My journey from an Adobe fan to an Adobe Insider

Our esteemed guest today is Akshaya, a seasoned software engineer currently thriving at Adobe in Seattle. What makes her story truly captivating is the wealth of experiences and challenges she has navigated throughout her journey. At first glance, her profile may not reveal the depth of the hurdles she has overcome. It's only after delving into her narrative that you truly grasp the magnitude of her resilience and determination. In the next hour, as she shares insights into her struggles and triumphs, you'll gain a profound understanding of the immense effort it takes to reach the heights she has achieved. Without further ado, let's warmly welcome Akshaya as she takes the stage.

This blog is written by Shivam Katare based on the conversation Akshaya had on our Twitter space. The podcast is available on our YouTube channel.

Q1: What's a regular day in Akshaya's life?

A: In the morning, my routine is quite similar to many other places. I typically start my day around 8:30 or 9:00 AM. After waking up, I prepare breakfast to kick-start the day before diving into work.

One of the fortunate aspects of my job here is the excellent work-life balance within my team. We prioritize a healthy balance, and as a result, we rarely work late hours. Typically, our workday concludes around 5 or 6 PM. There was an exceptional instance where I worked until 10:30 PM, but that was an anomaly in my entire tenure at Adobe.

Once I finish my workday, I dedicate some time to cooking and organizing things in preparation for the following day. This sums up my daily routine, which admittedly might come off as rather mundane or uneventful, but it's a pattern that works well for me at the moment.

Q2: Can you tell me all about your early childhood days? Were you a playful kid or studious?

A: Growing up, I was a very hyperactive child, or at least that's how I was often described. I had a wide range of interests and engaged in various activities like dance and dramatics. I never missed an opportunity to try something new. This led to my parents being frequently perplexed about what path I might take in life. Consequently, they began nudging me towards medicine, emphasizing its status as the most respected profession. They started instilling in me the idea of becoming a doctor from a very young age, around seven or eight years old. Even then, I found myself unknowingly molding my aspirations towards this career. Whenever I got a small wound or fell down, I'd be more intrigued by why it was bleeding or what exactly was happening. Questions like these became a norm for me, unknowingly shaping my inclination toward the medical field.

That's how my childhood unfolded. As I progressed into high school and later into higher secondary education, it became evident that I would pursue biology and the necessary studies to become a doctor. It was a clear trajectory set for me—I was destined for the school that would pave the way for my future in medicine. I never considered engineering; my focus was unwaveringly directed towards a career in the medical field.

Q3: Could you share the key steps and events that led to your shift from aspiring to become a doctor to ultimately pursuing a career as an engineer?

A: Sure. So, we have a belt of schools that have very intense coaching for becoming a doctor. In Tamil Nadu, during my time, the system was that if you score a certain percentage of marks in your 12th board exams, you'll directly get a medical seat; you don't have to attend an entrance exam. The entrance concept was not there in Tamil Nadu until I graduated in 2014. So, at that time, the entrance concept was not present. I thought all I had to do was score marks. Thus, I went to this 'torture school', if you will, and spent two years there.

I tried my best, but it was very difficult for me to adapt to the new syllabus. Coming from an ICSE background until the 10th standard, it was challenging for me. Moreover, I was from a place with extreme temperatures, around 50 degrees Celsius in the summer. It wasn't just these things; the way the school operated itself was very strict. You couldn't study what you wished; the school would come up with a schedule, and you had to stick to it. There were very late-night and early-morning studies, creating a high-pressure environment. It was very difficult for me, and similarly challenging for every other kid in that school to cope with.

Consequently, I ended up facing a lot of health issues. Despite this, I managed to clear my public exams but fell short of five marks for a medical seat. The cut-off during my year in 2014 was 196, and I scored below that. I went into a clinical depression afterward. When my results came, my family was celebrating and congratulating me, but I was upset, realizing I wouldn't get a medical seat. I still held onto a little hope, thinking maybe I could manage in a private institution. I attempted entrances for a few private institutions like Amrita University and JIPMER, but being from a state syllabus with no background in CBSE or knowledge of how entrances worked made it challenging to crack the exams.

I had only one month to prepare rigorously for the entrance exams after my public exam results. On the exam day, I knew I wouldn't clear it; the exam was extremely difficult. I fell into a deep depression for about a month, isolating myself from everyone, and not eating or sleeping. My parents were deeply worried and eventually took me to a psychiatrist. Through multiple sessions, I gradually understood that not getting a medical seat wasn't the end of my life.

