Service-based companies Vs product-based companies?
Service-based companies are those firms that take projects from their clients and provide them service to create desirable products or features for their use. Sometimes they provide maintenance or Automation testing of their client's software/product. They mostly work for other Product-based companies. Some of the service-based companies are TCS, Accenture, Infosys, Capgemini, LTI, Wipro, etc.
The kind of work you get in these companies may vary as per the requirements. You may not get to work on the Tech stack you are good at. Initially, as a fresher, you might get a Testing job, a Support job, and later a Development job.
The learning scope is less as compared to product-based companies. Also, the Salary growth is average and mostly less(For freshers). Most of the time, you will end up spending 10+ hours doing monotonous work.
Product-based companies have their own product, their own Tech stack. Growth of Learning and salary is exponential and opportunities are much better. You will solve real-life challenging problems. Product-based companies mostly offer
development work to build new products which is quite exciting and challenging.
Does college matter or branch?
If you are really interested in programming and want to contribute to the CS field then your branch or college does not matter. What matters is the skill and your learning attitude. I have seen developers working in product-based companies who are not from CS/IT branches but are performing great in their work. They really inspire me. Some are from electrical, electronic, civil, and even mechanical streams. But they have deep knowledge about core computer science
subjects. So companies do not really care about your branch or your college. If you are from a branch other than CS/IT then going for Masters's degree is recommended if you are not from Tier-1 college.
What other better options do we have?
If any of these companies are not visiting your college campus, then there are 2 things you can do.
● Prepare for competitive exams like GATE, ISRO, DRDO, etc.
● Prepare for off-campus placements for product-based companies.
Do not settle for less.
We will see the benefits of preparing for gate exams in another blog in detail.
How to prepare for product-based companies (On-Campus +Off-campus) as a fresher?
It's never too late or too early to start good things. If you are preparing for the Gate exam then you are already preparing for the interview. I cleared an interview with a product-based company through an off-campus placement just on the basis of gate preparation.
1. Focus on Data structures and Algorithms more than learning any programming language. (You can read my previous blog where I answered general questions related to programming languages and interviews).
2. Do good projects with complete understanding. Push them on Github. Have something to show to your interviewers.
3.
Start competitive coding as soon as possible (Some firms keep this as their first-round).
You can Start with
HackerRank.
4. Do internships, this will give you a leading edge as you will have practical experience.
5. Your resume is the key. Make sure your resume stands out from the crowd. Focus on quality rather than quantity. (We will cover Resume writings in another blog).
6. Certificate does not matter. No one cares if it is not from a reputable organization/College.
7. Build your brand. Make your profile on Linkedin. Add valuable descriptions ( Skills, Projects, Internships, Achievements, etc). Linkedin is one of the powerful tools you have in the 21st century. Spend more time on Linkedin than other social media platforms. Make connections with people already working in such firms. Ask for referrals. Visit the firm's Job page. Sometimes they have openings for freshers too. Apply and ask for Internships.
Thanks for reading with patience! All the best!
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