Transitioning to a new tech job can be difficult. Many tech professionals have worked in various positions throughout their careers, they have some experience to show, however, they find it difficult to prepare for interviews, learn about Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) and have a strong knowledge of System Design.
A great example of this is the journey of Nihal Dwivedi, who is currently a founding engineer at a startup based out of Singapore. He has improved his technology skills as a software engineer and been able to successfully transition into a role where he has performed at a high level and has much greater potential to achieve even greater things within the technology industry.
Realizing the Skill Gap
Before joining his current company, Nihal was working as a Software Engineer. Although he had development experience, he felt that his DSA skills were not strong enough for top product-based companies and startup roles.
After being referred by his previous manager, Nihal decided to join Bosscoder Academy and enroll in the Transformers Program, with the goal of improving his overall technical skills and create great opportunities for himself.
Learning with a Clear Roadmap
Nihal's experience with a structured learning roadmap allowed him to gain a significant amount of value when it came to learning skills. Instead of spending time trying to determine what the next steps of learning would be, he was able to rely on a clear educational pathway.
→ Master DSA fundamentals
→ Practice coding problems consistently
→ Understanding of System Design fundamentals
→ Prepare for technical interview processes
→ Increase ability to solve various types of problems
As a result, he was able to maintain consistency and follow through on his learning while continuing to work at 9-5 full time job.
The Importance of Mentorship
Nihal says that having a mentor has had a profound effect on his career journey.
Nihal's mentor didn't just guide him through his problem-solving processes but they provided him with strategies to help his critical thinking abilities during interviews. This approach became especially useful in System Design rounds, where interviewers look at the candidate's thought process as much as the final answer.
According to Nihal, there were instances where certain interviewers noticed his problem-solving process and made comments about how his responses were different and much better than most other individuals whom they interviewed.
Preparing for a Challenging Interview Process
He went through many interviews before finally getting hired.
Here is a quick summary of each:
1) Introduction to you and background
2) DSA rounds of interviews
3) System Design rounds
4) Working on a product to build using live coding.
5) Meeting with the hiring manager for a final interview and negotiating salary.
The DSA questions were difficult, including questions about dynamic programming and tree structures. There were system design questions to determine whether Nihal knew how to design scalable solutions, and the product-building round focused on his development abilities.
Nihal spent a lot of time preparing and felt confident as he progressed through each round.
Improving Professional Visibility
Nihal gained more than technical knowledge in this phase
In this phase of learning, Nihal was also taught how to improve his LinkedIn profile and resume, and as a result of his changes, he experienced a large increase in his profile view and professional engagement.
As a result of these increases in view and engagement, he was able to reach out to additional professionals in his industry, and attract additional good job opportunities.
Achieving Career Growth
The result of all of Nihal's hard work is that he was able to reach a very important career benchmark.
He was offered the role of a Founding Engineer for a company, Pagent, which is located in Singapore & he was also provided with a salary increase of over 100% compared to what he had been earning.
More importantly to him personally was that he also developed the self-confidence to successfully participate in a complex job interview, successfully provide solutions to difficult problems during the interview and finally, and offered more complex responsibilities.
Continuous Improvement Matters
Even though he has had a lot of success over his professional career, Nihal believes there is always potential for further personal development. Through sharing his experiences, he has been able to show others who work long shifts how difficult it can be to prepare for a new career while holding a full-time job, he states that despite this difficulty he continued to try to improve as long as he followed a structured plan.
Nihal's journey highlights that personal growth within one's career does not occur all at once, but rather occurs improving step by step and staying committed to the process.
Final Thoughts
Nihal Dwivedi's success story is a great example of how focused preparation, supportive mentors and consistent efforts can lead working professionals to achieve career advancement.
Through improving his DSA, System Design and Interview Skills at Bosscoder Academy, he was able to transition to a Founding Engineer and thus see tremendous advancement in his career.
Professionals that would like to advance to more senior levels of engineering can learn from Nihal's experiences proves that the right guidance and consistent effort can make a big difference.
