How I got my first Software Engineer job

Summary

In this video, the creator shares his journey from a university freshman to a full-stack engineer, detailing how he turned his life around from partying to coding 12 hours a day. He discusses his first internship, which led to a full-time job offer, and the unexpected challenge of receiving two offers in one day. The video highlights the importance of internships in the tech industry and the power of exceeding expectations, even as a student.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker initially struggled with the transition to university life, indulging in excessive partying which affected his grades and well-being.
• 🔄 After a turning point, the speaker decided to change his lifestyle, cutting out drinking and focusing on his studies during the Christmas holidays.
• 💻 He dedicated 12 hours a day to coding, learning full stack development with the goal of securing an internship.
• 📝 The speaker emphasizes the importance of building a resume and creating projects to showcase his skills, even if they were not perfect initially.
• 🚀 He applied to over 60 internship positions, highlighting the power of persistence and the law of averages in increasing the chances of success.
• 🤝 The speaker landed two interviews from the companies he wanted to work for, demonstrating that preparation and hard work can lead to opportunities.
• 📈 He prepared extensively for his interviews, focusing on systems design questions, which was crucial for proving his abilities in the tech industry.
• 😅 During one interview, he faced a technical difficulty but managed to continue, showing the importance of resilience in professional situations.
• 🎉 The speaker received two job offers in one day, a testament to his hard work and the value of exceeding expectations during internships.
• 🤔 He made a mistake by accepting both offers and then retracting one, which likely resulted in being blacklisted by the first company.
• 🔄 Despite the setback, the speaker leveraged his performance in his second internship to secure a full-time position, illustrating the power of networking and exceeding expectations.

Q & A

How did the speaker initially spend their time during the first three months of university?

The speaker spent most of their time partying, often being drunk or hungover, which affected their grades, mental health, and overall life.

What was the turning point for the speaker that led to a change in their lifestyle?

The turning point was a day when the speaker woke up in the afternoon, threw up for the third time, and questioned their life direction, leading them to quit drinking and focus on their goals.

What did the speaker decide to do during the Christmas holidays instead of returning to the construction site?

The speaker decided to focus on coding for 12 hours a day with the goal of getting an internship in full stack development.

How did the speaker prepare for their internship applications?

The speaker prepared by creating several projects, building their resume, and applying to over 60 positions to increase their chances of getting an interview.

What was the speaker's strategy for dealing with the lack of interviews?

The speaker's strategy was to apply to as many jobs as possible to increase the probability of getting interviews, understanding that persistence increases the chances of success.

How did the speaker prepare for their technical interviews?

The speaker studied extensively, focusing on systems design questions, to be well-prepared for the interviews and stand out from the competition.

What happened during one of the speaker's technical interviews that could have been a disaster?

During one of the technical interviews, the speaker's Wi-Fi went out, causing them to disconnect from the Google Meet call. They rejoined using their phone and a personal Gmail account with an unusual name, which initially confused the interviewers.

How did the speaker manage to get two job offers in one day?

After performing well in both interviews, the speaker received offers from both companies on the same day. Initially, they accepted one offer but then also accepted the second offer after realizing they preferred the second company.

What mistake did the speaker make after accepting two job offers?

The speaker accepted both offers without promptly informing the first company of their decision, which led to them being blacklisted from that company after the second company's contract was signed.

How did the speaker's internship experience contribute to their full-time job offer?

The speaker exceeded expectations during their internship, which led to their former manager offering them a full-time position when one became available.

What advice does the speaker give to students looking to break into the tech industry?

The speaker advises students to get an internship as it is easier to secure than a full-time job and can often lead to a full-time position due to the valuable experience and connections gained.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 From Partying to Pursuing a Tech Internship

The speaker begins by sharing their journey of receiving two job offers in one day and reflects on their freshman year at university. Initially, they indulged in excessive partying, which negatively impacted their academic performance and overall well-being. After a turning point, they decided to quit drinking and focus on coding during the Christmas holidays, dedicating 12 hours a day to learn full stack development. They built several projects and created a resume, applying to over 60 internship positions and securing interviews with two desirable companies. Despite a technical mishap during one interview, they performed well and received two job offers, leading to a dilemma of choosing between the two.

05:01

🤔 The Dilemma of Two Job Offers and the Power of Internships

The speaker recounts the challenging decision of choosing between two job offers and the mistake of accepting both, leading to a hasty withdrawal from the first offer and likely being blacklisted by the company. They then discuss the valuable experience gained during their internships, which ultimately led to a full-time job offer despite a hiring freeze. The speaker emphasizes the importance of internships as a stepping stone to full-time employment and encourages students to pursue them. They conclude by reflecting on their progression from a computer science student to a full-time engineer, still enrolled in university, and invite viewers to engage with them on their Discord server and provide feedback on their video content.

Keywords

💡Internship

An internship is a temporary position within a company where an individual gains work experience and skills in a professional setting. In the video, the speaker describes how his first internship led to a full-time job offer, emphasizing the importance of internships in breaking into the tech industry.