I was advised to take a gap year and attempt medicine next year, but practically, that wasn't feasible due to the vast differences in the syllabus and the intense competition. So, I decided to pursue engineering since I was naturally good at math and opted for computer science.

Q4: What does it mean to be naturally good at math? Some people, even after spending a lot of time on math, only get okay at it. How can someone get naturally good at math?

A: I think when I was young, and people asked about my favorite subject, it was always math. Growing up, around eighth or ninth standard, math started becoming challenging. However, my motivation stemmed from the question: How can my favorite subject be difficult? So, I dedicated extra time to improving. The idea of math being difficult never bothered me; I was determined to excel. Everyone saying math is difficult never influenced me. I always had this ingrained goal that, in math, I should always be a topper. It didn't matter about the other subjects; in math, I should always be the best. This mindset led me to achieve a Centum in both 10th and 12th standard math. I was always passionate about math.

Q5: You wanted to be a doctor, but you loved math the most? That's an interesting combo! A: I know it's ironic, but math has always been my favorite subject. It somehow just worked out that way.

P: I guess math also chose you; that's why you are here right now.

A: Yeah.

Q6: Could you share your experience regarding the challenges you may have faced during the application process and how you determined your specific interest in computer science over other engineering fields?

A: In my 10th standard, I opted for Computer Science. Java happened to be one of the subjects I studied during that time. I found Java particularly intriguing and engaging. Consequently, choosing computer science as a major in college felt like a natural decision for me.

As I progressed to college, my engineering cutoff scores were moderately good. Despite not achieving an exceptionally high score, I managed to secure admission into a decent university—Anna University in Tamil Nadu. However, the college within the university that I was allotted wasn't among the top-tier institutions. It could be considered a mid-level university within the system.

The admission process in Tamil Nadu operates through a counseling system. Students rank their top three preferred colleges, and these choices are then input into the system. Subsequently, based on the student's marks, a comprehensive rank list is generated. This list comprises all the applicants—let's say, for instance, 50,000 students are vying for engineering seats—these 50,000 individuals are organized into a single queue. The system then assigns each student to one of their top three college choices based on availability. In my case, this particular college was my third preference, and I was allocated a seat there.

This method of admission allocation in Tamil Nadu essentially takes into account students' preferences and available openings within their chosen colleges, eventually assigning them to the best available option from their list of preferences.

Q7: Have you moved before, or is this new for you?

A: During my 11th and 12th grades, I attended a boarding school, which wasn't my first experience in such an environment. Those years were incredibly stressful, looking back. However, transitioning to college later on was surprisingly easy for me. This was largely due to having already navigated the challenges of boarding school. Experiencing the worst aspects of living in that structured environment had prepared me well for the comparatively smoother adaptation to college life. In retrospect, college felt like a dreamland, especially when compared to the rigors of my previous boarding school days.

Moreover, the flexibility and amenities available in college made a significant difference. Unlike in the boarding school, where communication with family was restricted, in college, the use of mobile phones was allowed. This made staying in touch with parents much easier. In contrast, during my time at the boarding school, communication with family was limited to using a coin booth. The strict rule allowed only five coins per week for communication with parents, monitored by a warden. Any attempt to exceed this limit was strictly regulated, adding to the overall challenges and difficulties of that environment.

Q8: Could you provide a concise overview of your four-year college experience?

A: During my college years, the person I was differed greatly from who I am now. In school, I was reserved, not assertive, and lacked participation or self-advocacy. I attended a school where I didn't assert myself much, and although I was academically successful, I didn't embody the traits I later developed. It was during my 11th and 12th grades that a significant shift occurred; I transitioned into someone seeking relaxation and leisure, prioritizing movies over diligence. For the initial two to three years of college, I merely aimed to pass subjects without going the extra mile. I didn't engage actively, nor did I prepare for the future, including crucial aspects like placements or career prospects.

Despite realizing the importance of planning for the future in the final year when others began taking their careers seriously, I was already behind. Unfortunately, I had squandered valuable time due to my earlier laid-back approach. Surprisingly, within my college cohort, I found myself among the few female students concerned about their futures. The majority seemed oblivious, with many of the girls opting for marriage even before completing college. There was a lack of consciousness about career prospects, and even during placement activities, only a handful of us, three girls in total from my batch, secured on-campus placements. The prevalent trend seemed to be many either pursued their paths or chose marriage, leaving a significant number jobless.

