From Zero to Software Engineer at Atlassian

Introduction

• Speaker: Software Engineer at Atlassian
• Purpose: Share journey from knowing nothing about coding/DSA to cracking multiple offers (Atlassian, Juspay, BNY Mellon, etc.)

College Journey

• 2018: Start of college
• Initial lack of knowledge about DSA
• Some background in Computer Science from high school
• Low JE Mains score led to non-CS/IT branch in college
• Goal: Upgrade branch with high CGPA in the first year
• Achieved 88.9 CGPA, upgraded to IT branch

Skill Development

• Focus: Placements as final goal
• Realized importance beyond college studies
• Consulted peers and seniors
  • Common advice: Focus on DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms)
• Issue: Lack of initial DSA knowledge

Initial Attempts

• Started competitive programming (Code Chef, Code Forces)
• Struggled initially; couldn’t solve most questions
• Continued for three months with minimal progress

Learning from Peers

• Feedback from top performers in college
• Realized need for solid basics before competitive programming

Recommended Resource: Interview Bit

• Structured approach to DSA
• Topics covered:
  • Time & Space Complexity
  • Arrays & Math-related coding questions
  • Basic Data Structures (Link List, Stacks, Queues, etc.)
  • Algorithms (Recursion, Backtracking, Dynamic Programming)
  • Advanced Data Structures
• Completion: 2.5 to 3 months
• Increased confidence in DSA basics

Practice Platforms

• Options: Hacker Rank, Gig for Gigs, Lead Code
• Preferred: Lead Code
  • Community support
  • Good UI and varied test cases
  • Practiced DSA questions category-wise
• Leveraged discussion page to improve solutions
• Used YouTube (Pep coding videos) for additional help

Contest Participation

• Lead Code contests (weekly, bi-weekly)
• Essential for time management and skill application
• Post-contest analysis for improvement

Final Preparation

• Completed basics and advanced DSA questions
• Participated in numerous contests
• Followed Strive’s 30-day DSA plan
• Prepared for theory subjects

Interviews

• Reviewed company-specific interview experiences
• Understood that rejections are common and part of the process

Conclusion

• Reiterated that preparation does not guarantee success
• Importance of resilience and continuous effort
• Encouragement to not panic or be harsh on oneself

Final Thoughts

• Hope video shared useful insights
• Encouragement to like, share, and subscribe