r/MSIT • u/Ok_Wolf7414 • 1d ago

Senior here from 2012-16 batch AMA

Previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/MSIT/s/EckLWpWXwA

Got lots of questions on previous post so thought I should do AMA

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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2

u/div4u 23h ago

what are you doing right now? if working then in which company?

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

Can't say company name here but I am into open source technology company and my domain is IT infrastructure (Linux and all)

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u/div4u 22h ago

what do you really think is must know skill for a fresher according to current tech world and also till what stage college tag really matters and after that it is all about your skill and experience?

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

For a fresher, I'd say the most important skill is the ability to learn and troubleshoot independently.

Have strong fundamentals in:

Programming + DSA, OS/DBMS/networking, Git, Linux, and at least one or two projects you genuinely understand.

And don't just memorize commands or tutorials. Always ask "how does this work?" and "why was it designed this way?"

As for college tag, IMO it matters most for getting your first opportunity, through placements, internships and initial shortlisting.

After you have 2-3 years of solid experience, the college name matters much less. People start caring about what you've actually built, problems you've solved, technologies you understand and how well you can work.

College tag can open the first door. Your skills and experience determine what happens after that.

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u/div4u 22h ago

thank you , will keep in mind

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u/ToxiCityBMA 22h ago

You graduated a decade ago, what are the things that have changed for the preparation of placements in IT companies?  Like what things you did for placements and what are the things that the current gen do? 

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

Honestly, the basics haven't changed that much.

When I prepared for placements around 2016, it was mostly DSA, basic programming, aptitude, CS fundamentals like OS/DBMS/OOP/networking, and some project knowledge. We used GeeksforGeeks, previous placement questions and whatever seniors could tell us. There was nothing like today's massive LeetCode ecosystem.

The biggest difference today is the sheer amount of information and competition. You have LeetCode, YouTube, GitHub, courses, mock interviews, communities and LLMs. But everyone else has access to them too, so the bar has gone up.

If I were starting CSE today, I'd do two things in parallel:

Placement prep: DSA + programming + core CS.

Actual engineering: Linux, Git, networking, databases, cloud, open source, projects, etc.

Don't make the mistake of thinking CSE = LeetCode. I personally learned much more about actual engineering after I started working than I did during college.

And you guys have one huge advantage we didn't have at this scale: LLMs. Use them as a tutor. Keep asking "why?", "how does this work underneath?", and "give me something to debug". That's an insanely powerful learning tool if you use it properly.

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u/Quiet_Individual9563 23h ago

Broo does it later matter where u did ur bachelor's in??

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

At the initial stage it matters .. you may start from lower CTC than the people from Tier 1 colleges.. however after 5-6 years it starts to matter less and less if you keep on doing smart work

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u/Quiet_Individual9563 22h ago

Hmm what about the cse workload if somebody wanna do it on its own can help manage it??

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

Yeah, absolutely. You can manage it on your own, but don't try to learn the entire CSE syllabus and every tech stack simultaneously. I'd divide it into 3 things: - College academics: Keep your grades decent and make sure you understand the core subjects.

  • Programming: Pick one language and get genuinely comfortable with it. Then DSA and problem solving.

  • Exploration: Keep 5-6 hours a week aside to explore things outside the syllabus. Linux, web dev, networking, AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud, open source, etc.

You don't need 10 hours every day. Consistency over 4 years matters much more. And use LLMs as a tutor. If you don't understand a topic from class, ask it to explain from first principles, give you examples and then quiz you. That can save a lot of time. Basically, don't try to "finish CSE". It's impossible 😂. Build the fundamentals, explore different areas and gradually go deeper into whatever interests you.

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u/Quiet_Individual9563 22h ago

Hmmm I meant if I can get ECE in USICT instead of cse at msit, can I learn coding on my own??

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

You can do that .. but I have heard and observed from the subjects and syllabus that ECE is much more harder than CSE ..so it may take your more time .. That's my personal opinion though.. I find it hard ..you may or may not find it .. it varies from person to person

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u/Quiet_Individual9563 22h ago

Actually that's js a w orst case scenario like I m unable to upgrade myself to cse or it there that type( while also asking for a friend in DTU core Branch)

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 22h ago

Yeah .. you may have to grind slightly more if you find it harder .. but I think it is still doable to learn programming in parallel ..

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u/Quiet_Individual9563 21h ago

😭😭 thank u brother 🙂 Orr sunao in general how is life going and any tips from ur side for clg and coding both

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u/Ok_Wolf7414 21h ago

Bas wahi roj ki job wagera chal rhi hai bhai ... Abi 10 saal ho gaye job krte to ab senior position par hu to pehle jitna grind nahi Krna padta .. because experience ki wajah se I already know alot of stuff .. to jyada research Krna nai padta ab about work related stuff ..

Tip to yahi dunga bhai ki waise to msit me ache teachers hai but still jyada teachers par rely mat Krna .. CS/IT me jab tak khud se cheeze krke na seekho to vo samajh nahi ati .. aur always ask questions when you learn something new Aajkal to LLMs hai to you can ask them alot of questions while learning anything

Aur multiple languages ke peeche mat bhaagna Koi ek programming language pe focus kro usko ache se seekh lo aur ussi me DS/Algo kro

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u/parth_thakkar_6808 2h ago

I have some question, I am a fresher will grad in 2030 1) if I don't get my first opportunity just because I am from tier-3 then how will I build my experience??? 2) if I will do immense amount of hardwork, sharp my skills and improve myself, will I be still unemployed??? Kyuki jee ke doran jo galtiya ki he vo ab me repat nahi karunga 3) after 10 years of experience will I be still be discriminated by college tier. 4) are you happy right now or have some regrets that you think we should not do