💡Full-stack engineer

A full-stack engineer is a software developer who is proficient in both front-end and back-end technologies, allowing them to build and maintain web applications. The speaker's journey culminates in a full-time offer as a full-stack engineer, showcasing the career path he pursued.

💡University

A university is an institution of higher learning that provides degrees and professional training. The speaker mentions enrolling in a university in Helsinki to study computer science, which is foundational to his career in the tech industry.

💡Mental health

Mental health refers to a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The script describes the speaker's initial struggles with alcohol and its negative impact on his mental health and academic performance, highlighting the importance of self-care in personal development.

💡Coding

Coding is the process of writing computer programs or software. The speaker's transformation from a party-goer to a dedicated coder during the Christmas holiday is a pivotal moment in his story, illustrating the discipline required to succeed in tech.

💡Resume

A resume is a document used by job seekers to present their skills, experiences, and qualifications. The speaker discusses building his resume with projects to apply for internships, underlining the importance of a strong resume in the job application process.

💡Job application

A job application is the process of formally offering oneself for a job. The speaker applied to over 60 positions, demonstrating perseverance and the competitive nature of job hunting in the tech industry.

💡Interview

An interview is a meeting where a potential employer assesses a candidate's suitability for a job. The speaker's preparation and experiences in interviews are key parts of his narrative, showing how interviews can be a proving ground for one's abilities.

💡Systems design

Systems design refers to the process of planning and configuring a system of software components to meet desired needs. The speaker expected systems design questions in his interviews, indicating the importance of this skill in the tech industry.

💡Hiring freeze

A hiring freeze is a period during which a company stops hiring new employees. The speaker encountered a hiring freeze after his first internship, which temporarily halted his path to full-time employment but eventually led to another opportunity.

💡Blacklisted

To be blacklisted means to be put on a list of people who are denied access or privileges. The speaker's decision to accept two job offers and then renege on one led to being blacklisted by the first company, illustrating the potential consequences of such actions in professional settings.

Highlights

The speaker received two job offers in one day, illustrating the power of persistence and opportunity in the tech industry.

Initially enrolled in a university in Helsinki to study computer science.

Admitted to a period of heavy drinking and its negative impact on academic performance and personal well-being.

A turning point led to a complete lifestyle change, cutting out drinking and focusing on coding.

Coding 12 hours a day during Christmas holidays to prepare for an internship.

The importance of having a clear goal and dedication to achieving it, exemplified by the speaker's full stack development learning.

Building a resume and creating projects to showcase skills for internship applications.

Applied to over 60 internship positions, emphasizing the strategy of applying widely to increase chances.

Received interviews from two desired companies, highlighting the role of persistence in achieving desired outcomes.

The concept of 'luck' as a result of repeated efforts and increasing the probability of success.

Preparation for interviews included extensive studying to excel in systems design questions.

A humorous anecdote about a technical interview where the speaker accidentally joined with a personal Gmail account.

Receiving and accepting an offer, followed by the dilemma of choosing between two competing job offers.

The ethical implications of accepting two job offers and the consequences of such actions on professional relationships.

Exceeding expectations during an internship can lead to full-time job offers, even during hiring freezes.

The power of networking and recommendations from former colleagues in securing a full-time position.

The journey from a computer science student to a full-time engineer without graduating, showcasing the value of internships.

A call to action for students to pursue internships for better career opportunities and personal growth.

Invitation for feedback and engagement with the speaker's community, including a link to a Discord server.

