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Rooftop Slushie is a global network of 
verified professionals who give career 
advice on how to join the world's most 
prestigious companies. Top tech 
professionals who offer assistance on our 
platform are currently working for 
companies such as Google, Facebook, 
Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and more. 
 
www.rooftopslushie.com 
 
 
All rights reserved. This guide may not be 
reproduced or used in any manner 
whatsoever without our express 
permission except for the use of brief 
quotations in a book review or blogs.  

© Rooftop Slushie.
 
   
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 2 
 
INTERVIEWS  
 
Nebz 3 
Facebook 
 
AppleGuru 7 
Apple 
 
Semchyshyn 10 
Amazon 
 
days 14 
Google 
 
help 17  
Linkedin 
 
KEyv31 20 
Twitter 
 

 
   
INTRODUCTION 
 
After countless hours of discussing with professionals from top tier companies, we 
learned that regardless of salary and seniority, most people want to help the incoming 
generation with their career development.  
 
We came to the conclusion that if we could connect people with the professionals 
who have the right information and experience, it could give more opportunities to 
people everywhere and allow them to make better career choices. 
 
The inspiration behind this handbook came from our personal experience graduating 
from a small university and having to overcome the initial obstacles when looking for 
the first job. We didn't have the resources available to us which could normally be 
found in highly concentrated areas like the Bay Area in San Francisco.  
 
Our goal here at Rooftop Slushie is to bring transparency to the hiring process and 
create a level playing field for all candidates. We want to solve the problems created 
by geographical barriers to entry and the lack of access to career mentorship for job 
seekers everywhere.  
 
We hope that this handbook provides insights that assist you in your job search, help 
you prepare for your job interviews, and negotiate your salary effectively. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Rooftop Slushie   


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​ Nebz 
Product Marketing Manager at Facebook 
 
Bio:  
I'm currently a Product Marketing Manager in Facebook, with approximately 2 years 
experience in tech and 8 years experience in the banking industry, working mainly as a 
derivatives trader and in investment banking (UBS, Macquarie Bank, Morgan Stanley). I 
am using Rooftop Slushie is because I enjoy helping others and providing advice to 
those who want to make a career shift. 
 
Ask Nebz a question at h​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/Nebz-Facebook 
 
   


Rooftop Slushie:​ What was your experience like looking for your first job? What 
were the obstacles? 
 
Nebz:​ Looking for my first job requires a lot of persistence and applications. My first 
role was in the financial services sector (Deloitte) and I had applied to 15-20 
institutions in total, ranging from top tier (Goldman Sachs for example) to lower tiered 
places (Grant Thorton). The first job is not a career definer but can give you a good 
head start to where you want to go next. Going to a lower tier place (as long as there is 
some international recognition) is not necessarily bad, and in most cases like myself, 
there is plenty of time to shift and change roles. I started out in accounting/finance 
and moved to front-office (Trading and Investment Banking) before shifting to 
management roles (Project Manager) and into tech - a shift in not just function, but 
industry. There were always obstacles in the way, and sometimes it's a matter of 
being at the right place at the right time and setting yourself up for when the 
opportunity comes. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Do you think a college degree from a big school is necessary? 
What made you decide to pursue MBA? 
 
Nebz:​ A big school isn't necessary, but it certainly helps - it gives you the exposure to 
the big players and would catch the eye of HR. However, most places in tech aren't 
just looking for schools, the degree and type of projects and work you were doing 
matters most. My college degree (Commerce, major in Finance and Accounting) I 
think was very important in setting the foundation for myself both personally and for 
my roles in banking/finance. However, it became less relevant as I moved to tech, 
though it helped. The reason for my entry into tech was from my project management 
experience in London - despite being in a bank as well as the MBA. 
 
I decided to pursue an MBA as I wanted to transition to a different function and 
industry. Such a large shift would be difficult given my extensive background in 
banking, and it would not have been possible without sacrificing a high-paying front 
office role to move into project management to acquire skills that would be useful in 
tech. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your transition from another industry to tech? 
 
