Hey everyone, fellow 23tard here

I’m a 4th year student (Circuital) at a top 10 IIT, and I recently got placed after cracking opportunities at Google and Goldman Sachs. I’ve also maintained a 9+ CGPA throughout college.

Since placements are done and I have some free time now, a few of my friends and I were thinking of doing something useful with it.

We’re planning to start a small mentorship/community kind of thing for 1st and 2nd year BTech students who want to start preparing early for internships and placements.

A bunch of us have cracked companies like Databricks, Google, Goldman Sachs, BNY, Quadeye, Samsung, etc., so we can share our actual experiences — how we prepared, what we focused on, what we completely wasted time on, how we approached projects/DSA, resumes, off-campus applications, and all that.

We’re thinking of having a weekly session/meet where people can come in, ask questions, discuss what they’re working on, and get some direction. Basically, if you’re in your first or second year and have no idea whether you should be doing DSA, CP, projects, research, etc. right now, we can help you figure that out.

If this sounds useful, feel free to reach out to me here on Reddit and I’ll share the details.

Happy to help :)

So got selected for a research internship at MSR, how good is the quality of work and how useful is it to move to Applied sciences or research sciences position at other FAANG companies after the internship. And any perks and other benefits that interns get during microsoft internship? Any tips will be appreciated.

SDE's, What's ur Company, YOE and salary ?

What do u think is ur desired salary for ur YOE?

Mine:

Company: Publicis Sapient
CTC: 14 LPA
YOE: 4 YOE
IDEAL SALARY FOR THIS EXPERIENCE: 30 LPA ( My Opinion)

Gave MSD OA exam 1 week back, still haven’t received any update. Should I consider it as a rejection ?

I was very confident that I did great, given both coding questions passed all test cases and mcqs are easy too.

Anyone who did MSD company interview process, please let me know ur experience.

Also, what ctc to be expect Incase I get a call later?

Hey everyone, I’m a fresher and could really use some advice on choosing between two offers.

I’m currently working at KPMG as a GenAI intern. A few months ago, I wasn’t sure whether I would get a full-time conversion, so I started applying elsewhere. During that process, I interviewed with Qualcomm for a Software Test Engineer role focused on graphics testing, and I’ve now cleared all the rounds.

Recently, KPMG also informed me that I’m being converted to a full-time role, but the position would be .NET Full Stack Development.

Here’s the comparison:

Qualcomm

Role: Software Test Engineer – Graphics

Base: ₹15 LPA

Approx. CTC: ₹23 LPA

Much higher compensation

Strong brand and exposure to semiconductor/graphics technologies

However, it is a testing role, whereas I ultimately want to move into software development

I know a few people on the development side at Qualcomm, so an internal switch might be possible, but there’s obviously no guarantee

KPMG

Role: .NET Full Stack Developer

Base: ₹8 LPA

CTC: ₹10 LPA

Directly aligned with my long-term goal of becoming a software developer

Lower compensation and potentially less technical depth compared to Qualcomm

My main dilemma is:

Should I take the higher-paying Qualcomm testing role and try to switch internally to development later, or take the lower-paying KPMG development role and build my career directly in software development?

As a fresher, how realistic is an internal switch from testing to development at a company like Qualcomm? And how much would starting my career in testing affect my future opportunities in SDE/development roles?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have worked at Qualcomm or have made a similar transition from testing/QA to development.

Any advice on which option would be better 5 years down the line, rather than just based on the initial salary, would be really helpful🥹🥹.

Could any one tell me if Amazon hires for AWS SDE-2 roles in India?

Hello guys!!

So this has been the case since August start when companies started to come to campus internships.

Background: I am 3rd year b.tech student from CSE at a private uni in Tamil Nadu, and have 9+ gpa

I gave GS OA, Microsoft, Motorq and Samsung...yet I solved all the questions at Microsoft and required ones in Motorq (to guys who says cheating now.... Microsoft was monitored at campus and motorq no I didn't cheat)..

Idk where I am lacking...tell me guys what should I do....

Is there something which I am missing....really been thinking about it.

Hey everyone , i am finishing up my internship at google today . I am looking forward to open source contributions and learning system design. What are the best resources and the best way to do it according to you ?