Transcripts

I got two offers in one day this uploads

look so easily the most test question on

this channel has been Halo how did you

get your first job and how did you break

in the tech industry So today we're

gonna go over exactly that so if you

watch my video on replacing gaming with

coding you know that I got enrolled into

a university here in Helsinki to study

computer science now what I didn't tell

you in that video is how I got my first

internship and how that internship led

to my full-time job offer as a full

stack engineer so let's go back in time

a little bit to my freshman year in

University now you would think that I

was crying the lead code making own

projects starting 24 7 but actually

that's not at all what happened for the

first three months of University I was

literally an alcoholic bro I hadn't been

to many parties before University and

now that I've finally got into

University and had the chance to party

as much as I wanted I took advantage of

that every other day I was literally

drunk or hungover and couldn't get

anything done now of course by doing

this my grades were suffering alongside

with my mental health and my body I was

waking up at around 4pm and life just

wasn't going too good for me I had been

given an opportunity but I wasn't taking

advantage of it and you know the

craziest part of all this was that out

that this was completely normal it was

part of the student life now also I was

really enjoying the attention I got from

girls at these parties as well I got

lost in the sauce bro now thankfully One

day things really took a turn for me

thank you bro

trust me I'm not an alcoholic anymore

anyways after waking up in the afternoon

and throwing up for the third time I

really thought to myself like what the

[ __ ] are you doing bro where is your

life going and you know I've always been

the type to go all in on something I

want to do so at that point I completely

cut out drinking and trust me I don't

drink often also the Christmas holidays

were coming up and I had one month out

of school at this point I really had to

think about what I want to do next

summer and it was either go back to the

construction site or get an internship

so when the Christmas holiday finally

started I was coding 12 hours a day

non-stop I had only one goal for that

whole holiday and that was to get an

internship this is when I was learning

full stack development I'll link the

course here so you can go check it out

yourself it's completely free by the way

but basically for the entire Christmas

holiday I just woke up drink a Monster

coat it and maybe hit the gym on Sundays

at this point I was still living at my

parents house so I was literally in my

mom's basement coding 12 hours a day I

made a few appreciated projects and now

it was time to build my resume also my

first resume somewhere here so you can

see but it was terrible bro I actually

made one more extra project that's not

included in this resume but I couldn't

find a picture of an updated one after

building my Shady resume now it was time

to apply to as many jobs as possible and

trust me when I say this I applied to

every single job I could find now keep

in mind I live here in Finland so

there's not too many software

engineering internships in total I

applied to over 60 positions and heard

back from two of them now lucky me these

two that I heard back from were amazing

companies that I really wanted to work

for now you might say that I was lucky

in getting these two interviews and

that's fair but let's think about what

is luck if you do something over and

over and over again you increase the

probability of your desired outcome

happening after a certain point it's

just probabilities so if you have some

decent projects in your resume that

you're proud of I think you should just

start applying don't try to make your

resume perfect don't try to make the

perfect project just start applying you

can improve your resume and your

projects as you go after I landed my

first two interviews it was time to

interview prep now again lucky me I live

in the EU we don't really do lead coin

and stuff here so I knew that my

interviews would mostly consist of

systems design questions I had been

given the chance to prove myself and I

wanted to destroy my competition so I

studied and studied and studied finally

the interviews come around and I was

scared as the first two interviews were

just basically me chatting up with the

recruiters from both firms after that

there were technical runs and the other

company gave me a coding assignment as

well actually here's a funny story

during one of the technical rounds I

actually disconnected from the Google

meet my Wi-Fi went completely out and I

joined back on my phone and on my phone

I was logged into my personal Gmail that

has like a crazy name it doesn't have

anything to do with my real name so when

I tried to join back they were like who

the who is this guy but thankfully they

let me back in and we continued on with

the interview all in all both the

dangerous went pretty well and I was

fairly certain that I would get at least

one offer by the way if you're invited

to an interview don't stress too much

about your background the interview is

the place where you can prove yourself

now what happens next is crazy so I'll

get a call back from the recruiter from

the other firm and they tell me that

they want to give me an offer let me

tell you this was one of the happiest

moments ever in my life I actually did

the hard work and I got the result that

I wanted so during the phone call the

recruiter asked me if I want to accept

their offer and I'm like hell yes I want

to accept their offer I don't have

anything else lined up for me so I

accept my email back to the other firm

telling them that I had just accepted

the offer from this other place and to

my surprise the hiring manager from the

other firm Paul Smith tells me hey we

would also like to extend to an offer

bro I was going crazy at this point I

had been rejected from almost every

interview somehow I landed two

interviews and I got two offers in one

day this moment was definitely my

happiest moment in 2022 but now I was

kind of because I wanted to work for the

second company more than the first one

but I had already accepted the offer

from the first company now whatever you

do don't do what I did so I accept the

offer from the second company also so

now I had accepted two offers but

obviously I can only work one and me

being a complete be dumbass instead of

calling the first place back and saying

like hey I'm not actually coming like

take someone else I wait three days

before I had signed the second place

contract to inform the first place that

hey I'm not coming now at this point the

first company had already let every

other candidate know that they found

their guy and they're no longer hiring

them but then there's me emailing them

back saying like hey actually I'm not

coming after all I accepted this other

offer I think it's pretty safe to say

that I'm blacklisted from that first

company now so that's the story how I

landed my first internship but how did I

get my full-time offered that well if

you're an intern nobody expects anything

from you so as long as you do something

right you're already exceeding

expectations and that's exactly what I

did during the whole summer I was

exceeding expectations and did Super

well in the internship but at the end of

my internship the company had a hiring

freeze on and they couldn't hire me I

was pretty sad about that but thankfully

I got another internship during that

second internship my old manager emails

me and says hey look we have this

position to open if you're interested

let us know from there I interviewed

with two different teams and get a

position from one of them now my old

teammates were telling these hiring

managers that they should hire me and

that really really helped me but this

just goes to show you the power of

internships so if you see a student

please I beg you get an internship you

will not regret it it's easier to get an

internship than it is to get a full-time

job but it's also easy to go from an

intern to full-time engineer so yeah

that's basically the story how I went

from a CS student to an intern after my

freshman year to a full-time engineer

after my second year of University by

the way I still haven't graduated

University I'm technically still a

student I'm enrolled into the university

so if you want to see some content from

University Computer Science Life all

this stuff let me know in the comments

now if you liked the video drop a like

for the algorithm if you didn't that's

fine let me know why you didn't like it

and how it could improve the next time

also in the description is our Discord

server I'm super active there come say

hi and as always thanks for watching bro

peace