I was talking to a few friends recently, and we all had the same feeling:

Getting interviews seems harder than ever.

A few years ago, it felt like:

• Learn DSA
• Build a couple of projects
• Apply consistently
• Get interview opportunities

Now it feels like the expectations have gone up significantly.

Companies want:
✅ Strong DSA

✅ Good projects

✅ Internship experience

✅ Development skills

✅ System design knowledge

✅ Good communication

And sometimes even after having all of that, people still struggle to get callbacks.

I'm not complaining—just trying to understand whether others feel the same way.

For those who recently landed SDE-1 roles:

• What helped the most?
• Referrals?
• DSA?
• Open source?
• Networking?
• Resume improvements?

Would love to hear real experiences from people who got interviews in the current market.

Maybe this discussion can help others who are preparing silently and wondering if they're the only ones finding it difficult. 🚀