My placement Experience - a Painfull story with happy ending

Hi folks., Lemme share my placement experience - A sorrow story with happy end..,

When it Started

I was topper in school from my 6th grade. But I know I cant retain the same in college., I know there are many people who got better marks than me..., And so showed my rank in first semester.., 11th (now it is 27th, that is different). As I was admitted to hostel for the first time., I found it so bored.., all my school friends were allotted different room in first year... And in my room too, all my room mates will reach hostel after 7.p.m. (Donno where the hell they go). I was so bored., so I used to study basics of JavaScript, C, Cpp, Graphics in C.,

I dont know I could make a good programmer till the code valiantz in my second semester.., Yes I came first and I realized the hidden talent in me..,The speeches from Vinod(MS) and kowshik(Y!) added sometin to me and I also want to get like them...

The Preparation...

I studied C# for the first time in my 3rd semester to code in Topcoder. Then I found topCoder very interesting.., The third and fourth sem was very productive for me., I was a day scholar then.., Kumari bacame a day scholar., and Loki,me, kumari started solvin DS puzzles..., The way RV sir taught DS created a interest in me(probably in everyone). And in fourth semester Kriya boosted me.., Me and Kumari entered the final of the Code Pairing event... I am so excited that We were the only guys from third year in the finals.... I started realising in the 5th semester when kumari asked me a question...,

K : What is void fn() const mean in C++..,

M : Donno

K : Ha ha ha..., U used to teach me in first sem and now You dont know what it means.., It was in primer., I studied 400 pages in it...,

That humiliated me so much.., Yes I taught kumari C.., Now he is teaching me..., he too humiliated me so much.., That hurted.., This ignited a fire.., I wanted to finish primer and get ahead of kumari in no.of pages read.., But I know that is painfull.., Primer is a 1300 pages book and a bit tough to read... In 5th semester, whenever I go to my room., I set a target of 30 - 40 pages in primer and I finished it., (some day 15 pages, someday 50 pages, but hardly there was a day in hostel where I didnt touched primer. I finished nearly 700 pages in 2.5 months.., I left the remaining for 6th sem.,

The days of april,may, june 09 was the one where I studied very seriously. We dont know if companies come or not..,And our usual placements (dates) were postponed. But I know somewhere deep that companies will come.., so I never gave up studing...,

Placement Experience

Suddenly, we got a message from sidhu..., First company on campus is Goldman Sachs and ppt is on sunday.., I am verymuch happy (because companies started)., I know that I cant make to GS (I donno why but I felt). That day, I called Sivabalan and gokul (The two seniors I had contact intially with phone nos). Sivaalan gave varun's number... I called varun and got the process of GS. And I studied deep C..,(that might be useful for all companies)., I didnt studied specifically for GS..,I finished deep C in 3 days.., I got bussssss in GS written.., They followed exactly the same process.., 18 shortlisted to interview., a GD without elimination..,

We got another company - NetApp in Wednesday...Senior told that it was a good company..., We came to know that in its ppt.., good package.., fortune 500's no.1 company to work for., As I completed written, I know that I could clear it.., I was so confident that I came in white-black for the written (interview shirt). I got shortlisted for interview..., I know that I could clear the interview if he didnt ask me from networks..., The first round was good.., I did it extremely well... Even my room mate informed his parents that I would get offer that day.., The worst thing happened., in second round... he screwed in networks.., And I was informed that " Madhan raj, Gowtham, Saranya,Vibhu shortlisted for next round.., Others., Sorry....".

Next company was commvault..., I attend the written.., I was 100% sure of clearin written as it was c++,C..But I dont know why I didnt shortlisted for Interview..., Loki got placed in commvault..., I was happy that one of my friend got there (he was first guy from g2 CSE to get offer).

