Status: 2.5 years of experience | Education: Tier 3 College
Previous Company: TCS
Timeline: September–October 2024
My Interview Journey
After 2.5 years at TCS, I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone and aim for a product-based company. What followed was an intense but rewarding experience that completely changed my career path.
Round 1: DSA (45 mins)
Problem 1: Bottom View of Binary Tree 🌳
Problem 2: String Compression
I managed to solve both questions within time and explained my approach clearly. The discussion went smoothly, especially around time–space trade-offs.
Self-assessment: Strong Hire
Result: ✅ Cleared with positive feedback
Round 2: Core JavaScript & System Thinking (60 mins)
This round tested deep understanding of JavaScript internals rather than just syntax.
Questions included:
- Difference between Throttling and Debouncing
- Implement Debounce from scratch
- Implement Promise.all
- One tricky output-based question that really tested how well I understood the JS engine and event loop.
It was challenging but fun — the kind of round that reminds you why you love coding.
Self-assessment: Lean Hire
Result: ✅ Cleared
Round 3: Managerial (45 mins)
This was a conversational and scenario-driven discussion. The manager was friendly and asked questions around teamwork, ownership, and problem-solving.
I used the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for all my answers — something that really helped me stay structured.
👉 You can check out the same prep strategy I followed here:
How to Tackle Behavioral Questions with Confidence
Self-assessment: Hire
Result: ✅ Cleared
The Big Moment
And finally... the dream came true!
After all the hard work, countless mock interviews, and weekends spent on LeetCode — I received the offer call.
💫 Moving from a service-based to a product-based company with almost a 600% hike felt surreal.
Every late-night debugging session, every rejection before this — all worth it.