Nebz:​ I moved from a banking/financial industry to tech. I moved from a front-office 
banking role focusing on specific derivative products and company valuations, to a 
more generalised role in project management to become more useful as a candidate 
for the tech industry. That was strengthened by studying an MBA in a top-tier school 
to attract and bring attention to how serious I was looking to transition from Banking 
to Tech. 


 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you prepare for interviews? Did you have anyone you 
could reach out to? 
 
Nebz:​ Preparation was mainly through my previous experience interviewing. By the 
time I interviewed with tech - it was a matter of honing my interest for why tech, why 
that team, why this role etc. I was thoroughly preparing my work experiences and 
demonstrating what skills I had acquired in each role and why I had left each role. 
Preparing for interviews for Facebook was especially tough, since the interviews are 
generally back-to-back, and so fatigue sets in. Other tech companies that were equally 
as tough and structured were Amazon, Apple and Google - though Google and 
Facebook tended to be the most relaxed regarding their style of interview. 
 
I did not have alumni/networks that helped me prepare for an interview besides 
Amazon. We had hiring managers and HR come into our business school and run 
case study/interview preparation session to ensure we were thoroughly prepared for 
the interviews. This really allowed me to structure and tailor my answers to their 
benefit - and this structure was the basis of how I prepared for Apple and Facebook. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is it like to work at Facebook? What's special about working 
there? 
 
Nebz:​ Facebook is a very open place to learn and although the work is intense at 
times, it does allow for significant work-life balance if you are able to know how to 
manage your time and commitments. The work we do has significant impact, since 
the area I work in affects all advertisers on the platform. The scale of the work can 
often be overwhelming and we're always under-resourced, but that builds on the 
'start-uppy' way of how some teams operate. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is required to succeed in your role? Is there a specific 
personality trait that plays as a strength? Did you have experience that helped you 
succeed in your position? 
 
Nebz:​ Being proactive and not being satisfied with just the status-quo. There is a lot of 
impact and work to do - it is a matter of balancing what problem to tackle first, and at 
times this can cause conflicts between people and between the team. Most important 
thing when finding these roles is team chemistry and getting comfortable with the 
people you work with - if there is not a fit, no matter what company and role you are in, 
you will not be satisfied. 
 
What was a strength is the ability to adapt very quickly to situations and to always be 
flexible and versatile across different problems/solutions. Tech is constantly picking 


up and dropping products and projects, hence this resilience and openness to change 
is a must. 
 
I came into the role with no experience in tech or in marketing. This meant I had to 
learn very quickly in order to ramp up. Facebook provides a lot of time for you to learn 
and fit into the role, however, after the initial ramp up - there are expectations with the 
role and impact you will generate during your time. 
 
 
Need more information?  
Ask Nebz at h ​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/Nebz-Facebook   


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​ AppleGuru 
Hardware Engineer at Apple 
 
Bio: 
Hi, I’m currently a hardware engineer at Apple and a volunteer (technical screener) on 
the recruiting team. I come from the automotive industry and have previously worked 
for Tesla, Ford, and General Motors before relocating to the Bay. Before accepting my 
current position at Apple, I had on-site interviews at Google and Facebook, and 
received offers from Lockheed, Boeing, and Amazon. I offer not only my depth of 
technical knowledge but also behavioral advice regarding the unique intricacies of 
each of the aforementioned company’s recruiting systems. Ask me anything! 
 
Ask AppleGuru a question at h ​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/AppleGuru   


 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your experience like looking for your first job? 
 
AppleGuru:​ Excruciating. The amount of time and resources it takes to apply, 
interview, and negotiate job offers in the US still surprises me to this day. When I first 
started applying to jobs in my area, I spent hours upon hours at night applying online 
through the black hole that was a company's job portal. During the day, it would be 
trying to cold email and cold call recruiters. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Do you think a college degree from a big school is necessary? 
How important was your college degree for you? 
 
AppleGuru: Y ​ es and No. 
 
A college degree is absolutely necessary for top tier companies to notice you. Apple 
and other FAANG companies won't even consider you unless you have this golden 
ticket. 
 
