In this blog, I will share with you my experience about the interview which I gave for the role of internship at an early-stage startup.

Heads-up

I am a final-year student. I had nothing to show on my portfolio nor have anything to brag about my exceptional CP rank whatsoever. I am just an average guy who knows to code in JAVA, C++, Python (and after/before the interview ROR too) and has a dream of doing something great someday.

What did I do to get there?

Well, I used the superpower connection from LinkedIn. I found one startup and then researched around it and found some errors in their website and took a screenshot and then looked for its founder and connected with him and told them about those errors. Then I told him that I am a fresher and am looking for an opportunity. I got an assignment from the team and I managed to complete it to get to the interview. Boom!!

Let's talk about the Assignment

Being a startup they are not looking for the greatest achiever of DSA or world-class CP ranker. They are just looking for a dude who is serious enough to stick with a task even after failing again and again(Hmmm sounds like they are looking for me only!!!). I was given a task that consisted of a tech stack of ROR and CSS which I have worked with 2 years ago and I left in the middle because back then after seeing a youtube video I thought ROR will be dead sooner or later. But here I was reminiscing about the past days and picking up the task and managing to complete it before the deadline. Boom!!

Before the Interview

I was just so fu*ng nervous that I requested them to reschedule the interview for me because I was going through some unavoidable circumstances(really It was a nervousness to the next level) and they were cool with it because they had no idea what I was going through and gave me another shot at it (i really am grateful for that). But me being myself I didn't prepare a thing for the next day as well and the interview time came.

During the Interview

I was calm from the outside but a volcanic eruption was going on my inside. But I somehow managed to sit through the whole interview. Let's talk about it in detail. I started by introducing myself with my background and education and hobbies( all the usual stuff). Then we came to talk about my assignment and it was my playground I told them where I find the difficulties and how I tackled them and all that. It went smoothly. Then they asked why I want to join a startup? Simple answer "I love challenges." Then we came to the technical part where I was asked about my favorite data structure which was Linked List. I showed them a scenario where it is extensively used using pen and paper. Then they asked some cross questions around it. Then I was asked about Stacks. I preferred to explain it using an example. Overall it was ok but I fumbled a lot I think. But if that interview will happen again I bet the whole thing will just repeat exactly as it occurred today and I have no regrets after the interview.

What to prepare for?

I would say basic computer science and Data structures are enough nothing fancy at all. And the practical use cases for that DS will be great for an explanation.

Conclusion

I asked around for some tips and all I got was "Just be Yourself" and I truly believe now that it is the only best thing you can do at the time of an interview. If you know something you know it and if you don't you can't just know it at that moment but by being yourself you are showing it to them you are really ready to accept it and will try to learn that thing in the future which I think is a best possible thing.

Outro

I am not thinking about the results at all because at least I was able to gain the interview experience which was a wonderful and challenging thing in the first place and it has already made this blog post come into existence. Pk, signing off.