The overall environment at my college lacked awareness about career trajectories and the necessary steps to secure a good job. Reflecting on it now, this summarises the prevalent scenario during my college days, where limited focus on career planning resulted in a significant number of students, especially girls, being unprepared for the professional world.

Q9: You successfully secured the on-campus position. Could you share more about how you seized this opportunity?

A: During my internship, which spanned three months and was positioned as a potential conversion opportunity, I relocated to Chennai. Throughout this period, I dedicated myself to diligent work. I formed meaningful connections and friendships with a couple of fellow interns who played a crucial role in my experience. Let me recount an incident that occurred during this internship.

On the first day, we were all assigned a coding task. While everyone engaged in discussing various solutions, I encountered a term I was unfamiliar with—DP. It turned out to be a reference to "dynamic programming," a concept entirely new to me. I felt out of the loop and inquired about it, prompting one of my colleagues to explain the concept and even share a comprehensive YouTube playlist about it. Despite my lack of prior knowledge, I delved into learning about DP, spending several late nights understanding and implementing it.

This internship became a turning point as it introduced me to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, marking my initial exposure to these programming languages. I owe a debt of gratitude to the individuals who supported and encouraged me during this period, fueling my burgeoning interest in software engineering. They instilled in me the belief that I could pursue a career in this field.

My dedication and hard work during the internship paid off when I successfully transitioned it into a full-time position. However, during the conversion process, there was a caveat. Despite not being considered one of the top candidates, the feedback I received highlighted my potential for growth and learning. My manager acknowledged my dedication and willingness to improve, offering me an opportunity based on this potential.

I took this feedback seriously and committed myself to continued growth and improvement. I accepted the challenge, further intensifying my efforts to excel in my role.

Q10: Could you please share the duration of your tenure in the company where you secured your first internship, leading subsequently to a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO)?

A: I worked for one and a half years in that company. What happened was, in that company, after about a year, the company operated on a service-based model where new projects came in every three months. During the last few months of my tenure, I found myself involved in numerous data science projects and machine learning tasks that didn't align with my interests. Despite trying various roles, I considered myself fortunate because this experience helped me understand my strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. I realized that my strengths lay in frontend and UX design. Thus, I decided to focus on these aspects.

However, during the last six months, things became chaotic as I kept shifting between projects every month. Additionally, the company's situation wasn't ideal; there was significant employee turnover, and the company was heading toward a sale to another buyer. Sensing this transition, I decided it was time for me to move on and explore new opportunities. I had already interviewed with Zoho, a product company based in Chennai, India, founded and led by an Indian CEO. Although I had other interviews lined up with companies like PayPal and ChargeB, the outbreak of the pandemic resulted in the cancellation of those interviews. Hence, I joined Zoho, as it remained my only viable option at the time.

At Zoho, I encountered new challenges during onboarding due to the sudden shift to remote work. The company wasn't well-prepared for remote work, causing difficulties in accessing necessary resources stored on the internal network. Moreover, the team I joined was onboarding several new members, leading to instances where I was inadvertently excluded from meetings and discussions. These challenges made my experience at Zoho quite unpleasant, especially since I was primarily working on Java in a full-stack role.

To counterbalance my dissatisfaction, I became more active on Twitter after work, regularly posting CodePen snippets. This initiative gained traction, attracting the attention of a designer from my previous company. Together, we launched a Twitter challenge called "Code This Design," which gained popularity. This venture helped me make new connections and gain visibility, with CodePen even featuring some of my work on their main page.

During this time, a recruiter from Presidio noticed my online activities and reached out to me. They offered a UX engineering position that perfectly aligned with my interests in both design and coding. The interview process was engaging, as the interviewers referenced my CodePen projects, asking detailed questions about my design and coding choices. They even provided a code challenge on CodePen, which I successfully completed. Impressed by the opportunity and the match with my skills, I made the decision to leave Zoho after just six months and joined Presidio.

This move during the pandemic allowed me to switch companies twice: first to Presidio for a year and later to a role in the United States.

Q11: Could you please provide a summary of your interview experience at Zoho?

A: Yeah, so Zoho. The first interaction was a telephonic interview where they checked my background and inquired about the technologies I'm familiar with. There weren't many technical questions. Subsequently, I was invited to an on-campus programming round. Surprisingly, it was a written round, where I had to handwrite five programming questions using pen and paper. This took place in a room with around 60 candidates, creating an exam-like environment. Fortunately, I was among the first few to solve all the questions, and using Java gave me an edge, given the company's emphasis on it.