A college degree is not necessary for you to perform your day to day roles though. In 
terms of actually learning content, I believe community colleges actually have better 
teaching staff and experience than most of my professors in Uni. To be quite honest, a 
skilled high schooler could probably do most of the jobs out there. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you prepare for interviews? Was there you did especially 
that helped you in your interviews? 
 
AppleGuru: P ​ ractice makes perfect. Actually, if you really like a company or team, you 
should try not to interview there first. I understand that not everyone has the time to 
do this, but it helps to get interviews and use the experience you gain from your tier 2 
or 3 companies interviews first before confirming your interviews at your dream 
company. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Were you only practicing technical questions? behavioral 
questions? If so, was there a way you prepared your answers? 
 
AppleGuru: I​ would initially practice with friends and family. I practiced mainly 
behavioral questions because I thought I had a very solid technical foundation. STAR 
(situation task action result) is overused but a solid skeleton on how I prepared my 
answers. I think I was very fortunate to have received several interview requests early 
during my job search. I’m not sure how applicable this advice is to others but I used 
those interviews to help practice and prepare for later interviews at the companies I 
preferred. 


 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Is there anything you would do differently if you had to do it again? 
Did you have any outside help like alumni network or personal contact? 
 
AppleGuru: I​ f I were looking for my first job all over again, I definitely would have tried 
to reach out to my alumni network more, especially for a referral. I did not have any 
personal contacts or friends/family that could help me. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is it like to work at Apple? What has your experience been 
like? What's special about working for your company? 
 
AppleGuru: O ​ verall, I think Apple has been a great experience. During my first few 
years, I have learned a lot and I really like interacting with my team. What I've come to 
realize though is that your mileage will vary and there are good teams and bad teams 
out there. 
 
There's a fundamental satisfaction that something I helped design is being 
mass-produced in millions of devices. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is required to succeed in this role? Is there a specific 
personality trait that was a strength? 
 
AppleGuru: S ​ oft skills like communication, team leadership, and presentations are 
key. Apple was made for extroverted people who like to talk a lot. Most teams work 
cross-functionally with many other different teams and being able to leverage 
relationships is critical. This is team dependent but for hardware, time management is 
important. The sheer amount of work you are expected to accomplish often times 
causes you to work 70 hour work weeks including weekends. 
 
 
 
Need more information?  
Ask AppleGuru at h ​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/AppleGuru 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​ Semchyshyn 
Software Development Engineer at Amazon 
 
Bio: 
Accomplished software engineer passionate about building scalable and robust 
distributed systems. More than ten years of experience helping industry leaders solve 
hard problems in the domains of cloud software, satellite imagery, online advertising, 
fulfillment optimization, computer vision, and business intelligence. Strong algorithmic 
skills, background in scientific research and competitive programming. 
 
Ask Semchyshyn a question at ​https://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/semchyshyn 
 
   

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Rooftop Slushie: ​Please tell us a little bit about yourself.  
 
Semchyshyn: I​ 'm an experienced Software Engineer with about 12 years of 
experience. Currently working for Amazon Web Services (AWS), have previously 
worked for Google and a couple of smaller companies outside of the United States. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your experience like looking for your first job? 
 
Semchyshyn: I​ started my first job while still attending a full-time Masters program at 
my university. It was a software development position at a small start-up company 
building software for visualizing business intelligence data. The Founder and CEO 
found me through local competitive programming events (I used to be a regular and 
successful contestant at local events, such as IOI, ACM ICPC, etc.). 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Do you think a college degree from a big school is necessary? 
How important was your college degree for you? Do you think a bootcamp is 
enough to join FAANG? 
 
Semchyshyn: I​ think it usually is worth it. 
 
In my particular case, having Ph.D. in computer science helped me tremendously while 
going through the United States immigration process. It also might have helped me 
land a senior software engineering position at Google with less job experience than 
many other applicants. 
 