Next was much awaited ThoughtWorks. Studied DBMS design fully. The thoughtworks selection was lengthy and back breaking..I know all about thoughtworks selection - their written pattern, and all., I was prepared... They came at around 11.30 Wednesday..., Written got over by 1.45..., They shortlisted 168 students for GD..., I took GD.., It was a paired GD., I was let down by my partner in GD.., But people attended GD in my team said that I will pass., and I cleared too..., And came the coding round.., My coding round started at 10.45 in night..., And I felt like I am entering into a topcoder coding competition. Once I seen the problem, I understood that they was looking for OOAD designing concepts in coding and not in the solution alone.., I finished the coding (I think probable I was 4 th person to finish) and the result came at 3.30 in morning., I expected to clear and 40 people selectd for interview including me...,
I lost thoughtworks because of my questionings.., I cleared the first round of interview and got to (second and final) round.., There I was asked question about
HashMap in C++.,. I told them veru boldly " I dont think there is Hash Map exists in C++". I was very bold in that having read the Primer completely.., It is also the correct answer., But as I finished the interview, I know that I could have told the answer a bit politely or could have told that I dont know. It was 12 midnight.., I know that mostly I wont make it because., many guys finished their HR., And as expected I cant make to TW. I was very disappointed that I hardly was myself for the next day.., Thanks to GV., he marked OD for me Friday.., I think kumerasan might have had the same feeling after his Microsoft interview...,

Next internals came., But I came to know that HP was the next company., I know from my seniors that knowing UNIX will make an advantage to HP.., I dont know a single shit in UNIX.., But I had a book - Sumithabha Das.., Instead of studying for internals, I finished that book in 5 days(long internals). And as expected, I got fail marks in two subjects - Web tech, DCA. But HP written is a back breaking one., There, we had a optional language section where we can choose - Java, C++, C., I chose C.,(should have chosen C++). I did all the questions well., but couldnt clear., I know why. I did all the questions the way they appear..,tough or easy.., So I understood that we have to complete the easy questions first then look to solve the tough ones., order dont matter.

Amazon..., You should be king of DS and Algo.., Luckily I know DS very well. One week, I studied all the algorithms.., There is a MIT lecture about algorithms.., I watched it fully and tried TopCoder problems based on that.., But I know, that to solve the algos quickly., is not possible everyday. When you feel fresh, the solutions will strike., or else u will travel in a wrong route to solve the algo., The amazon written day was not my day., felt too sleepy., And I know I cant make to interview after I finish the writtens..,

Ebay intern.., Cleared the written., I revised the Java for this.., Got a very good material for Java., First round was a bit sleepy., I felt., But I dominated the second round.., I know as soon as I finish second round that I will make it., Got internship.

Mean while., Finished the first round of Google intern. Dont want the results as I already have ebay intern.

Intel.., Second internal time.., Revised the microprocessors., done a few programs like 8086 addition, division, etc..., Felt good about Microprocessors.., But My resume didnt got shortlisted.., But I know that I upgraded my skill set which started from C, C++, Ds,OS to C, C++, DS, Unix, MP, Algo, Codi,DBMS,OS.

But I wanted to get a big company..,I wanted a big company..., thought was going on.,

Next Cisco.., Revised the Microprocessors., But written was electronics paper.., The CSE which dominated all the company written was not able to clear Cisco., Yes no single person cleared Cisco for first time in my placements.

Then DE Shaw.., I wont tell that something lighted up that day.., I felt sleepy in the morning., So I didnt took bath to attend the written., But I did the written very well., I know I could make to interview.., At that time I was at the peak of my skills having revised all the subjects.., C,C++,DS,OS,DBMS,MicroPro,Unix,Algo, Networks too. Good revision of networks in internals really helped., Networks syllabus is a vast one., I didnt concentrate on marks for networks internals but I tried to finish a concept fully., That really helped..,

I was informed that I was shortlisted for interview. I dont want to revise or do anything. Just surfed and chatted with seniors for few minutes., Had a good sleep., Went for interview 23rd - 6.30 P.m.., Cleared it..,

Now @ DE Shaw & Co., Hard Work never fails (OOPS!! Sometimes., as in the case of Kumari)..,






Dedicated to all who wanted me to come good...,

A Special thanks to Kumari - Without whom I wont have got the fire.., Seniors - Really helped a lot.,

Dedicated specially to Kumari - Dont worry my friend... U will get...As "At Last....." (rmbr ur status)

For more info, see http://mohankumar89.blogspot.com