My Placement Journey: 50+ Tests, 10+ Interviews & A Lot of Plot Twists

Placement season in engineering college is basically a long-running web series.
Too many episodes, too many characters, unexpected plot twists, and occasional jump scares disguised as online tests.

My journey started in July 2025, and honestly, it could have been its own Netflix show.

Where It All Began

I started my prep in the most “engineering student” way possible:

• Solved 400+ LeetCode questions.
• Solved Striver’s A2Z DSA sheet like Striver personally told me, “Your placements depend on this.”
• Practiced aptitude on IndiaBix.
• Revised core concepts like exam season never ended.
• And had a very emotional relationship with YouTube playlists titled “Crack DSA Fast”.

Like every Computer Science student, I walked in dreaming about SDE or AI roles.
Little did I know, placement season mainly tests one thing:
your ability to wait for results without losing your sanity.

My First Breakthrough

The first company that came was Chevron.
Around 2000 students wrote the first round and around 10 cleared it.
I was one of them.

A great start.
But like every series, the calm beginning never predicts what is coming next.

50 Plus Online Tests (Also known as pain)

Between July and November, I wrote almost 50 online tests.
If online tests were Olympic events, I would at least qualify for semifinals.

Some felt like boss battles.
Some felt like the examiner forgot to set the difficulty.
SAP’s coding round was suspiciously friendly.

Shortlists came from companies like:

• Chevron
• Schneider Electric
• Workday
• Oracle
• HPE
• SAP
• Nutanix
• State Street
• Accenture
• Aivar Innovations
• Goldman Sachs
• Zoho (cleared second coding round)
• IBM Consulting (cleared coding round)

Reactions, Rumours and Realizations

During placements, you meet every type of character.

The cheerleaders.
The silent watchers.
The scoreboard keepers.
The “again her name?” group.

Yes, people commented and assumed things.
But I did not let any of it affect me.

Instead, I learned something important.

Placement season is stressful for everyone.
We never know what someone is going through behind the scenes.
A small kind message can make a big difference.

Support your friends.
Celebrate their wins.
Be encouraging.
It costs nothing and means everything.

This is one of the biggest lessons I learned.

Handling Rejections Like Season Plot Twists

Rejections came regularly.
Some were expected.
Some felt unfair.
Some felt like they forgot to check my answers properly.

But every rejection taught me something.

• How to stay calm
• How to communicate better
• How to handle pressure
• How to prepare smarter
• How to bounce back instantly

If you are in placements right now, please remember this:

Rejections are part of the story.
They do not decide your ending.

The Offer I Accepted (Season Finale With a Twist)

In November, I accepted a QA and SDET role in a fast growing ride hailing platform’s tech team.
This platform is very popular in Bangalore and expanding quickly.

Around the same time, I had also cleared the Accenture AASE role.
I was proud of that achievement too.

But my college follows a one offer policy.
The first offer is the one you must take.

So I accepted the QA and SDET role.As it came first and because it gives strong engineering exposure in a real product environment.

Sometimes life does not give you choices.
Sometimes it gives you chances.
This was one of those moments.

My Story Is Only Getting Started

Getting placed is not the final chapter.
It is more like Episode 1 of Season 2.

My goals ahead are very clear.

This role is not my destination.
It is my starting point.

A Message To Anyone Going Through Placements

Here is the truth. Everyone is stressed.
Everyone is scared.
Everyone refreshes Gmail too many times.
Everyone secretly cries once or twice.
Everyone is trying their best.

So please, be kind to your classmates.
Encourage each other.
Celebrate each other.
Support the ones who feel low.

We are all trying to survive the same season.

What’s Coming Next ??

Placement journeys are not just about results.
They are about preparation, pressure, strategy and growth.

In my upcoming blogs, I will share:

• How I prepared technically
• How I handled pressure during 50 plus tests
• My interview experiences with Oracle, SAP, Nutanix, Workday, Zoho and more
• My DSA and aptitude strategy
• What I would do differently
• My roadmap from SDET to SDE or AI or ML

This is only Season 1.
More interview stories coming soon. Stay tuned!

💛