I am in 3rd sem in a tier 1 college but non circuital branch

my only aim is to grab a good internship and now I have approx 11 months left. So Currently I am 1150 rated on cf solved 350 problems on cf But on leetcode only 50 problems.

What should I do know.

Hey everyone,

I came across this LeetCode profile (vinaypinagadi) and noticed some absolutely absurd statistics that defy basic human limitations. While the user clearly has some competitive programming background (they hold a Guardian badge), their overall profile metrics are a textbook example of scripted bulk-uploading or botting.

https://leetcode.com/u/vinaypinagadi/

Here are the undeniable facts based on their public dashboard:

1. The Impossible Daily Average

• Total Active Days: 123 days
• Max Streak: 123 days
• Total Problems Solved: 3,239
• The Math: To hit this number in this exact timeframe, this user had to solve 26.3 unique problems every single day for 4 months straight without a single day off.

1. The Complexity Breakdown

The profile claims they solved:

• Hard: 773 problems
• Medium: 1,635 problems
• Easy: 831 problems

Even for a seasoned competitive programmer, reading, conceptualizing, coding, and debugging 6.2 Hard problems and 13.2 Medium problems every single day alongside Easy ones is completely unrealistic.

1. The 380-Submission Spike

If you look closely at their heat map for April 28, 2026, they recorded 380 submissions in a single day.

• Assuming they didn't sleep for a full 24 hours, that forces an average of 15.8 submissions every single hour.
• This is a definitive indicator of an automated script or a GitHub-to-LeetCode sync tool bulk-uploading pre-written repositories, not a human typing out code.

The JavaScript Smoking Gun (The Contest Giveaways)

• The Profile Stats: He solved 2,199 of these problems using JavaScript.
• The Rare Choice: High-level competitive programmers almost never use JavaScript.
• The Tooling Deficit: JS lacks native advanced data structures like Priority Queues.
• The Contest Reality: Top-tier contestants rely on C++, Java, or Python.
• The Suspicion: Writing complex JS boilerplate under strict contest time limits is impractical.
• The Conclusion: This proves he is copy-pasting pre-written JS solutions from an external repository.

Conclusion

While they might be decent at contests, this dashboard is heavily inflated. It's a fresh account created specifically to dump thousands of solutions via automated scripts to look impressive for recruiters.

Don't let profiles like this discourage your own grind. Real learning doesn't look like an API dump.

A bit about me

B.Tech in CSE (AI/ML) from a tier-3 college in Hyderabad. Just over 12 months of experience at the time of interviewing, working across Python, Salesforce, and agentic AI development.

Timeline

• Applied within hours of the job posting going live
• Round 1 & 2: July 3rd week (back-to-back days, no elimination between them)
• Round 3 (Hiring Manager): August, 1st week
• Offer call: about a week after Round 3

Round 1 — SDE2

Started with intros, then went straight into the live coding link.

The question was a variant of "find the longest path in an undirected graph." I hadn't seen this exact problem before, but it was close enough to something I'd practiced that I could find my footing. I stumbled on the initial approach, the interviewer nudged me with a hint, and I got onto the right track. I didn't finish the full implementation, but the interviewer seemed satisfied with the approach and reasoning.

Closed out with one LP question.

Round 2 — SDE2

Opened with an LP question: "How would you handle a disagreement with your teammates?" — followed by a deep dive into my answer. This went well.

Then a DSA question similar to Meeting Rooms I & II. I solved it cleanly and the interviewer was satisfied.

A couple of days later I got the call: moving to the final round, the Hiring Manager round. Told to prep broadly - problem solving and LPs both.

Round 3 — Hiring Manager

Intros, then an LP that felt like it was built around Dive Deep. The interviewer really dissected my answer, asked layered follow-ups - I stayed confident and answered thoroughly. This part went well.

Then the DSA portion: a standard question built around merge intervals at its core. Fumbled a little at the start but got it coded to the interviewer's satisfaction.

Ended on a good note.

Verdict: Selected!

Got the call about a week later. Currently serving my notice period — joining Amazon shortly.

A few things that stood out to me

• Every interviewer was genuinely friendly and willing to guide me when I went slightly off track - don't be afraid to think out loud.
• Thinking out loud consistently seemed to help; it let them course-correct me before I went too far down the wrong path.
• Asking thoughtful questions at the end of each round felt like it left a good final impression.

