FASTENAL — Software Developer
Q. In which company have you been placed in? Please describe your job.
Ans) I am placed in Fastenal, a U.S based company as a developer. I received the offer for 6-months internship as well as FTE.
Q. Which clubs and societies were you a part of and how did they help you?
Ans) I was a part of only one club and that was EEEsoc. Being in EEEsoc helped me a lot as SPP (Summer Project Program) motivated me to learn development. I further went deeper into Web dev and App dev which improved my development skills. The seniors also guided in providing tips for placement preparation such as resources to learn from and interview tips.
Q. When and how did you decide between core and software job? Also mention ideal time to choose according to you?
Ans) I was inclined towards a software job from the beginning as I had coding in my school curriculum. I think 2nd year is an ideal time when one should choose between core and software job as the person can have enough time to prepare for their internships and placements.
Q. How can one use time effectively and manage their time between academics, extracurricular activities (along with projects, learning job based skills) and social life?
Ans) For college exams, I used to start preparing one-two weeks before the exam, and the rest of the time I focused on coding, building projects, and preparing for my internship and placements. I also maintained time for leisure activities such as playing badminton or watching movies/series. Also, I would recommend going and exploring different clubs and societies to grow academically as well as socially.
Q. How much CGPA should one maintain in order to be allowed to sit in interview of any core/software company?
Ans) One should maintain 8 cgpa in order to sit in any core/software company. But also try for 8.5 also as some companies set a high CGPA for eligibility.
Q. How early one should start preparing for internships and which platform did you use to grab it? Where did you pursue your internship and if not then what was your alternative? Is it necessary to have internships for good placement?
Ans) For internships, start from the second year, at max by the end of 3rd semester as six months is enough for preparation of DSA and projects. I interned at L&T SSHF located in Surat, Gujarat. It was an off-campus internship and I worked there on a role-based inventory management application from scratch. Technologies such as Django, JavaScript, and SQL were used. It is not necessary to grab an internship as many of my friends including me got placed without getting an on-campus internship. But securing an internship will give you an edge. Regarding platforms, in the first year, I practiced on Hackerrank and Hackearth for basic problem-solving questions and after that, I practiced on Leetcode, CodeChef, and Codeforces.
Q. What other activities, except academic studies, did you engage in during 4 years of btech (including projects) and how did they help in your placement and internship?
Ans) I was not part of cultural activities actively. In the 2nd year and half of 3rd year, I mostly focused on development for projects as well as kept exploring other activities. I would suggest working on soft skills as it is important to express your thoughts in interviews and communicate with your colleagues at work.
Q. Which coding language is more suitable for competitive coding for coding round in placement? Which platform to use for competitive coding?
Ans) I personally preferred C++ for competitive coding as it is easy to learn and beginner-friendly. Regarding platforms, I used to give contests on CodeChef and Codeforces. There are other sites such as AtCoder and CSES problem set for solving CP-level beginner to intermediate questions.
Q. What was the selection procedure of your company? How did you prepare for it and what was the toughest part of the interview?
Ans) The selection procedure consisted of one coding round, one technical interview round, and one HR interview round. In the coding round, there were 3 questions asked out of which I solved two, and the third was partially accepted. In the technical round, they asked questions from OOPs, DBMS, DSA, and basic web dev stuff. In the HR interview, there were general questions and questions about the company and future plans. For HR rounds, there is an article in InterviewBit about it that one can refer to.
Q. How to manage between coding, CSE core subjects (OS, DBMS, etc) and academics?
Ans) I had an open-elective subject of OOPs in my 2nd year and before that also I had some knowledge of these topics. I went through GFG one month before the placements to see most asked questions and some concepts about these topics. One month is enough for these topics. However, in my interview, they did not ask questions about OS and Computer Networks.
Q. What would be your message/advice for your juniors in different years respectively?
Ans) For first-years I would suggest just exploring and finding your interests. Then they can start their preparation in the 2nd or 3rd year. Also, go out and enjoy and build connections. Join 2 or 3 clubs. Practice coding consistently as it will help you to crack most companies. Maintain a decent CGPA. Keep working hard and you will surely achieve your goals.
Q. What are your future plans?
Ans) As of now I just want to work as a developer and decide later for further plans.