I am very skeptical about bootcamps. I do a lot of interviewing these days, and most 
candidates who are coming from bootcamps have some basic coding skills, but also 
have some terrifyingly huge gaps in all areas of computer science fundamentals: 
algorithms, data structures, computer architecture, asymptotic analysis, discrete math 
(graphs, sets, combinatorics), probabilities, base-n concepts, etc. Going through a 
bootcamp might in some cases be enough to land an entry-level position at a large 
company, but I would never recommend it as the first step of a successful software 
engineering career. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you prepare for interviews? Was there you did especially 
that helped you in your interviews? 
 
Semchyshyn: I​ usually prepare by reading, solving problems, and practicing answering 
questions. 
 
The books I recommend are: 
* "The Google Resume" by Gayle Laakmann McDowell (1st edition), 

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* "Cracking the Coding Interview" by Gayle Laakmann McDowell (6th edition), 
* "Programming Interviews Exposed" by John Mongan, Noah Suojanen (3rd edition), 
* "Elements of Programming Interviews" by Adnan Aziz, Tsung-Hsien Lee, and Amit 
Prakash (2nd edition), and 
* "System Design Primer" by Donne Martin. 
 
Online resources for problem solving I would recommend are: 
* LeetCode.com and 
* HackerRank.com. 
 
Online resources for finding questions to practice I recommend are: 
* CareerCup.com and 
* GlassDoor.com. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is it like to work at Amazon? Is there anything special about 
working for your company? 
 
Semchyshyn: E ​ xtremely good total compensation package for the location I'm based 
in. One of the benefits is extremely competitive compensation package, if compared 
to other companies in my location (not on either of U.S. coasts). Another benefit would 
be somewhat higher velocity and lower bureaucracy, compared to other large 
multinational companies. I should also mention lower bar to entry, compared to all 
other FAANG companies. 
 
I can only speak regarding the organization I'm currently in, other people might have 
drastically different experience in other parts of Amazon/AWS. In general, it is a bit 
more stressful and competitive working environment compared to many other 
companies. Work-life balance is average for the company of this size. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is required to succeed in a SDE role? Is there a specific 
personality trait that was a strength? Did you have experience that helped you 
succeed in your position? 
 
Semchyshyn: I​ wish the answer was as simple as having solid computer 
programming skills, relevant work experience, as well as good understanding of 
software engineering and computer science. 
 
Unfortunately, in order to become really successful and reach the higher levels of the 
ladder, one will also need extremely strong political skills, and a fair amount of luck 
too… 
 

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My two personal traits I am most fond of are forethought and persistence. 
Forethought allows me to always have a personal plan (and backup plans) to follow, 
and persistence enables me to actually follow the plan and achieve the desired results 
(eventually). I don't think the importance of these two traits is in any way specific to 
software engineering, though. 
 
 
Need more information? 
Ask Semchyshyn at h ​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/semchyshyn   

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​ days 
Software Engineer at Google 
 
Bio: 
I studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto for my 
undergrad, and studied Computer Science at Stanford University for my masters. I am 
currently working at Google as a Software Engineer and have lots of connections at 
large companies (Facebook, Microsoft, etc). I have interned at Google and Facebook 
three times, and I received 9 full-time offers when I graduated from Stanford. I 
specialized in Computer Systems in school, but currently I'm mostly working on 
frontend at work, including web and mobile development. I'm also currently an 
Interviewer at Google. 
 
Ask days a question at ​https://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/googler 
 
   

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Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your experience like looking for your first job? 
 
days: W ​ hen I graduated from Stanford University, I got 9 full-time offers mostly from 
large companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and some smaller companies like 
Houzz and Nutanix. Since I'm from Stanford and had three internships from Google 
and Facebook, it was relatively easy for me to get job interviews, I could probably get 
50+ interviews if I really wanted to. I ended up doing 12 onsite interviews. Overall it's a 
very smooth process but I was also very very tired since I was doing onsite interviews 
very intensely over 2 months. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Do you think a college degree from a big school is necessary? 
How important was your college degree for you? 
 