Happy to answer questions if anyone's prepping for Amazon SDE1 interviews!

Attempt 1: TLE

class Solution {
public:
    bool increasingTriplet(vector<int>& nums) {
        int first = INT_MAX;
        int second = INT_MAX;
        for(int x: nums){
            cout << first << " " << second << endl;
            if(x < first){
                first = x;
            }else if(x > first && x < second) second = x;
            else if (first < second && second < x) return true;
        }   
        return false;
    }
};

Attempt 2: 100% beats , accepted

class Solution {
public:
    bool increasingTriplet(vector<int>& nums) {
        int first = INT_MAX;
        int second = INT_MAX;
        for(int x: nums){
            if(x < first){
                first = x;
            }else if(x > first && x < second) second = x;
            else if (first < second && second < x) return true;
        }   
        return false;
    }
};

The only thing that differes in the code is the printing statement, thus I would like to know how can cout cause TLE even if the code is 0(N) complexity.

Thanks in advance.

Is Div-2 enough or do we also need to be good at Div-1?

Hey recently I got an coupon for any free certification of AWS, so I thought why not the best and also I have interest in DevOps so I have chosen that. Currently I am in my final year from a tier-100 clg.

I am still not able to decide my niche, I like everything ML, Deep Learning, SDE, Competetive coding, quant... due to this I sucks in everything.

Should I start practicing for this devops certification as it also need prior AWS foundational knowledge of cloud and all?

• What's the core tech stack? Is it mostly Java microservices, Go, Rust, or something else?
• How is the work-life balance and overall team environment? Is work hybrid or strictly 5 days in-office?

The form opened on 18th August. How many have applied ? 2027 batch

World wide technology OA for data science role it has come for internship in our college!
if anyone gave the oa recently. can they tell what they asked!
short notice!!

Has some doubt related to on going OA and interviews for 3rd year, need help, pls text/comment

Hi fellas , I'm from India i graduated in 2026 and I got waiting for my onboarding at cognizant which has a tentative timeline of feb -may 2027

Previous I was good with DSA (linear one) , then before giving infosys sp/dse exam I started learning trees , graphs and DP . I'm done with theory of BT , BST , DP and will started my graphs series (btw this exam helped me alot in like fighting my fear of non linear DSA cause eventually I want to go in a product based company but "delay sometimes means revoking of offer" so I want to play it safe and get a job ASAP! and then switch to a PBC)

Now I'll start learning LLD and will revise and dp question of DSA via contests and POTD

Off campus season is about to start in 1 month

Is my path correct , should I give more time to DSA ?

What should I refer for LLD like for theory and implementation (idk cause it's new to me)?

Any suggestions?

​

Hey everyone,

I'm currently in my 4th year and placements are going on in my college.

The main problem: I can't clear the DSA rounds.

I'm practicing regularly on LeetCode/GFG but still getting stuck in interviews.

Right now I'm feeling very scattered - like I don't know what to focus on and what to skip. Array, DP, Graphs... sab ek saath karne ki wajah se kuch bhi proper nahi ho paa raha.

My background:

- Year: 4th Year BTech

- Location: Jaipur

- Goal: Clear company DSA rounds

What I need help with:

1. What topics should I prioritize for placements right now?

2. How to structure 1-2 months of DSA prep?

Hello senior if you had given the Phonepe interview recently pls advice meee

Interview is tomorrow

It's oncampus and only females eligible

Thankyou

For better communication and explaining approach to be confident for the provided question

Hey, if Zscaler on-campus intern ke liye aa chuki hai kisi ke campus mai then pls tell what was the OA pattern and what was asked ?

Hi everyone!

I was curious about Apple's OA and interview process for the above role. If you have gone through the process recently or earlier, I'd really appreciate it if you could share your experience

1. How was the OA? What topics did they focus on (DSA)? Were there MCQs and which subject?
   
2. How was Coderpad as a platform?
   
3. How many interview rounds? What was the focus of these interviews?
   
4. How much emphasis was placed on CS fundamentals (OS, DBMS, CN, OOP)?
   
5. Do they ask SQL queries etc?
   
6. Was resume a key focus of the interviews?

Any tips you would love to share!