From Struggling to Upskill to Landing a Fullstack Role at IBM
Stuck in self-study? Sachin shares how connecting with a mentor on Preplaced helped him overcome struggles, upskill, and land a coveted job at IBM Software Labs.
Sachin Dhanoriya, a seasoned backend engineer with over 6 years of experience at reputable companies like Salesforce, Cisco, TCS, and Samsung Electronics, found himself stuck in his career.
He wanted to enhance his design skills, particularly in areas like HLD and LLD, to meet the expectations of his role and pave the way for further growth.
Initially, Sachin attempted self-study using online resources, but the lack of structure and an overwhelming amount of information across different websites only added to his confusion.
As he shares, "I wanted to look for a direction where I could focus my potential and save time, especially after wasting almost two quarters trying to find the right approach."
During this challenging phase, Sachin discovered Preplaced and connected with mentor Neetesh Mittal, an SDE III @Microsoft.
Let's hear from him.👇
📌 Introduction
Hi, I'm Sachin Dhaneria, a backend engineer with over 6 years of experience.
I am serving my notice period at Salesforce and have previously worked at MNCs like Cisco, TCS, and Samsung Electronics.
📌 Struggles
After several years in the field, I recognised the need to enhance my design skills, particularly in areas like HLD and LLD.
With 6 years of experience, I understood there were certain expectations from candidates, and not meeting them could hinder my growth.
Initially, I tried self-study using online resources.
However, the lack of structure and the overwhelming amount of information across different websites only added to my confusion.
I wanted to look for a direction where I could focus my potential and save time, especially after wasting almost two quarters to find the right approach.
📌 Finding Preplaced
I did some Google research and came to know about Preplaced.
Browsing profiles of various mentors, I was particularly impressed by Neetesh Mittal’s experience.
Honestly, I was a bit unsure about mentor led preparation at first, but I figured the right person could guide me and save me a ton of time.
📌 How My Mentor Helped Me
It was a really good experience with Neetesh. Right from the start, he could spot my strengths and weaknesses.
He didn't just point out what I needed to improve on, he also helped me build on the things I was already good at. ✅
In the mock interview sessions for HLDs and LLDs, he gave me some out-of-the-box questions which forced me to think on my feet and use everything I was learning.
It felt just like a real interview, except at the end, Neetesh would tell me what I did well and where I could improve.
📌 Job Offer and Career Growth
Thanks to Neetesh’s guidance, I landed an awesome job offer from IBM Software Labs! 🚀
I'll be working as a full-stack developer in the product division. This was a huge win for me, considering I started as a backend engineer.
📌 How Mentorship Made a Difference
Without Neetesh, I honestly think I'd still be lost in a sea of online resources and trying to find the right direction.
Mentorship fast-tracked my learning experience by many folds.
📌 Future Plans
I plan to continue my mentorship with Neetesh as there's still room for growth.
Now that I have this new job, I want to climb the ranks at IBM. Neetesh's advice will be key to making that happen.
📌 Thank You Message
Even though our mentorship only lasted a month and a half, Neetesh has been amazing.
He's great at spotting areas where I can improve, but he's also super supportive and down-to-earth. ✨
He's calm and friendly but also has a great sense of humour that keeps things fun. Most importantly, he gets what mentees struggle with and can offer the perfect helping hand to overcome those challenges.
Wrapping it Up
After a lot of struggle with self-study, Sachin finally found success by connecting with a mentor on Preplaced.
Sachin's story shows how helpful it can be to get support from someone experienced when you're feeling stuck in your career.
They can point you in the right direction and give you a structure to follow based on your specific needs and goals. So if you're also finding it tough to figure things out on your own, don't worry - you're not alone!
Why not connect with a mentor who gets what you're going through?
Just like Sachin, you could end up achieving way more than you ever imagined with the right mentor by your side.
So what are you waiting for? Take that first step today!