days: I​ t's not necessary, but without it it's just much harder. Companies have targeted 
schools, and they have a set amount of people they want to hire from each of these 
targeted schools. So if you are in those targeted schools, it's just much easier for you 
to get interviews from those companies. That said, I think being in a good school just 
gives you the ticket to an interview, you will still have to pass the interview yourselves. 
My college degree is definitely very important to me, but eventually it's my master 
degree at Stanford helped me out the most in terms of job searching. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you prepare for interviews? Was there anything you did 
especially that helped you in your interviews? Did you have anyone you could reach 
out to? 
 
days: I​ did about 200 questions on Leetcode, which is normally not very much. I did 
some mock interviews with friends and school hosted sessions, and I also started 
interviewing some companies earlier to practice my interview skills. I think I've learned 
a lot from real interviews, which not everyone has a chance to do so, because I can 
easily get a lot of interviews but that's not true for everyone. Stanford also has 
abundant resources which I have access to. We have a great career fair and network, 
and lots of exclusive access to company events. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is it like to work at Google? Is there anything special about 
working for your company? What type of person might be a good fit at Google? 
 
days: G ​ oogle is great, has good work-life balance, good benefits, friendly work 
environment, the best infrastructure in the world, etc. There's really not much to 
complain about Google, except those big-company problems. However, I still think 
Google is the best of all the big companies. So if you are looking to get into a big 
company, Google is your best choice. It's also good for someone who would like to 

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apply for a green card ASAP as Google allows starting the green card process on the 
first day. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is required to succeed as a Software Engineer? Is there a 
specific personality trait that was a strength? Did you have experience that helped 
you succeed in your position? 
 
days: I​ think for any work there are three aspects that are important: are you good at it, 
do you like it, and is there enough demand in the field. Software Engineers definitely 
are in high demand right now, so the questions remain: are you good at it and if you 
like it. I would say you need at least one of these two to succeed, hopefully you have 
both. As for personality, I think the most important thing is to be persistent with what 
you want, and don't give up easily. I always strive towards my goals and never give up. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​If you had to give advice to someone who doesn't have a stellar 
background, what are some ways they can fill that gap? What can they do to 
impress their interviewers? 
 
days: I​ think the hardest part is getting interviews and that's what my background has 
helped me the most. Once you get the interview, as long as you perform well enough 
in the technical interview, your background is not as big a problem. As for getting 
interviews, the best way is by getting referred by someone within the company. 
 
 
Need more information? 
Ask days at h ​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/googler   

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​ help 
Account Manager at Linkedin 
 
Bio: 
IT professional with 10+ years experience in product management, project 
management, team management (Director level) at SaaS startups and now LinkedIn. I 
am passionate about helping people with their resumes, coaching in preparation of 
interviews, and career development that takes individuals to the next level. I also have 
a side business doing resume consulting (coaching/reviewing/writing). 
 
Ask help a question at ​https://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/help   

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Rooftop Slushie: ​Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your professional 
background. Why are using Rooftop Slushie? 
 
help: ​I currently work at LinkedIn where I partner with enterprise clients to help enable 
them to be successful with LinkedIn's tools and products. I came to the organization 
with over a decade of experience working in product roles, project management roles, 
and as the director of professional services (helping enterprise customers within the 
beauty and wellness industry). Most of my experience has been within the software 
space (web applications and SaaS products) but I also spent time in 
operations/consulting. 
 
I use Rooftop Slushie because I believe that the tech world shouldn't be a blackbox 
that only the privileged have access to peer into. I wouldn't have gotten my role at 
LinkedIn without a bit of help and so this is my way of paying it forward. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your experience like looking for your first job? 
 
help: ​Coming out of college during the Great Recession made job hunting challenging. 
Making matters worse, my degree was a double major in Political Science and English 
(not exactly "in demand" skills). However, what I had going for myself was a strong 
network, a knack for user experience, and the ability to communicate effectively. I 
landed a role developing products for a boutique software company with clients in the 
real estate, medical, and social spaces. My willingness to work all hours with clients 3 
hours outside of my timezone and developers 10 hours out of my timezone ensured 
that I would continue to be part of incredible projects that were way outside of my 
wheelhouse. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Do you think a college degree from a big school is necessary? 
How important was your college degree for you? 
 
help: ​My college degree is almost entirely useless when compared to the skills 
required for the roles that I have been lucky enough to land. My ability to communicate 
and problem solve for customers have been the skills that have helped me the most in 
my career trajectory. To elaborate further, I went to a small liberal arts school with a 
reputation for granting degrees in education and historic preservation, not exactly a 
boon in the tech world. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you prepare for interviews? Was there anything you did 
especially that helped you in your interviews? Did you have anyone you could reach 
out to (e.g. alumni, friends, personal network)? 
 

