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Landing a job at a top-tier tech company can seem daunting, whether you are a recent grad, experienced in tech and looking to upgrade your job, or switching careers into tech — especially for jobs at top-tier companies. Luckily, Arvind Telharkar, a seasoned tech professional and mentor, is here to guide tech job hunters through this challenging process. With an avid LinkedIn following engaging with his free prep materials, Arvind’s personalized approach can make the difference in landing a dream tech job.
Arvind, with over five years of experience at Amazon, has interviewed many people for tech positions. He understands what makes candidates stand out in a crowded field of applicants. His goal is to share what he has learned to help aspiring techies land the job of their dreams. From the resume to the often intimidating coding and system design interviews, Arvind had practical and actionable advice.
Understand the unique demands of FAANG interviews
Arvind shares that interviews at leading tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (FAANG) are unlike any other. But no worries, the right preparation will help you stand out in a crowded job market
“The conventional, one-size-fits-all interview preparation methods just don’t cut it for FAANG interviews,” Arvind explains. “Every candidate is unique, and their preparation has to reflect that.”
His advice? Focus on personalized strategies rather than generic templates. This means understanding your strengths and weaknesses– then preparing accordingly.
Preparation starts with a strong resume
“Creating a good resume is where it all starts. Most often, resumes are scanned with AI to pick out the candidates with the right words. Without those words, candidates won’t even be considered,” Arvind notes.
He suggests keeping the resume to one page, using succinct phrases and short sentences.
He emphasizes, “Use bullet lists — no paragraphs or essays. Remember, space is at a premium on a resume.”
Include a section for technologies used in each job or project, as this allows recruiters (or AI technology) to spot your technical skills quickly.
“Companies want to understand your proficiencies at a glance,” Arvind adds.
Acing the coding interview
Arvind also offers practical advice for acing coding interviews. He stresses the importance of preparing a strong, concise introduction and being ready to discuss past projects in detail.
“Understand the given problem statement properly and ask clarifying questions about the problem, input/output format, constraints, and edge cases,” he advises.
During the coding phase, Arvind suggests discussing your approach first with the interviewer. This helps the interviewer understand the way that you think and helps build rapport.
System design interviews: A step-by-step approach
System design interviews are another critical component of the hiring process at top tech companies. Arvind recommends a structured approach:
- Understand the goal: Clarify ambiguities early in the interview. “Ask about the goal of the system, its use cases, inputs, and outputs,” Arvind advises.
- Establish the scope: “Don’t try to design everything—you will drown in ambiguity! Define all the features and components you think of in order of importance to the user, then confirm the features to focus on.”
- Design for the right scale: Discuss the volume of requests, data storage, and latency. “The same feature set requires a different approach for different scales,” Arvind explains.
- Start with building blocks: Cover the end-to-end interaction based on established goals. “Draw a high-level diagram first and then work with the interviewer to focus on specific components in further detail.”
- Discuss tradeoffs: Every decision involves a tradeoff. “Discuss the pros and cons of different approaches. This shows the interviewer that you’re practical and open to feedback.”
Navigating obstacles and staying motivated
Rejections are part of the process, Arvind believes, “The key is to learn from each experience and keep pushing forward. Patience and persistence are crucial.”
The path forward
Looking ahead, Arvind aims to expand his career consultation and reach more aspiring tech leaders globally. His goal is to establish a network of successful mentees who can mentor others, creating a ripple effect of knowledge and support in the tech community.
For aspiring engineers looking to break into top tech companies, Arvind Telharkar’s expertise and personalized approach offer guidance. For more tips and insight, follow Arvind on LinkedIn.
