to have a strong foundation in these subjects.

Interview Rounds

Most of the companies have one or more of the following set of rounds: Online coding round(s), Technical round(s), and HR round. Some companies will have rounds such as Group discussion, Aptitude rounds, Behavioural round. Make sure you prepare for them as well.

Now that we have understood the major aspects of an interview, let's look at some points to keep in mind.

Points to remember

1. It is your choice to pick any programming language that you are most comfortable coding in such as C/C++, Java, Python, etc.
2. Implement Data Structures and Algorithms from scratch instead of using built-in header files/modules to gain an in-depth understanding.
3. Practice problems that are in a range of difficulty level from easy to medium to hard.
4. Create a list of the mistakes you've made while solving problems and make sure not to repeat them.
5. Review / Update your resume` whenever there is need to.
6. Expand your network on various professional social media platforms.
7. Form mock interview groups with friends to interview each other.
8. If you have been selected in a company, write a thank you note to the recruiter. If you haven't been selected then ask them when you can re-apply. It is important to not lose hope. If you haven't heard from them, check in after one week.

See you in the next one.

Wish you a great success !

Vaidhyanathan S M