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help: ​When joining my most recent company (LinkedIn) I leveraged my contacts on 
the inside to help me understand the product, language, and expectations of the role. I 
worked with friends and family to practice my interviewing and presenting. Without 
inside knowledge or preparations I'm not sure that I would have had the same chance 
to get hired. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you come to work as a PM? Did you have a technical 
background to transition into a PM role? 
 
help: ​My work as a product manager and as a project manager was entirely based on 
my friendly demeanor, ability to communicate, and knowledge of the tech space. 
When I was working as a product manager it was all about understanding my client 
needs and translating those to a technical development team. When I was working as 
a project manager it was all about understanding my company's technical needs and 
translating those to vendors and delivery teams. My background was as a problem 
solver, able to break down complex issues for any audience and get the work done. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is it like to work at LinkedIn? Is there anything special about 
working for your company? 
 
help: ​Working at LinkedIn is incredible. I have the pleasure of doing some of the best 
work of my career alongside some of the brightest individuals that I have ever met. 
Likewise, the clients I get to help (in my consultative role) are genuinely happy with the 
solution we are providing and eager to have conversations with me to learn more. 
 
LinkedIn's mission, values, and culture make for an incredible atmosphere; having 
great products and incredible client interactions is icing on the cake. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is required to succeed in this role? Is there a specific 
personality trait that was a strength? Did you have experience that helped you 
succeed in your position? 
 
help: ​My consultative background was incredibly important when being hired. I had 
worked with enterprise clients and understood how to have conversations with 
Directors, VPs and CxO level individuals. That experience directly translates to my 
day-to-day role and responsibilities. Without my past experience I would not have the 
same ability to succeed with the specific clients work that I perform. 
 
 
Need more information? 
Ask help at ​https://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/help 
 

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​ KEyv31 
Software Engineer at Twitter 
 
Bio: 
I am currently a Software Engineer in Big Data at Twitter Data Science team. I have 
several years of experience in the whole tech stack from UI to databases, and data 
engineering to machine learning. I have worked in different companies including 
Google, Amazon and a startup. I can advise on general career development and also 
about interview process at various companies 
 
Ask KEyv31 a question at ​https://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/coder   

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Rooftop Slushie: ​Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your career 
progression. What led you to give advice on Rooftop Slushie? 
 
KEyv31: I​ graduated with a degree in Computer Science in India and started my career 
as an SDE at Amazon India. I had done internships at Google and Amazon before 
starting my first job. After working for a couple of years, I went for a Masters. I joined a 
very early stage startup and worked there for two years before joining Twitter in my 
current role. 
 
I am on Rooftop Slushie because I enjoy helping others and giving advice. I also enjoy 
mentoring people and providing feedback. I believe that with the right information and 
targeted preparation, everyone has a good chance of landing a good job. I have about 
4 years of full time work experience, more than a years worth of internships and 2-3 
years of part time work experience during studies. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your experience like looking for your first job? 
 
KEyv31: I​ t was quite easy for me to find my first job, since it was managed through 
my university. Especially, after the internship at Amazon, I was asked to continue as a 
full time employee. Having a good internship is definitely one of the most important 
things for a good first job. After my Masters, I had to contact a lot of companies and 
jump through several hoops of permit restrictions in Europe. That experience was very 
long and exhausting. If I had someone to guide me at that stage, it would have 
definitely helped a lot. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​Do you think a college degree from a big school is necessary? 
How important was your college degree for you? 
 
