Kawaljeet Singh Batra

🍀 6 months at Google.... Today I have completed 6 months at Google after having joined back in January 27th, 2025. These 6 months have been a rollercoaster of learning, exploration, meeting some exceptionally skilled people, and growth. Summarizing my journey at Google, here's the top 6 learnings for me over the period of the last 6 months... 1️⃣. Imposter Syndrome is real - Working at a place like Google, the talent density is the real deal. With being surrounded by some the smartest folks in the industry and working alongside them, its easy to feel lost and out of place. 2 things kept me going here - a. The support from the team in my rampup. b. The confidence that I've done harder things in the past - this too shall pass. 2️⃣. Ownership matters - At a place like Google, with highly skilled people all around, its kinda obvious that people like to own their work and expect you to do the same. How to own your work end to end, and to deliver it with the highest quality is something I've greatly learnt in the past few months. 3️⃣. Communication >>> Code - At a place, where any code change you make affects billions, communication and alignment regarding the same becomes something of utmost nessecity. Skillful communication within the team, cross teams, and with multiple stakeholders to effectively deliver work is something I've seen matter more than ever here. 4️⃣. Asking for help is a strength - In companies like Google and Microsoft, asking for help is looked on as a strength, not a weakness. The culture fosters that. However, to get help, you've to ask for it. Getting over the thought of judgment, to reach out for help, is a key learning which helped me a lot in the journey. 5️⃣. Make meaningful connections - Walking in any journey, what makes it worthwhile are the friends you make along the way. Making intentional connections, and going out of the way to help others move ahead in their journey, is the way to move ahead in the journey. This is something I also try to incorporate in my Linkedin journey by trying to give back to the community. 6️⃣. You're never too good at something, Keep learning - Tech is a fast moving space. The thought of "I already know enough" becomes obsolete as fast as the tech of today. Its a journey of constant of learning and upskilling. Parallely, make your basics stronger, that's what allows you to keep up the learning pace, with the industry. The last 6 months have been really exciting, fun, full of learnings and challenges all along the way. As its said in Google, being a Noogler is like "trying to drink from a firehose". Really excited for what the next 6 months unfolds. Stay tuned for more such content!!✌🏻🚀

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The problem with LeetCode-style questions….. Many tech companies use LeetCode-style questions in their interviews. 📌 On one hand, they help interviewers see how you think through complex problems. But on the other, they do not reflect real-world situations like collaborating with others, designing, and dealing with existing codebases. So, instead of running after LeetCode problems, try this: → ⁠Learn algorithms: Don’t memorize answers, try to understand how and why the algorithms work. This will help you solve new problems. → ⁠Identify Patterns in Problems: Look for recurring themes in problems. For example, when you see a tree problem, think about depth-first search versus breadth-first search. → ⁠⁠Do mock interviews: Practice mock interviews with top MAANG/PBC engineers copying your target company’s setup (ex- shared doc, 45-minute time limit) You can connect with them for FREE here: https://lnkd.in/gFcPVZVZ They’ll share what kind of questions to solve, patterns to focus on and areas to improve. → ⁠Iterate and Optimize: After solving a problem, ask, “How can I make this better?” Aim for improved time complexity with smarter algorithms. While LeetCode-style questions are useful, it's important to balance them with practical coding skills. However, if you are struggling to improve your coding skills, you can always reach out to senior SDEs at Preplaced for 1:1 guidance. ✅ PS: How do you prepare for coding challenges? 💬 #leetcode #DSA #interviewpreparation #interviewtips #paidpartnership #codingrounds #techinterviews

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Meta gives 40-50 LPA & asks complex graphs Microsoft gives 40-45 LPA & asks DP + object-oriented design Google gives 35-40 LPA & asks time-bound optimization challenges At all of these companies, the main focus is → DSA So, when I began my prep, I focused the most on DSA  ✅ 300+ problems solved, covered a mix of all topics from arrays to strings But still, when I got a call for Google & I gave the interview, I fumbled in it💔 They wanted intuition, logic-building capabilities and communication under pressure. I struggled to check all 3 boxes and I know I’m not alone in this — many of you are facing the same struggle 😓 But today, this FREE AI coding companion, Leeco AI can simplify it and help you get that complete score in your DSA prep → https://lnkd.in/d3XqH87k It asks you the exact DSA questions a real MAANG interviewer would ask in a real interview-like setting and then scores your performance💪🏻 You’ll get precise feedback, clear improvement areas, and real mentor-style guidance.  🔗 Download for FREE here → https://lnkd.in/d3XqH87k I use this AI daily and so do 40,000 SDEs. It is like a FREE mentor sitting beside you that will ensure you’re prepared for real interviews, give it a shot!❤️ #dsainterviews #dsaimportance #dsatopics #codingrounds #paidpartnership #techinterview

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