I Didn't Have Campus Placements to Rely On

Hi, I'm Rupam Pal, a 2023 graduate, currently working as a Software Development Engineer 2 at Euromonitor International.

I started my journey there as an intern, received a PPO, and later joined as a full time SDE 1. Looking back, one of the biggest reasons I reached here was my DSA journey with Striver. His content completely changed how I approached problem solving and interview preparation.

I Found DSA When I Needed It Most

Around 2021, I realised my college didn't have campus placements. Then COVID happened, and like many others, I wasn't exactly focused on studying.

Things changed during my 3rd year when I discovered DSA and understood how important it was for software placements. While searching for resources, I came across Striver's content and started following his DSA playlists topic by topic.

That was the beginning of my journey.

The Goal Wasn't Just to Solve

What made Striver's teaching different was the way every problem was approached through Brute Force, Better, and Optimal solutions.

It wasn't just about finding an answer. It taught me how to think about a problem and improve my approach.  For nearly a year, I consistently worked through DSA, covering Trees, Graphs, Dynamic Programming, Tries, and other major topics.

The playlists became my roadmap, so I never had to wonder what to study next.

I Kept Going, Day After Day

My preparation was simple:

• Watched 3 to 4 Striver videos every day, topic by topic.

• Understood the concept before attempting problems.

• Practised problems after every lecture.

• Maintained handwritten notes and solution notebooks.

• Spent around 2 hours every morning revising what I had previously studied.

• Participated in competitive programming to improve problem solving speed.

• Focused on mastering one topic before moving to the next.

I never tried to rush through the roadmap.

• Understand → Practise → Revise → Repeat

That consistency over one year made the biggest difference.

College Ended Without an Offer

My placement journey wasn't easy.

By the end of my 4th year, none of my classmates had received a job offer either. After graduation, while everyone went back home, I decided to stay in Bangalore and continue pursuing my goal. I reached out to recruiters, applied wherever I could, and attended multiple interviews. After clearing four interview rounds, I finally received an Internship + PPO offer from Euromonitor International.

After completing three months as an intern, I received my full time offer as an SDE 1.

What I Gained Went Beyond DSA

Looking back, I genuinely believe Striver played a major role in my journey.

The playlists helped me build my DSA foundation, complete the #100DaysOfCode challenge, and even gave me the opportunity to meet Arsh Goyal, which remains a memorable part of my journey.

Today, after around 2.5 years in the industry, I'm preparing for another exciting chapter in my career.

DSA Stopped Feeling Scary

Trust the process and keep grinding. Don't let DSA intimidate you in the beginning. Focus on building strong fundamentals instead of immediately chasing difficult problems.

Follow one roadmap, understand each topic properly, revise regularly, and solve problems consistently. Most importantly, don't compare your journey with someone else's.

Fall in love with solving problems. The offers will eventually follow.

From No Offer to SDE 2

• No Campus Placements → DSA With Striver → Consistent Practice → Euromonitor Internship → PPO → SDE 1 → SDE 2