After the written round, there was a live coding round. Around 20 people qualified for this stage, and it involved solving LeetCode-style questions on data structures. The format was unique; if you solved a question, you'd receive a new one, and the top performers would advance. The time frame for this round was one and a half hours. From the initial 20, it narrowed down to three candidates, including me.

The next round involved direct one-on-one questioning with three different developers rotating. Following this, there was a lunch break. After lunch, despite being the sole candidate present, they conducted a joint discussion round with all three team members. This round covered core JavaScript questions, fundamentals, closures, and aptitude puzzles. It transitioned into a conversational format, delving into the product they were building, the pipeline, and the uncertainties they were dealing with. The interview was extended until 5:00 in the evening.

The following day, they offered me the position.

Q12: All right, so everything happened in just one day?

A: Yeah, everything happened in one day, and it was uh in person in C on the Zoho campus, the headquarters.

Q13 Okay, so what year this was?

A: It was 2020, February March 18th.

Q14 Wow, people still handwrite code in 2020? Did you see that coming?

A: No, not at all. I think I understood it because they had 60 interviews, and they just wanted a quicker way to eliminate people. Like, if you make obvious mistakes in the written round, it's easy to skim through code and eliminate them. I would still not prefer it because a computer is going to do it faster. But maybe they didn't have the setup to test 60 people like computers and things like that. So, I didn't think too much about it at the time.

Q15: After your impressive 6 months at Zoho, how did Presidio Incorporated, via Twitter DM or email, initially reach out to recruit you?

A: So, they did send a Twitter DM, but I did not take that seriously. I usually have my DMs closed, but the person who reached out to me, I was following them, so they still messaged me. I did not take them seriously and did not respond on Twitter. I got to know then I got a message on WhatsApp from another person who I didn't know was working in Presidio. They reached out to me and said, "Hey, I work with this company Presidio now. I used to be an ex-colleague of yours. Our recruiter found you. Would you like to interview?" I thought it was some kind of scam. I ignored them, but later, I called, apologized, and said I was ready to interview.

I was very surprised because I thought it would take some time. They were actually on a big hiring spree, hiring six employees every week. When I joined, the employee count was 150, and by the time I left, it was 400. They immediately scheduled the interview. I had rounds with code pen discussions and the final round with a director. He didn't ask technical questions, but behavioral ones. The round felt like an honest conversation with a mentor. He made me feel comfortable, saying, "What would you do in this situation?" He even admitted not knowing something, saying, "I'm learning. Thanks for sharing." He was very humble. I knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity because the people I met during the interview were so good.

Q16: Great point! How a company interview tells you a lot about who they are.

A: Yeah, another thing I realized when I worked for Presidio is that when you do something you really like, you can grow very fast. I joined in August 2020, and by February 2021, I received another promotion. With that promotion, I was earning twice as much as my initial salary in Sirius. This rapid advancement was possible because I worked diligently. As soon as I joined Presido, I was assigned work that I genuinely enjoyed. I was involved in designing, converting it into code, participating in design meetings, making design decisions, and turning designs into code.

I was responsible for wireframing and other tasks that intrigued me. Even in projects focused on UI, I actively participated in all design discussions. Surprisingly, as Presido was also a service company, I was given a 3D game project. I had to learn Unity in just one week, and then we had to complete the project within a month to present an MVP to the client. This diverse set of tasks aligned with my interests, involving creativity and design. It was a lot of fun, and by February, I had already secured a promotion with a substantial pay raise.

This experience made me realize that if I engage in activities I am passionate about and excel in, I can shine the brightest in my career.

Q17: Could you please share the duration of your tenure with the company?

A: I worked for one year

Q18: Could you please elaborate on the developments that transpired one year after making the switch?

A: So, I was feeling very stagnated in 2019 when I was working at Sirus. Multiple projects were ongoing, but I wasn't satisfied with my work and experienced a major career confusion period. Unsure of my future path, I explored various options, taking exams like GATE, CAT, and ISRO Scientist in 2019. I even considered doing my master’s after attempting the GRE, but eventually gave up on that idea.

