Why I Said No to Microsoft, My Dream Company | Scaler Review
Every engineer I know has a dream-company list. Mine wasn't very different, and Microsoft had always been near the top.
So when I eventually turned down an offer from Microsoft, it surprised almost everyone around me.
Now that I see it, I don't think that decision was about choosing one company over another. It was the result of everything I had learned, experienced, and understood about the kind of career I wanted to build.
To explain that decision, I have to start much earlier.
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When I was in college, interview preparation had already become a part of my routine.
I used to solve problems on InterviewBit whenever I had time, hoping that one day it would help me land a role at one of the companies I admired.
Around the same time, InterviewBit Academy (now Scaler) was launched. I applied as soon as applications opened but couldn’t make it.
On the other hand, one of my close friends did.
At the time, it felt disappointing, but I didn't think much of it as I was focusing on finishing my degree, and eventually, I accepted the campus placement my college had offered.
A few months later, I saw that same friend receive multiple offers from product companies. Many of them were companies I had always dreamed of working for.
That is when I started to think about what’s really missing.
Realizing What I Was Missing
While I was working at TCS, the more I learned about product companies, the more I realized how important strong computer science fundamentals really were.
- Data Structures and Algorithms.
- Operating Systems.
- Design Patterns.
These were topics I hadn't explored in enough depth during college, and I wasn't getting many opportunities to build those skills in my day-to-day work either.
I understood that ignoring these things wouldn’t work and if I wanted to work at bigger companies, I couldn't just hope for an opportunity.
I had to become a better engineer first.
And that realization brought me back to Scaler.
I had applied once before and wasn't selected, but this time, I cleared the entrance test and joined with a much clearer purpose than I had the first time.
Building the Skills I Was Missing
Joining Scaler gave me a more structured way to learn.
I knew the journey wouldn't be easy.
For the next nine months, I built a routine around learning. I spent nearly 3 hours every day attending classes, revising concepts, and solving problems. On days without lectures, I continued practicing to keep the momentum going.
The curriculum was extensive, and I had realized that attending classes alone wouldn't be enough. I solved coding problems every single day for 150 days outside my classes. The routine was demanding, but over time I could feel the difference in my preparation.
While I was still learning, I continued giving interviews alongside my preparation. And then it was time!
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Adobe1200+ moreChoosing Growth Over a Dream
Towards the end of the program, something happened that I had spent years working towards.
I received offers from both Microsoft and Slice.
For a long time, I had imagined what it would feel like to receive an offer from Microsoft. It had always been one of the companies I wanted to work for, so finally reaching that point felt incredibly rewarding.
But this time, I looked at the decision differently.
Microsoft was a dream.
But joining Slice felt like the right thing to do.
It was a fast-growing company, the work excited me, and I felt it aligned better with the kind of growth I wanted at that stage of my career.
Even then, it wasn't an easy decision.
I reached out to my mentors at Scaler, and during that process, I had the opportunity to speak with Abhimanyu Saxena. We spoke about my journey, my long-term goals, and what I wanted from my career beyond my first product-company role.
That conversation changed the way I looked at the decision.
Instead of asking myself, "Which company has the bigger name?" I started asking, "Which opportunity will help me grow the most?"
And ultimately, I went forward with Slice.
It felt unreal to turn down an offer from a company I had dreamed about for so many years. At the same time, it was also empowering to realize that my priorities had changed. I wasn't choosing based on the company name anymore, I was choosing the opportunity that I believed would help me grow the most.
saying "no" to Microsoft wasn't about walking away from a dream.
It was about taking the right step for me and my future.
What Really Changed
I don't think the biggest outcome of my journey was getting an offer from Microsoft or choosing Slice.
It was reaching a point where I finally had a choice.
For the first time in my career, I had the confidence to evaluate multiple opportunities, think about where I wanted to grow, and choose the path that made the most sense for me. That ability to choose felt like a much bigger milestone than receiving any single offer.
And this is what changed the way I looked at my career.
Today, I work as a Senior Software Engineer at Provenir, where I manage a team of engineers and work with clients across Australia, the US, and the UK. Looking back at where I started from a Tier-3 college and my first job at TCS, that journey still feels surreal at times.
When people ask me what difference Scaler made, my answer is always the same.
It didn't replace the hard work.
It gave me the structure, mentorship, and direction to make that hard work count.
Looking back, I often think about how a single conversation or one piece of timely advice can change the course of your career in ways you don't immediately realize. For me, choosing Slice over Microsoft became one of those moments. It reminded me that while hard work gets you opportunities, the right guidance can help you make the most of them.
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FAQs
Q1. Do Scaler alumni get offers from companies like Microsoft?
Yes. This scaler success story is one example of a Scaler learner who received offers from both Microsoft and Slice, before choosing the opportunity that best aligned with his long-term career goals. While every learner's journey is unique, many Scaler alumni have gone on to receive offers from leading product and FAANG-tier companies. You can check ther journey out at Scaler Reviews: Engineers Who Cracked FAANG With 3X Hikes
Check out this audited career report for more information.