KEyv31: A ​ college degree from a big school might get you through resume 
shortlisting, but everything afterwards depends on the person. Even with a good 
college degree but not a strong profile, it is hard to get calls. My first degree from India 
helped in securing several first rounds but the next one, which was from an 
internationally recognized big name university didn't really help much. What helped 
was my previous work experience, part time work and projects during studies and 
internships. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How did you prepare for interviews? Was there anything you did 
especially that helped you in your interviews? Did you have anyone you could reach 
out to (e.g. alumni, friends, personal network)? 
 
KEyv31: P ​ reparation for interviews has to be done based on the company and the job. 
For smaller companies, I usually brushed up on general CS concepts while for bigger 

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companies I practiced through leetcode or similar websites before it existed. A very 
helpful thing to do for companies which ask a lot of behavioral questions (like 
Amazon) is to list down your past projects, go through the details and know about the 
STAR method. Highlighting the important keywords and work in the resume is also 
very important. In Europe, it was very important to send out a customized paragraph 
introducing myself according to the company's profile and job. My biggest source of 
information while searching for jobs in Europe were placement fairs and internet. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​How was the transition working at a start up to working at a Big 
N/FAANG? 
 
KEyv31: S ​ ince I had already worked at a FAANG before, I knew what to expect. Getting 
interviews with bigger companies after a stint at startup might seem difficult, but with 
a strong profile, even applying through website can work. In general, working at a 
startup gives you a lot of breadth in knowledge quite fast, while working at a bigger 
company gives depth of knowledge in a field. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What was your experience like starting your career in India? What 
were the challenges you had to overcome to get to where you are in career today? 
 
KEyv31: S ​ tarting my career in India was easier for me because I was in a very good 
University. In terms of challenges, the decision to go for a Master's degree when I had 
a stable job at Amazon was difficult to make. But I think it paid off in the end because I 
was able to make my profile international and get higher salaries afterwards. For 
people starting their career in India, I would advise to get more international exposure 
at some point. That helps with increased network, better understanding of cultures 
and work ethics at different places and opens up the door to new opportunities. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is it like to work at Twitter? Is there anything special about 
working for your company? How does it compare with the other companies you've 
worked for? 
 
KEyv31: W ​ orking at Twitter is very fun. The work is challenging, the company culture 
is highly transparent and inclusive, food is good and salaries are high. One thing I 
found different here is that you really get to see the bigger picture and impact of your 
work. I would rate Twitter after Google and FB in terms of personal satisfaction, above 
Amazon and other companies. 
 
Rooftop Slushie: ​What is required to succeed in this role? Is there a specific 
personality trait that was a strength? Do you have any words of advice for job 
seekers? 
 

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KEyv31: H ​ aving a growth mindset is very important to succeed in this role. Being an 
engineer requires grit, perseverance, openness to learning new technologies and being 
able to handle uncertainties. Another important thing is to be able to explain technical 
concepts to business people in an easy way. In addition to technical skills, soft skills 
start playing a bigger role as you progress in the career. For job seekers, try to learn as 
many things as you can and practice coding if applying for software engineering jobs. 
Use BLIND and Rooftop Slushie to its maximum potential. Don't be afraid to ask 
questions. 
 
 
Need more information? 
Ask KEyv31 at h ​ ttps://www.rooftopslushie.com/profile/coder 
 
   

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Amazon Leadership Principles 
Amazon SDE Phone Interview 
AWS Data Scientist 
— 
Airbnb Data Science Onsite 
Airbnb Software Engineer Interview 
— 
Apple Finance Onsite Interview 
Apple Work Culture 
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Facebook Data Engineer 
Facebook Product Analyst 
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Google Product Manager Interview 
Google SWE Interview Tips 
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Linkedin Senior Software Engineer Onsite Interview 
Linkedin Machine Learning Engineer Onsite 
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Microsoft Senior Program Manager 
Microsoft Azure Software Engineer Onsite 
— 
Netflix Software Engineer 
— 
Uber Frontend Engineer 
Uber Backend Engineer 
Uber Culture Fit - Uber SF 
 
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