SDE - 1

I started my journey with very basic programming knowledge and a lot of curiosity but, honestly, no clear roadmap. In the early days, concepts felt overwhelming, and there were moments when I doubted whether I was “good enough” to make it in tech. Instead of rushing, I decided to focus on building strong fundamentals—data structures, problem-solving, and understanding how things actually work behind the scenes. During college, I consciously chose consistency over shortcuts. Some days it meant solving a few DSA problems; other days, it involved building small projects or improving an existing one. I made mistakes, wrote bad code, faced rejections, and even struggled to understand concepts that others seemed to grasp easily. But every setback taught me something—either technically or mentally. Projects played a major role in shaping my confidence. I didn’t build them just for my resume; I built them to learn—debugging real issues, improving performance, and understanding end-to-end systems. Over time, this hands-on learning helped me connect theory with real-world applications, which later proved invaluable. One of the biggest lessons I learned was how to learn. Technology keeps changing, so adaptability mattered more than memorizing solutions. I started reading documentation, exploring system behavior, and improving my approach to problem-solving rather than aiming for quick answers. Cracking this interview was not the result of last-minute preparation but the outcome of months and years of disciplined effort, failures, and gradual improvement. The journey taught me patience, self-belief, and the importance of staying calm under pressure. If there’s one message I want to leave for others, it’s this: you don’t need to be extraordinary from day one. Start with the basics, stay consistent, build things that genuinely interest you, and trust the process. Progress may feel slow at times, but it compounds—and one day, it pays off.

I applied for the role through the college placement process, where American Express was hiring for the SDE position. After submitting my application, I was shortlisted based on my profile and academic background. The entire process was well structured and communicated clearly in advance. Each stage was conducted in a professional manner, and the experience was smooth and transparent from application to interview scheduling. Overall, it was a well-organized process that allowed candidates to fairly demonstrate their skills and preparation.

I believe I was selected because of my strong fundamentals, consistent problem-solving practice, and ability to clearly explain my thought process. I focused not only on writing correct code but also on writing clean, logical solutions and communicating my approach effectively. My project experience also helped me connect theoretical concepts with real-world applications, demonstrating my practical understanding of software development.