Rejected by Campus Placements? How DSA and One Hackathon Led Me to My First Job

I’m Gokul Krishna R, currently working as an Associate Consultant in AI Engineering at SST Cloud Solutions. I graduated from VIT Bhopal in 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering.

My journey wasn't exactly how I had planned it. Campus placements didn't work out as expected, but the preparation I put into DSA and the experiences I gained through hackathons eventually helped me find my way into the industry.

How I Started Learning DSA

During my third year of college, I realised how important Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) were for placements. Most companies included problem-solving in their online assessments and technical interviews, so I knew I needed to build a strong foundation.

I started learning through Striver’s free DSA videos on YouTube and gradually developed a genuine interest in problem-solving.

As I continued practising, I realised that understanding a concept and applying it to solve a problem were two different things. I needed consistent practice to bridge that gap.

One challenge I faced was maintaining consistency. Switching between different resources made it difficult to follow a structured learning path.

When TakeUForward (TUF) was launched, I started practising there. I liked being able to learn a concept through a video or blog and immediately solve related problems on the same platform. It made my preparation more organised and enjoyable.

When the premium plan was introduced, I purchased the lifetime plan because TUF had already become an important part of my learning journey.

The Preparation Strategy That Worked for Me

One thing that made a real difference was learning to recognise patterns instead of treating every question as a separate problem.

Rather than solving random questions, I practised topic by topic and focused on understanding the reasoning behind each solution. This helped me recognise similarities between problems and choose suitable approaches when facing new questions.

When Campus Placements Didn't Go as Planned

My campus placement experience was challenging because many companies visiting my college had CGPA cutoffs. I wasn't eligible for the initial coding rounds at several of them, which meant I had limited opportunities to participate in campus recruitment.

During college, I qualified for the written round of TCS CodeVita. This gave me my first in-person technical interview. Although I didn't clear it, the experience motivated me to keep improving.

By January 2025, I decided to stop depending on campus placements and focus entirely on off-campus opportunities.

Alongside my preparation, I started participating in hackathons. I wanted to put my skills into practice, build projects, and challenge myself with problems beyond a typical coding question.

That decision eventually led to an opportunity I hadn't expected.

How a Hackathon Led to My First Job

At my second hackathon, my project impressed the judges and qualified for the final round. During the demo, a judge asked me to explain how I would implement a feature I hadn't prepared for. I broke the problem down and explained my approach.

Looking back, my DSA practice on TakeUForward helped me think through unfamiliar problems instead of relying on prepared answers. The hackathon eventually led to my first job offer.

Another Milestone: CyborgDB Hackathon 2025

I also won the Best Technical Feedback Award worth $1,000 at the CyborgDB Hackathon 2025 for my project, MedSec. These experiences taught me the value of applying technical knowledge to real-world problems.

Advice for Students Preparing for Placements

• Focus on patterns: Understand solutions instead of memorising them.

• Stay consistent: Practise DSA regularly and follow a structured path.

• Build meaningful projects: Apply what you learn to practical problems.

• Participate in hackathons: Challenge yourself with unfamiliar problems.

• Share your work: Show your projects and ideas to create opportunities beyond campus placements.

Campus placements didn't go as planned, but focusing on off-campus opportunities and hackathons helped me find another path into the industry. DSA taught me more than interview problem-solving, it helped me develop a mindset I could apply to real challenges.

I'm grateful to TakeUForward and Striver Bhai for being an important part of my preparation.

Stay consistent, trust the process, and keep applying what you learn. You never know which opportunity might change your journey.