From CodeChef to a Google Offer: An Honest Scaler Academy Review
I started competitive programming in my second semester at HBTI Kanpur. I began with CodeChef, moved to CodeForces in my third year, and eventually spent around three hours a day solving problems. I kept at it for about three and a half years, with breaks mainly during my end-semester exams.
By the time I was preparing for placements, I had solved more than 2,500 problems and had built most of my preparation around competitive programming.
It still wasn't enough to cover everything I needed.
My Google interview experience in India was quite different from the coding contests I was used to. But I did eventually get a Google offer after securing 51st rank in Google Kickstart Round G 2019, but one of the things that became clear to me along the way was that being good at competitive programming and being ready for software engineering are not exactly the same thing.
That was also the reason I joined Scaler Academy.
Three Hours a Day, Almost Every Day
When I started coding, my goal was simple: participate in as many competitions as I could and learn from them.
I started with CodeChef in my second semester, and in my third year, my brother introduced me to CodeForces. After that, most of my practice happened there.
There were no major breaks apart from my end-semester exams. I also didn't have a fixed target for how many problems I wanted to solve. I eventually crossed 2,500, but I don't think the number itself means much because everyone improves at a different pace.
For me, I just wanted to continue solving problems so that I could keep on learning something new.
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I was consistent, yes, but that wasn’t enough to get the results yet.
In my third year, I went through coding rounds and interviews at two or three companies and didn't get selected in any of them. It was demotivating after spending so much time coding, but quitting never really crossed my mind.
There were also a lot of people around me who were into competitive programming, so we would discuss problems together and compare how we approached them. Seeing someone sitting beside me, with access to the same resources, solve problems much better was actually motivating. Instead of feeling bad about it, I would try to understand what they were doing differently and learn from them.
That helped me stay with it even when the results weren't moving as quickly as I wanted.
What Happened After Google Kickstart
I didn’t really think about Google Kickstart until my third year, when I found out that one of my seniors had gotten into Google through it.
My Google Kickstart preparation wasn't very different from the competitive programming I was already doing. Kickstart had the same kind of algorithms, data structures, dynamic programming, and problem-solving that I was used to seeing on CodeChef and CodeForces.
In Round G of 2019, I secured 51st rank.
A few months later, Scaler Academy referred me to Google. Because of my Kickstart rank, I was able to skip the telephonic rounds and go directly to the on-site interviews.
Inside the Google Interview: Five Rounds
There were five rounds in total: four technical rounds and one Googleyness and Leadership round.
The technical rounds were followed by the hiring committee and then team matching. After going through all of that, I eventually received the Google offer.
The Googleyness and Leadership round was quite different from the technical interviews. It was more about how I handled situations with a team, dealt with problems, and approached leadership.
My experience outside competitive programming helped there. I had been a campus ambassador for InterviewBit and had headed teams during college fests, so I had already spent time working with different people and handling situations where things didn't always go according to plan.
Those experiences from college ended up being really helpful.
I Was Already Good at Competitive Programming. So Why Did I Join Scaler?
By the time I joined Scaler, I had already spent years doing competitive programming. Most of my preparation had been around algorithms and problem-solving, and I was familiar enough with DSA. But there were still quite a few things I hadn't worked with.
Linked lists, stacks, and queues weren't really part of competitive programming for me. I also hadn't worked much on system design, low-level design, high-level design, or development projects. These were completely new areas compared to the kind of problems I was used to solving.
That was a big part of what I worked on at Scaler. Anshuman sir taught system design, and Utkarsh sir and Nihal sir introduced me to DSA concepts and techniques that I hadn't come across before. The mock interviews were especially helpful. It gave me an idea of how to explain my approach in an interview and handle follow-up questions. The mentor sessions gave me more practice with that.
I’ll also never forget how system design classes had helped me. In one startup interview, I was asked to design a TinyURL system. The best thing was that we had already covered the problem in class, so I knew how to approach it. I could start with the basic design, think through the different parts, and continue the discussion with the interviewer instead of trying to figure out the whole approach for the first time.
Competitive programming had taught me a lot, and I still consider it a big part of my preparation. But it hadn't covered these areas. So, in the end, my decision to join Scaler was to explore and cover the areas that were difficult for me to tap into.
My Rule Was Simple: Don't Let Work Pile Up
During the first three months of the Academy, the focus was on data structures and algorithms. We had classes, TA sessions, and assignments.
