Shravan

My Interview Experience

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Shravan
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3 min read

I’ve attended multiple Interviews: Lessons Learned and Tips to Ace Them
By Shravan (He/Him), Full-Stack Developer & AI Enthusiast

Table of Contents

  1. About Me

  2. The Genesis of My Interview Approach

  3. Finding Motivation

  4. What they Look for During Interviews

  5. Conclusion

About Me

Hi there! I’m Shravan—an AI enthusiast, Full-Stack Developer (Python, Next.js), and a soon-to-be graduate specializing in AI and ML at M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology. I love taking ideas from concept to code, as seen in my projects like NoteRep (which garnered 70,000+ views), an AI-powered meal planner, and even a fun puzzle game called Enigma Escape. My background includes an ML internship at Spritle Software, and I serve as Vice President at E-Cell Ramaiah—so yes, I keep busy!

If you’re a recruiter, feel free to connect with me. I’m actively exploring opportunities where I can leverage my AI and full-stack skills to build next-gen applications.

The Genesis of My Interview Approach

Over the past couple of months, I’ve interviewed across various roles—backend, ML, and full-stack. My fascination with AI (and my time spent tinkering with LLMs and generative models) has taught me the value of going beyond surface-level knowledge. What better way to test that in an interview than by starting with something super simple—like the “Two Sum” problem?

But wait, why such an easy question?

Because it reveals a lot about how people think, how they explain their approaches, and whether they truly grasp the building blocks of programming (like arrays, maps, or even a quick brute-force solution). I’m not there to judge if someone memorized an algorithm from LeetCode; I just want to see clear, confident reasoning that could extend to real-world scenarios.

Finding Motivation

In my personal projects, I’ve noticed that a strong grasp of fundamentals—data structures, JavaScript event loops, memory management—often leads to more efficient, scalable solutions. For instance, building NoteRep (a platform for sharing notes and study materials) or developing an AI Meal Planner forced me to optimize back-end queries and front-end logic. This same principle carries over to team-based software projects and, of course, the hiring process.

When a candidate claims they only know React JS but can’t break down a simple JavaScript concurrency issue, I see a big red flag. The best developers, in my experience, are those who combine framework expertise with a solid command of the language’s core fundamentals.

What they look for During Interviews

  1. Core Data Structures & Algorithms

    • They are not expecting anyone to solve advanced dynamic programming questions on the fly, but if you can’t comfortably do a Two Sum or talk about arrays and hash maps, it’s concerning.

  2. Real Understanding of Projects

    • If you mention a fancy project on your resume—whether it’s an AI-based app or a simple CRUD system—know it inside out. It’s easy to tell when someone is bluffing about their involvement.

  3. Event Loop & Language Internals

    • For front-end or Node.js roles, They often ask about the event loop. If you built a Next.js or React app, you should be able to explain how asynchronous tasks are handled or how fetch promises work.

  4. Curiosity & Learning Mindset

    • A big part they look out is candidate’s thought process. You don’t have to know everything; just be honest, curious, and open to learning.

Conclusion

The interview process shouldn’t be about trick questions or memorizing obscure algorithms. It’s about testing real-world problem-solving, communication (can’t emphasise enough), and foundational knowledge. If you’re a fellow developer preparing for SDE interviews, get comfortable with basic data structures, understand your own projects deeply, and don’t shy away from discussing how you learn and adapt.

I hope these insights help you in your next interview. If you’d like to chat more about my journey in AI and tech—or just want to say hi—feel free to reach out. Together, let’s keep building awesome stuff and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible!

Thanks for reading. Happy coding!

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