From BTech EEE to SDE at Amazon | IIT P | How To Student Cracked Amazon Off Campus | Ft. Shiva Singh

Main Ideas, Concepts, and Lessons

Guest background & transition

• Shiva Singh is an SDE/software developer at Amazon and completed his B.Tech from IIT Patna.
• His academic background is Electrical and Electronics (EEE), not CS, so breaking into software required extra effort.
• In college, he initially did not focus specifically on placements. Over time, he shifted toward building skills—mainly DSA (Data Structures & Algorithms)—with some exposure to machine learning and web development.

How he got into Amazon

• He prepared and gained an Amazon internship, which later converted to a full-time role.
• He notes that IITs don’t restrict EEE students from applying to development companies; students can apply based on company eligibility, not a strict campus rule.

IIT placement season process (general + Amazon-specific)

Typical IIT placement season:

• Companies come during a set period (often described as December in the last two years).
• Students submit resumes → resumes are shortlisted → an OA (online assessment) link is shared → performance in the assessment → interview calls.
• Some companies add extra rounds (e.g., case studies) depending on the company type.

For Amazon intern role (as he described):

• One DSA-focused round with two DSA questions:
  • A sliding window question (medium difficulty)
  • A word ladder question (graph problem; “hard” but manageable with graph practice)
• His emphasis: if you’ve practiced DSA (e.g., sliding window + graphs), it’s manageable.

Intern/employee work style, ownership, and work-life

• Interns receive normal employee benefits (not special “intern-only” perks).
• A mentor is provided for guidance when stuck.
• Teams initially support you, but later:
  • You’re expected to take more ownership and handle tasks independently as you gain familiarity.
• Work culture (his experience):
  • The team felt chill, with no extreme load during the internship.
  • There’s flexibility (e.g., not strictly punch-based time restrictions; possible work-from-home in some cases).
• Overall message: work-life balance depends more on the team than the company.

Comparing Amazon with other top tech companies

• He doesn’t claim direct experience with all firms (e.g., Google/Microsoft/Apple), so he avoids strong comparisons.
• Still, he suggests a consistent pattern across top tech companies:
  • Team/people quality matters more than the brand name.

Student planning methodology (college timeline)

• First year: “Explore everything”
  • Try tech domains, extracurriculars, sports—find interests.
• Second year: build direction but keep optionality
  • If something doesn’t feel right, you can change tracks.
• Third year: be focused and consistent
  • Less experimentation; commit to what you’re aiming for.

Placement strategy for Tier-3 students (specifically Amazon):

• He argues tier-1 vs tier-3 matters less than fundamentals and skills.
• For Amazon specifically, he recommends:
  • Participate in Amazon hackathons (he mentions one hackathon that can lead to interview calls).
  • Use referrals if you are not shortlisted through normal channels.

How to get referrals on LinkedIn (explicit instruction-style guidance)

• Don’t send vague messages like “hi” and wait.
• If you want a referral, the first message must be information-dense, including:
  • Short self-introduction / summary
  • Exact job ID
  • Your email ID and phone number
  • Your resume
  • Your best project/experience in 2–3 lines
• Rationale:
  • The employee is busy and may not have time for long back-and-forth chat.
  • Give enough information so they can decide quickly.
• Professional etiquette:
  • Reply promptly; respect their time.
  • Avoid “creepy” or overly informal behavior.

JEE background routine & discipline

• He described adjusting from a Hindi-medium background to English instruction, initially using Hindi-to-English word mappings.
• He shared a high-intensity JEE prep schedule:
  • Early waking (~7:00–7:30)
  • Short morning study blocks
  • Day sessions + evening classes
  • Late-night studying until ~1–2 AM
  • Deleting distracting apps (Instagram, WhatsApp) and using Telegram only for notes/groups
• Preparation approach:
  • Long lecture watching
  • One-shot videos close to exams
  • Mock tests repeatedly (he estimates 60–70 mocks)
  • A “Marks App”-type approach: check solutions after attempting MCQs
• He admits he didn’t fully cover the syllabus early, then later “caught up” when time constraints became clear.

Regret & mindset

• During placements, he briefly regretted not getting CSE, but says he doesn’t regret now because he still achieved his goal.
• Advice about comparison:
  • Don’t compare your outcomes—your journey is different.
• Final mindset:
  • Believe in yourself and keep working.
  • Study consistently; he suggests 3–4 hours daily self-study for JEE/JEE aspirants (in addition to school/coaching, in his view).
  • Hard work over time compounds, and college clarity/peer pressure also helps drive progress.

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Methodology / Instruction Lists (Detailed)

A) Placement/Interview process (as described)

1. Submit resume during campus drive window
2. Resume shortlist
3. Receive OA (online assessment) link
4. Perform well in online assessment
5. Receive interview call
6. Some companies may add:
   • Case study rounds
   • Additional company-dependent rounds

B) Preparing for Amazon intern/placement (based on his experience)

• Focus on DSA
• Practice:
  • Sliding window patterns (medium difficulty)
  • Graph problems such as word ladder
• Expect DSA-style questions in the intern DSA round

C) College planning timeline (his suggested approach)

• First year
  • Explore tech + extracurriculars + sports
  • Try new domains to find interest
• Second year
  • Start working on chosen interest
  • Stay flexible; change if not working
• Third year
  • Commit; be more “straightforward” and focused
• (Implied) Beyond
  • Align efforts toward placement readiness by the final years

D) Tier-3 to Amazon strategy (skills + opportunities)

• Build fundamentals and DSA skills
• Participate in Amazon hackathons
• Seek referrals if not shortlisted normally
• Apply widely using:
  • Company career pages
  • Referral routes

E) LinkedIn referral request (step-by-step instructions)

• Prepare first message contents:
  • Short self-intro + summary of you
  • Exact job ID
  • Email + phone
  • Attach your resume
  • Include strongest projects/experience in 2–3 lines
• Send that all-in-one message (avoid “hi” only)
• Expect they will review at their convenience
• Be professional and timely
• Avoid informal/low-effort outreach that wastes their time

F) JEE preparation discipline (routine principles he followed)

• Remove distractions:
  • Delete major social apps (per his account)
• Use intense study blocks daily
• Watch lectures + one-shots strategically near exams
• Solve large volumes:
  • Many mock tests
  • Large number of practice questions (especially Chemistry per his estimate)
• Revise based on what you miss in mocks

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Speakers / Sources Featured

Speakers

• Shiva Singh (software developer at Amazon; IIT Patna B.Tech alumnus)
• Host / interviewer (unnamed in subtitles; conducting the podcast)

Sources mentioned (not direct speakers)

• Amazon
• Microsoft, Apple, Google (mentioned for comparison)
• LinkedIn (for referral strategy)
• JEE / JEE Mains & Advanced
• Unacademy (video lecture reference)
• NCERT (for inorganic/11th–12th revision near exam)
• CBSE / state board (his earlier study context)
• “Marks App” (practice/mock solving app described by him)
• Telegram (used for notes/groups)
• Instagram / WhatsApp (removed for distraction control)