Hi everyone,

I've gained so much from this platform, and now I think it's time to give back to those who are just starting out. I know many of you might be in the same place I was 1-2 years ago. Let me share my story.

It was the summer of 2022, and I was working hard on LeetCode, participating in contests, and gradually building up a decent rating. I was good at data structures and algorithms (DSA) and was also brushing up on other concepts. With this skill set, I believed I would certainly land an internship. However, to my surprise, I faced rejection after rejection from more than 10 companies. In some cases, I received feedback, but in others, I was completely clueless. I couldn't understand what was going wrong. Campus placements felt like a lucky draw, and unfortunately, my luck never seemed to favor me.

Eventually, I started applying to off-campus companies, but the same pattern continued. Sometimes I was stopped due to requirements, and many times I was rejected in the HR round after just a few behavioral questions. During this time, I did manage to secure a few internships, but they felt far below what I believed I deserved. It was hard for me to explain to my parents and friends what was going wrong. Everyone had suggestions and pinpointed different problems, but I was frustrated, knowing that the actual issue seemed to be my luck. Despite this, I didn't want to complain or sound pitiful in the community.

People often came to offer sympathy, but honestly, those moments were the hardest. I never expected to find myself in such a situation.

This continued until finally, after getting rejected and ghosted by over 20 companies and accepted by a few, I managed to secure a position at a company where I am now satisfied. The questions I practiced and my ratings on all the platforms finally felt justified. I'm grateful to God for this.

Lessons for Juniors:

1- Apply off-campus and build connections.
2- Practice consistently and don't get disheartened by rejections. Rejection in this field isn't solely about your skills; sometimes, it's just bad luck.
3- Most importantly, keep going. You only need one good day after 365 bad days. Let the bad days come; be patient.
4- Believe in God. Sooner or later, you will get what you deserve.