How to get jobs at Tier 1 companies if I have not worked on large scale systems?

New
kYuj55

New

kYuj55
Jun 21, 2021 6 Comments

Please listen me out. I'll try to keep it short. Through out my career, I have been working on internal infrastructure, test framework, dev tools, build tools, reporting tools, networking tools etc mostly using technologies that are appropriate for that specific project. I have not done any work on distributed systems or large scale systems. I am starting to prepare for interviews but almost every company (or at least tier 1 companies) ask system design questions. Of course, I can prepare and answer all I can for this but it will be nothing close to people who are working on it on day-to-day basis.

What would be your tips to approach this situation? Internal dev tools are severely underpaid across the industry and with my first job when I did not know what I am going to do, I took up jobs in this area and it has incredibly hard to come out of it. Apart from algorithms and data structure, how do I prepare better to face this situation? Any tips would be welcome.

TC : 215k
YOE : 6
#software #interview

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TOP 6 Comments
  • Google / Mktg
    SrL3

    Go to company page Google Mktg

    SrL3
    System design questions can be studied. It's not like the job is system design just like life is not like the tests you took in school.

    Biggest company I worked at before Google was 1k people.
    Jun 21, 2021 3
    • New
      kYuj55

      New

      kYuj55
      OP
      If you don't mind me asking, when was your switch? The recent interviews I have been attending, there is a good 75% chance that I failed in the system design interview. The nooks and corner questions about scaling is something that I could not answer unless I work on it on daily basis. There is of course, the other option, sit and practice through it for 1 year.
      Jun 21, 2021
    • Google / Mktg
      SrL3

      Go to company page Google Mktg

      SrL3
      I'm not in marketing - just screwing around on this app.

      Dude you can study for a few months and nail the interview
      Jun 22, 2021
  • What about the intersection of both like distributed build systems and package management for large internal systems?
    Jun 21, 2021 1
    • New
      kYuj55

      New

      kYuj55
      OP
      Would you mind giving an example?
      Jun 21, 2021