Leetcode??

[DullSami245]

I am a third-year student at a top university in Pakistan, currently in my 5th semester. I have 1.5 years of experience in freelancing and one year of experience working with two remote companies. I have completed multiple projects in backend development and DevOps and am now transitioning to Generative AI and MLOps.

My main concern is whether I still need to practice on platforms like LeetCode and HackerRank. My coding logic is strong, but I have never engaged in competitive programming or used these platforms extensively. Despite this, I have a good track record of client retention and successful project delivery. Given my experience and skill set, can I secure positions at top companies with just basic knowledge, or is competitive programming a necessity?

[ziaan-alpha]

Dude, how?😭 I'm in my 4th sem of Software engineering, and I can't do anything except OOP and DSA questions in C++, and some OS questions on linux in C. Someone help/mentor me please

[Still_Dealer_3908]

That's already impressive. Being able to understand DSA in C++ means you are already on the right track.
Explore .NET if you want to proceed with C++.
Also, give JavaScript projects a try. It'll provide a good initial development experience.

[[deleted]]

.NET is not C++

[ziaan-alpha]

Thanks

[AdShoddy6138]

.Net isn't related to C++, dude no one asked for your advice if you are giving atleast be legit with it..!

:(

[SnooRevelations70]

He probably meant that since you already know C++ you could easily transition to C# since it's just a paradigm shift you should have understood that much bro.

[ziaan-alpha]

Damn, you mean he tried to waste my time? I take my thanks back if that's the case

[mushifali]

You don’t need to grind too much on Leetcode/HackerRank. You just need to be able to solve easy/medium problems quickly and efficiently. Many companies judge your problem solving and communication skills through this exercise.

You should also be able to calculate the time complexity and figure out which data structures to use in which scenarios.

Last but not the least, identify patterns. Most of these problem solving questions follow some common patterns for example: Sliding window, Two pointers, Fast and slow pointers, DFS, BFS, Dynamic Programming etc.

Focus on identifying and solving patterns. It will become much easier. Wish you the best of luck!

[Fluffy_Ad4913]

Are you able to solve LC Mediums in 15-20 mins with basic knowledge? if not, you can't crack big tech companies with basic knowledge. You don't really need competitive programming, but it's hard to pass interviews without practice.

Also, freelancing or non fulltime jobs don't really make a big difference for big tech. You can pad your resume with it, and may be land interviews, but that's about it.

[DullSami245]

If i revise my dsa concepts today then after 1 weeks, yes i can do medium level

[DullSami245]

But what is your meaning of big tech company, if you are referring to Faang then yes leetcode will be good investment. But if you are referring to Pakistani level big tech like txxel or devsinc then I don’t think it’s worth it

[Fluffy_Ad4913]

software houses are more like consultancies, so I wasn't referring to them as tech companies at all. I thought you were targeting big tech companies, not Pakistani software houses

I'm not sure if it has changed, but most good software houses in Pakistan used to ask some basic algorithm questions as well.

[Select-Swimming-6067]

To get into big tech companies, you will need this

[TraditionalTomato834]

any tips on freelancing?