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At first, I was really interested in the industry, but as an undergraduate, I couldn’t go straight to a master’s program, which made finding a job really hard. The chemistry field isn’t very friendly to undergrads, and the GPA requirements are pretty high. I realized I needed a master’s degree to have a shot, so I decided to switch to programming and stay in the U.S.
Although I knew switching careers would require learning a lot of new things, I felt confident in my logical thinking and didn’t worry too much. But in hindsight, I was a bit overconfident, and I ended up learning that lesson the hard way.
I started by learning programming through online materials. I learned basic Java and watched various pre-recorded courses, staying up late doing exercises. I thought I was doing well, so I started solving problems on platforms. However, I quickly realized that without following a structured course, it was really hard to solve problems on my own. Despite this, I pushed forward, analyzing problems and solutions.
When I started applying for jobs, I realized I had a major problem: just solving problems without understanding the underlying logic wasn’t going to get me far. I made this mistake in my first Microsoft interview. The questions were nothing like the problems I had practiced, and I couldn’t answer anything in the first round. The interviewer kept probing, and I couldn’t keep up.
That interview really made me doubt myself, and my confidence took a hit. For a few days, I couldn’t eat, and my friends couldn’t watch me go through this, so they recommended I try Drill Insight. At first, I hesitated because there were mixed reviews online—some people said it wasn’t trustworthy. But after trying other methods without success, I decided to give it a shot.
The reason I chose Drill Insight was because they’re based in North America, and I felt it would be more reliable than local programs. If something went wrong, I could communicate with them more easily. So, I took the plunge.
I signed up the next day, and the instructor was extremely responsible, closely following my progress. The course offered not just projects and algorithms but also full support along the way. They provided resume optimization, interview simulations, and behavioral interview training, plus they specifically trained for Microsoft interviews, which was exactly what I needed. About four months later, I felt I had made significant progress.
Two weeks later, they arranged a Microsoft interview for me, and I was able to successfully land an SDE offer. I’m incredibly grateful for their help—they were like a light during my darkest times. This experience also completely changed my perspective on these kinds of programs.
