Protégé Mentorship : Software Development
In continuation with our Protégé Mentorship series, Team ARP brings you the internship journey of Srishti Gupta, MSM. She bagged an intern at Flipkart as a software developer.
INTRODUCTION
Where did you intern and your role as an intern?
My intern was at Flipkart as a software developer
What was your approach towards pursuing the field? (Initial Approach, Resources)
I always liked problem solving, so I was doing competitive programming on and off since the first semester only. But in my 4th semester I decided to focus on data structures and algorithms to get my fundamentals right before I start off with any other field.
What was your strategy for preparation for Intern season?
My strategy was to expedite my learning by going out of my comfort zone. I did not stay on any topic for long and solved tougher questions. Although I couldn’t solve most of them but going through the efficient solution and understanding it thoroughly actually helps more than coming up with a mediocre solution yourself. Even if you solve it then also going through the solutions are beneficial.
EVALUATION AND HEADNOTE
Can you brief the selection procedure for the same and your experience in it and tips for acing in the procedure?
1) Test Sections and Experience
I gave a 30 min MCQ test for the Flipkart runway program. The test had questions about data structure, algorithms, dbms, os, oops and other CS fundamentals.
2) Technical Interview Questions and Experience
I was asked 3 questions out of which all were from dsa, in my tech interview. Post that they also discussed for about 15 minutes on my previous internship ,the projects I had worked on and subjects I was learning. I was selected from my first interview itself.
3) HR Interview Experience
There was no HR interview, but we had to submit an SOP(statement of purpose) in which we had to highlight why we should be selected for the opportunity, our learning from our biggest mistakes, and the challenges we can aim to solve in the field of e commerce.
What all points gave you an edge in comparison to your peers in that field?
My branch, I feel, gave me an edge, because I had studied most of the topics which were required in the test as core subjects. Besides this, I had constant support and help from my seniors, which ensured that I was better prepared than most other applicants and worked smart, not just hard and these are the things which helped me getting selected in the top 22 out of 15000 applicants.
What all points can strengthen the resume? And how can we, as students develop it now?
An internship strengthens the resume by a great margin. So I would suggest to try to get an intern, in any company, small or big, and try to have some consolidated industry experience. Besides this, I feel it’s best to stick to one field and have a solid resume in that. If you’re applying for a data science role, don’t dilute your resume with any other field projects on it.
ENTREAT
In case one’s interest doesn’t match with his/her branch of study, how should one manage pursuing the same under the constant pressure of maintaining a good CGPA? How much do you agree/disagree to the fact that ‘CGPA matters despite not pursuing one’s branch as a Career’ & why?
CGPA doesn’t matter as such, but even from my personal experience, all the interns that were selected in the Runway program had a CGPA greater that 8.5, even though CG was not a criteria.
General tips for the readers
Consistency and discipline are the two key points that make a world of difference. Even if I was not motivated at all, I made it a point to solve at least 5 new questions everyday, and that makes all the difference. Also, never ever hesitate to seek help of your seniors and peers, it saves you a lot of time and hassle.