I barely managed to clear GATE with 32 marks, which, though not ideal, was still a clearance. However, CAT didn't go well, and I realized that management wasn't my forte. I had a low rank in the ISRO scientist exam. Eventually, I decided to stick to my current role as a software developer. In 2020, while working at Zoho, I faced a similar feeling of being stuck and unfulfilled. I contemplated doing my master's again but faced delays due to personal and health issues like my dad contracting COVID.

In December, I refocused on preparing for my masters, feeling that if I didn't apply that year, I might lose motivation next year. Despite applying late in January, I got accepted by three universities out of eight. With limited choices and without a GRE score, I chose the best option and decided to move forward with my masters. This sums up how the application process unfolded.

Q19: While you mentioned liking your past work and culture, what areas did you feel could have been improved, or what ultimately led you to consider a Master's?

A: So, the time that I decided I should do my master’s was when I was in Zoho. At that time, when I was considering the possibilities it could open up for me, doing a Master’s felt like the best thing to do. When I joined Procedo, it was really good, but I didn't know for how long I would feel that way. Even when I joined, I worked very hard, and it was going well. However, things changed very soon, and I didn't want that to happen to me. Additionally, I was still in a service company, not a product company. If I had to stay in India and switch to a product company, it would take me another year at least because of my continuous switching. It wouldn't look good on my resume if I came across as someone who cannot stay in a company for long. Therefore, I had to stay in Presidio for an extended period.

In the midst of this, I got a promotion after applying for a Master’s. I wasn't aware that the promotion was coming, although the work was good. I felt that if I didn't pursue my masters now, I might become complacent and never do it later. It was a critical decision because, despite my contentment with my current situation, I feared falling into a comfort zone. After the promotion, I contemplated dropping the plan, considering I was earning well and happy at home with my parents. I questioned whether I needed more. However, I realized that this job might make me lazy and keep me in a comfort zone. This realization became a strong reason to pursue my master's.

Q20: Let's delve into your experiences in the United States. Reflecting on your initial day in the country, could you share how your life changed this transition to a new country, considering both personal and professional aspects?

A: Yeah, honestly, it was weird for me because a lot of people were suddenly interested in my life. Until then, nobody cared. Okay, Akshaya, she's, I mean, relatives, friends, everybody, they were just like, "Okay, there is somebody Akshaya in their life, that's it." But when they got to know that I was moving abroad, everybody called me, and they wished me well. It was very different for me because I did not expect that. And then if you ask me, "Why the US? Why didn't you do anything else?" I'm not going to give some mumbly answer like, "Oh, the life is good then and that and this." The primary reason was, as I said, to work for a product company, make more money, and help my parents. That's the reason.

And then your question was, "How was it on my first day in the US?" Right. So, getting to that first day was very full of hiccups. There were a lot of hiccups in that journey. Because of the pandemic, things kept happening. Flights were getting canceled. Even in the end, if you finally manage to book your flight, visa appointments are not available. If you get your visa appointment, the country that you have your transit in is banning Indian people from coming. So, I was flying via Dubai, and Dubai banned any Indian passenger from visiting. So, all kinds of hiccups happened, and finally, I managed to get on the plane and make it to the US soil.

On the first day, I just ended up in an empty house. My luggage got lost on the plane, and it got delivered like 48 hours later. So, until that point, I basically had nothing with me. I was in an empty house. Luckily, I had a friend. We went and we met new people that day. So, we borrowed a sleeping mat, and we got one bottle of milk. That was it. So, we just survived on milk and one sleeping bag in an empty house. It was peak summertime in the city that I landed, so it was extremely hot, and we had no fan, and no ventilation. So, the first two, or three nights were kind of a nightmare. But we had already struggled a lot, so we were like, "Okay, this is nothing. We can power through this." So, we made it.

On the second day in my university, I learned that I'd be getting a 100% scholarship and I wouldn't have to spend any money from India, which was really good. I was desperate to save money. I didn't want to put my parents through a huge loan. I didn't want to put myself through the pressure of repaying a loan. So, I was looking for opportunities everywhere, outside my department, inside my department, basically anything they put up.

You won't believe I found my funding opportunity via Instagram. The grad school page posted a random post that said, "Funding opportunity alert. This applies to international students." I was very excited by it, and I was like, "Oh, I'm sure this is going to have crazy competition. There's going to be a lot of applicants." But there were very, very few applicants. Not a lot of people looked out for Instagram posts. They were all searching on job boards, and they were searching on the school website. So, not a lot of people heard about it, and I was an easy candidate for them. They were very impressed with my profile, so they gave me the opportunity.