My approach was to attend all the classes and finish the assignments on the same day.
If I was given 10 questions that day, I wanted to finish all 10 and tried not to carry them over to the next day. I didn't like having work pile up because once there is a backlog, it becomes harder to start again. Seeing a growing list of unfinished problems builds unnecessary pressure, and I didn’t want that.
I followed the same approach when I returned to the Academy after the development and hackathon phase. There were revision classes and mock interviews, and I still tried to finish whatever was assigned that day.
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When should I stop working on a problem and look at the solution?
I don't think there is one fixed amount of time for every problem. I usually look at the difficulty and give myself somewhere between 15 minutes and an hour.
If I've already reached the right approach and I'm only stuck on a few edge cases, I keep working on it. Because I feel coming up with the solution myself is always better than just reading the solution and moving on from it.
But if by any chance I take more than an hour and still don't have an idea about how to solve the problem, that's when I check the editorial. So that I get to know if there’s any concept or technique that I haven’t thought of.
Even then, I don't copy the solution. I read the editorial, understand the algorithm, close it, and try to code it myself. If I can't write the solution on my own, then it just means that I hadn't really understood it yet.
Turn Learning into Career Growth
How do you get back to coding after taking a break?
My breaks were mostly during end-of-semester exams, when I could go 10 or 15 days without coding. Getting back into the routine after that wasn't always easy.
I would start with just one hour the next day. Once I had done that, I'd do the same thing for another two or three days, and the rhythm would usually come back.
Is Competitive Programming Necessary for FAANG?
No. I don't think competitive programming is a necessity.
It improves your problem-solving ability and makes you better at DSA, so it can increase your chances. But you can develop those skills through interview preparation platforms and other forms of problem-solving too.
If you are a developer who likes to build projects, there is nothing wrong with focusing on development. Just make sure you also have a strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving.
Competitive programming is one way of building those skills, but not the only way.
How many problems should you solve?
I don't really have a number for that.
I have seen people become Candidate Masters after solving around 200 problems, and I've also seen people do it after solving 1,000. Everyone has a different pace of learning.
The number of problems isn't as important as what you're getting out of them. If a problem teaches you a new concept or makes you think differently, that's more useful than simply adding another solved question to the count.
My Honest Scaler Academy Review
The Academy had a clear structure, starting with classes and assignments and then moving into development, hackathons, revision, and interview preparation. There were mentor sessions and mock interviews along the way, so the preparation kept changing as the curriculum progressed.
The mentor sessions gave me a chance to discuss things I was struggling with, while the mock interviews helped me get more comfortable explaining my approach and handling follow-up questions.
The development and hackathon phase was another part of the programme, although I wasn't as active during that period because it overlapped with my college placements. Once that phase was over, the focus shifted back to revision and interview preparation.
The system design classes were also something I hadn't experienced before. Anshuman sir covered that part, while Utkarsh sir and Nihal sir helped with DSA concepts and techniques that were new to me.
For me, the Academy worked because there was always a defined next step, a class to attend, an assignment to finish, a mentor session, or an interview to prepare for. It gave the preparation a structure without taking away the problem-solving practice I was already doing.
So, I would recommend Scaler Academy for competitive programmers who already have a strong foundation in DSA but want to work on the areas they haven't explored yet. That was my experience with the program, and that's where I found the most value.
FAQs
How did Swapnil get an interview with Google?
Swapnil secured 51st rank in Google Kickstart Round G in 2019. Scaler Academy later referred him to Google, and his Kickstart rank allowed him to skip the telephonic rounds and go directly to the on-site interviews.
How many rounds did Swapnil have in the Google interview?
There were five rounds: four technical rounds and one Googleyness and Leadership round. After clearing the interviews, he went through the hiring committee and team-matching process.
What is the Googleyness and Leadership round?
It focuses on how candidates handle situations involving teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Swapnil's experience as an InterviewBit campus ambassador and as a team head during college fests helped him during this round.
What did Swapnil learn at Scaler Academy?
His preparation at Scaler included system design, low-level and high-level design, development, mock interviews, and DSA concepts he hadn't encountered before. He also worked with mentors throughout the programme.
Does Swapnil recommend competitive programming for beginners?
He recommends learning one programming language properly, starting with platforms such as CodeChef or CodeForces, and building projects alongside competitive programming. He suggests taking interview preparation more seriously from the third year.
If you want a more structured way to build your technical and interview skills, you can explore Scaler Academy.
