Navigating the Developer's Journey: CodeCraft with Anirudh Meena

Hello Everyone,
I'm Anirudh Meena (Y19), and I'm here to share my journey with you. I recently graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering and now work as a software developer at Samsung R&D Delhi.

What motivated you to pursue a career in software development, and how did you prepare for the job market?

Well, I wasn't initially drawn to software development. In my first year, I was quite clueless about the vast opportunities this field held. It was during the pandemic that I began exploring different interests. I stumbled upon designing user interfaces for mobile and websites, and it sparked something within me. I went on to complete internships and did  freelancing to apply my newfound knowledge in the real world.

As I grew, so did my curiosity. I delved into web development and soon realized the significance of Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) in the software development domain. I began my DSA journey with YouTube channels like Striver and Aditya Verma. Additionally, I followed a course from Programming Pathsala. Alongside, I worked on projects in machine learning and web development and gained valuable experience through internships as a UX designer at Unchaai and a trading analyst at Nucleon.

What coursework or projects have you completed that are relevant to this job?

Most of my learning journey took place online, including:

• Programming Pathshala for DSA (a gem of a resource ❤).
• Striver’s SDE Sheet for the last month 🔥.
• Dynamic Programming from Aditya Verma and Striver (YouTube channel - Take You Forward ⏩).
• OOPs, SQL, DBMS from Love Bubber's Codehelp channel.
• Leetcode for practicing questions and taking part in biweekly contests.
• Simplilearn's YouTube channel for diving into machine learning.
• Web development courses on Udemy.

Projects I did for this job profile:
Machine learning:
-Tweet Sentiment Analysis.
-Facial Emotion Recognition.
-Implementing Pairs Trading Strategy.
Web development:
-Education Portal for students of rural areas.

Can you share your experience with the job application and interview process?

The journey with Samsung began with an OA round, featuring a challenging DSA-based question. We were generously given 4 hours to tackle it. Thankfully, I made it through, earning a spot for the interview phase.

The interviews started off with groups of three students. After introductions, we were presented with a relatively easier DSA-based question and were given just five minutes to solve it. Individual interviews followed, with the rest of us waiting outside. During my interview, they asked me one more question related to Binary Search and the concepts of Object-Oriented Programming (OOPs). I had the chance to discuss the projects mentioned in my resume.

The HR round allowed for a more personal conversation. We discussed my internships, why I chose this field, how I transitioned from designing a website to trading and then development, and shared experiences from my time at IITK. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase more of my personality beyond the technical aspects. 😊

Any additional advice or insights for aspiring software professionals preparing for job interviews in this field?

• Select your learning resources carefully and stick with them.
• Get ready for the HR round by practicing frequently asked questions.
• Most importantly, believe in yourself and your abilities. Confidence is your superpower!

Wishing all of you the best on your journey ahead!❤❤