After I got the opportunity, I told my roommates, "Please look out for this page. They're posting opportunities here." And then, a week later, my roommate also got fully funded for her master's. There were three girls in total. Two of us got it, and the other girl, I think she interviewed and didn't get it for the first semester, but she got it for the following semesters. So, basically, all three of us graduated with zero loans, which really, every single day, I thank God for that because without that, it would have been an extremely difficult journey. It's extremely expensive in the US to survive, and without a part-time job, without a funding opportunity, I'm not saying this in a general statement. I'm saying this was my case. I'm from a background that cannot afford this kind of education and this kind of spending. So, for me, it was nothing short of a blessing.

I thank God for it every day. I was able to waive my fee. It did not get fully waved off. Like, 90% of it was waived, and the remaining 10% I saved money from my stipend that they gave. They would also pay me a little every month, like a stipend. So, I used that money saved it up, and I repaid the rest of my fee also. But the downside of this was my master's life became extremely hectic. So, the job I was doing was technically on paper. It was 20 hours, but it was never 20 hours. I almost ended up spending 40 hours every week. So, it was very hectic to manage work, job hunt, master's life.

Like, you're doing your assignments and studying for exams. And in addition to all this, you also have to take care of yourself. There's no one to do laundry for you. There's no one to cook for you. All those things also you have to do. And then also adjusting to the culture shock, and getting used to a new environment. It's not easy to suddenly be in front of people who don't speak the way you speak. They don't say the things that you usually hear. So, you're getting used to a new accent. Completely everything is new around you. So, you're getting used to that. You're dealing with the stress of that. And you're dealing with all this. So, the first semester was more hectic than my 11th and 12th, I should say, because of all the few hours that I got to sleep, I was extremely exhausted from the day's work. So, by the second semester, I kind of learned the hang of it. So, the first semester and the first few weeks of it were definitely, I would say, very exhausting.

Q21: Could you please share insights into the process that led to your opportunity at Adobe? Additionally, it would be valuable to hear about your experiences during the interview, providing details on what stood out or contributed to a positive interview experience.

A: Yeah, so before I left for the US in July 2021, I started applying for jobs. Knowing the intense competition, once I got my admission and university email ID, I prepared my resume and regularly did coding practice even when I was in India. I focused on front-end positions due to my proficiency in UX and front-end development, setting a deadline to shift to full-stack if needed by October. Until then, I applied for front-end positions, leveraging my work experience in India for interviews.

In late November, I had notable interviews with companies like Meta, TikTok, Microsoft, and FormLabs. One of the early interviews was with FormLabs, a 3D printing company using the QT framework. Though I cleared the rounds, they eventually didn't offer me a position, prompting me to intensify my application efforts.

I aimed for referrals, cold emailing, and DMing people for connections. I managed to secure referrals for every company, including Google. Adobe reached out to me by the end of November, and as I had already completed Microsoft and TikTok's initial rounds, I prioritized Adobe due to its alignment with my front-end interests.

Adobe's interview process comprised an online round with a LeetCode medium graph question. The subsequent rounds involved JavaScript-based data structure problem-solving, a React deep dive, unit testing questions, and behavioral inquiries. The recruiter was supportive, allowing me to Google syntax during the live coding session. By the end of the process, Adobe offered me the internship on a Friday, giving me the weekend to celebrate and inform other companies about my decision not to pursue further interviews.

I declined scheduled interviews with TikTok and Microsoft, expressing my satisfaction with the offer from Adobe. This summarizes my journey through the Adobe internship interview process.

Q22: Is it a prerequisite in the U.S. to undergo an internship before securing a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO), or do companies also extend direct full-time employment opportunities?

A: You can directly interview for a full-time position, and get an offer. However, since I was in my first semester, I found it easier to pursue an internship initially. Converting an internship into a full-time position is a more straightforward route, in my opinion. It also reduces stress.

Choosing the direct placement offer means applying in your last semester. By this time, you are completing coursework and dealing with other responsibilities. Job searching during this period, along with the pressure to secure employment within 90 days after graduation, can be overwhelming. Opting for an internship first allows for a smoother transition.

Personally, I applied for internships even before arriving in the US. I started the application process in July, providing a buffer and reducing the urgency associated with job hunting during the last semester. This is advice I often share with others on platforms like Topmate or LinkedIn. I recommend not waiting until the later stages of your academic journey, encouraging individuals to apply as soon as relevant job posts appear.