how I left my on campus offer, to get the highest package, offcampus

this is going to be a short article, If you don't know me, a quick intro

I'm Abhinav, just graduated a month back, btech cse from vit vellore, currently working as founding backend engineer at HydraDB.

How did I end up here?

well for starters, a year back from now when the campus placement started. I would say I wasn't the most prepared person. Most of my resume I filled in just 2 months before my placement started, all the projects I made during that time, or be it DSA, System Design, CS fundamentals wrapped up in 2 months and 9+ cgpa.

but somehow I wasn't even shortlisted for the initial companies lmao, it was stressing back then but now it's just lame.

then I got shortlisted at this company, which I was soon about to find out is an HFT firm, paying really good, and yep this was my chance.

Only 45 were shortlisted to write the pen and paper DSA test out of maybe 14,000 people, yep you got the number right. we have 14000 people competing for placements across all 4 campus, since placement is centralized.

I was ready with my laptop but realised, they are giving a printed sheet, like your college exam, and it had 3 DSA questions.

we had to write code on the paper, write the algorithm and complexities.

I cleared that, then there were 3 rounds of interviews, my last 2nd was a system design round where I had to design a stock brokerage service, and so 2 were finally selected.

then in december started my 6 months internship in Bengaluru. My office was in MG road and I was stupid enough to take my PG in Mahadevpura. Then it was daily metro travel + long working hours. It was hectic, but those 6 months were probably the best time of my live, was truly living the banglore tech guy life lmao.

then some things happened, and I wanted a remote US job lol.

And I now currently have the remote job ;)

and the highest package in my Uni. It was previously those motorq guyz with 1 Cr, and I always wanted to beat them and so there if was.

so how did that happen?

For starters, I reached out, gave interviews and that was it.

Meanwhile, I had gotten PPO from my intern which I rejected for this.

Then I moved back to my home, made my WFH setup here. Got a ultragear monitor, new laptop, mouse, ergonomic chair, and most importantly my first apple product Macbook m5 pro.

After using the mac for 3 months, I now totally get the hype.

anyways, will be shifting back to Bangalore next month, it's getting pretty boring at home.

and before ending this, just know, I have quietly cut off the parts of self doubt and failure, so yea, it happened with me but only thing that kept me going was to work my ass off, and only look forward. that's just how you win, work your ass off. and never look behind.