“With every failure, I learned things that the winners didn't.”
CU Student Deepak Yadav
Exclusive conversation with CSE student placed in Amazon at ₹ 31.25 LPA Placement Package.
“I never took failure as a punch down, but embraced it as one punch up,” said CSE Student Deepak Yadav when asked about his journey to earning placement at tech-giant Amazon. Beginning his university life as an Aerospace Engineering student, Deepak had a little idea of what life had in store for him. Curious and a little confused about his course of study in the beginning, Deepak is known amongst his peers and teachers as one of the calmest heads with everything phased out. Deepak, inspired by his CSE seniors placed in Microsoft, eyed placement in a top-notch MNC by the end of his academic journey at Chandigarh University.
From being a learner to becoming a leader, join our exclusive conversation with CSE Student Deepak Yadav at Chandigarh University and learn about how he made it to one of the largest organizations of the world.
1. What was your and your family’s reaction when you learned about securing such a huge placement offer?
Ans: I was actually in a dilemma when I learned about my placement in Amazon. That’s because I had been juggling multiple packages and offers at the time. I had two options, join somewhere with a salary package or internship with Amazon, which was somewhat a risk but I looked at it as an opportunity. I discussed it with my parents and friends and they were all confident in me. Also, I knew I was capable (of achieving great things). Even if I hadn’t been selected, I’m sure I would’ve made it to a successful career.
2. Amazon is a huge organization. How is the work and work environment there?
Ans: The work environment over there is quite cool. We’re working, we’re playing, we can sit on the bean bags or the tables. I mean working there at Amazon is fun.
3. Great! Now can you share about your journey to Amazon? You were a hosteller. What impact did it make on you?
Ans: Joining a hostel was completely new to me. I had no idea about the life and people awaiting me here (Chandigarh University). Hostel life has been one of the most unforgettable parts of my life so far. From managing finances to making Maggi (noodles), I learned a lot and so many people from different backgrounds or with different perspectives.
4. When you’re working at the Amazon, do you think your hostel life played a part in getting there?
Ans: Definitely! It was almost a similar experience. Going there to Chennai. I was very spontaneous. Since I had been living here in the hostel, I could communicate and create a network with the people over there.
5. How about extra-curricular growth? Did you participate in or organize any extra-curricular during your course of study?
Ans: I’m feeling nostalgic while answering this question because in this very auditorium, where we’re standing, I had organized several events and trained many students. It feels good to be here again (in the auditorium). Anyhow, I used to be the nervous kid who didn’t know to talk on a public platform. So, it was one of my classes with faculty Anupriya. One day she called me forward and asked me to explain one of the topics to the rest of the class. I knew a little about the topic, so I was like okay. I explained the topics to my fellows in the classroom while madam Anupriya was sitting there. She approved and encouraged me and my friends to do it more often. She sort of curated something for us.
6. And how did that turn out for you?
Ans: Well she asked if we could do the same in front of a hundred people or the university. I signed up for the challenge and soon I got in touch with Anupriya madam’s team which was a large one at that time. Initially, I was only participating and then I met madam Sugandha Sharma, who taught me leadership skills for communicating or networking. That’s where, I feel, I began to transform from a learner to a leader. I was nourishing and mentoring the students and looking back at this place (Chandigarh University), I really awesome and connected with the place.
7. How was your experience with the Training & Placement Team at Chandigarh University?
Ans: The experience was really good. It taught me that you need to have people skills rather than just technical skills. I remember when I had initially come to Chandigarh University, I saw some banners of students placed in Microsoft and I told myself that by the 4th year I want to be there on the banners. I was very curious but I didn’t know how exactly things unfolded. For me, I used to have a soft skills trainer, Mandeep ma’am, who curated things out for our entire class. She was very nice and knew each of us personally through healthy discussions we had. Then there were a lot of mock interviews. Even the DCPD department played a major role in that. To sum it up, soft skills are the first thing the interviewer will notice. If you’re not good there, they (recruiters) somehow might not want to sign you.
8. Right! So, what do you think one should do while aiming for placement in top-notch companies? What subjects should one prefer or what kind of skills do you think one needs to corporate?
Ans: If you wanna become a Software Engineer then you might want to follow a different route. However, for placement, there’s a different route. If your goal is just to secure a placement with a very good company, go for cumulative coding. This is the current trend and also includes core subjects. So, it can definitely land you a good job but if you wish to become a Software Engineer, you need to be very diverse and know a lot of different things. There is an ocean of things to learn before one gets to software designing. Again, if you really want to be Software developer or designer, begin exploring different things (software). More importantly, if you really want to know how Engineering works, you must study all the concepts.