An annual pay package of Rs 1.22 cr with Amazon’s Dublin office, 21 year old Yohaan Vakil, B.Tech student 2016-2022 batch with SVKM’s NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering (MPSTME) has grabbed the dream job aspired by millions of engineering students worldwide. In an exclusive interview Yohaan talks about how his education has played a key role in getting the engineering post with the e-commerce major.
Question: You have bagged an international job placement with e-commerce giant Amazon, a feat only a few students in India have achieved in recent years. Who would you attribute this success to?
Yohaan – Other than my family, I owe a large part of my success to my institute MPSTME. It is critical to select the right college to realise one’s career and future goals. Taking up the computer engineering course at MPSTME has been one of the best decisions of my life. The education and soft skills I have received here arenot only relevant to the current industry requirements but are also of global standard.
Question: What makes studying at MPSTME appealing?
Yohaan – The courses are structured in a manner that is easy to follow and comprehend. Besides, the institute offers a lot of practical exposure through projects. This helps students to be innovative and at the same time makes our resume attractive. Also, the teachers and staff are focussed on ensuring that the students utilise the opportunities to the optimum level. So, overall students have a conducive academic environment that prepares them for all aspects of professional life.
Question: What is it like for young students such as yourself to face job interviews from big corporates? What have you learned in the process?
Yohaan – I have given multiple job interviews in the past year and I have observed that companies are essentially looking for candidates that havea deep and intuitive understanding on the core subjects. The companies also always test the problem-solving skills of the candidate. Every single interview round includes a coding question to test the problem-solving skills of a candidate. So one needs to be prepared for this. There is ample availability of practice problems on the Internet. There are also programming contests that help a candidate understand the company’s expectations. A company also keenly focuses on the candidate’s previous experiences to judge if they can fit into the team.
Question: What do you think helped you crack your interview with Amazon?
Yohaan – I simply made it a practiceto develop my soft skills. Of course, I also made it a point to grab every opportunity and learning experience offered by my institute and teachers so as to build a strong knowledge base.
Question: Who are your mentors in this journey? What role did they play?
Yohaan – Dr. Seema Shah, who is the head of the department for computer engineering at MPSTME, has been extremely supportive to me. She not only encourages us to achieve our full potentialbut also goes the extra mile to create opportunities for our progress.My fellow classmates have all helped me stay motivated and prepare for job placements.
Question: What career advice would you give to other students?
Yohaan – First, to sincerely follow the curriculum as it helps in developing knowledge for the required hard skills. One should never complain or give up and try to gain the best out of any opportunity. I have seen countless students make excuses and not take advantage of the massive opportunities that are available to them.
Question: What is the most important tip you would give to students who are planning to sit for job placements?
Yohaan – Make a fixed schedule for preparation for your job interviews. Be regular and be consistent in studying for it. Most significantly, practice on building skills required by the industry today.
