Pratik became a software engineer after failing his college placements

Pratik was born in West Bengal. His father is a small business owner and his mother is a house maker.

After Pratik's attempts to find a job through college placements were unsuccessful, he listened to the advice of his friends and made the decision to switch professions.

He wanted to broaden his knowledge and establish himself in a growing industry, so he joined Masai. And he was able to leave his mark successfully.

In our most recent conversation with him, he talks about his time spent at Masai and other illuminating experiences he's had.

What have you studied?

Haldia Institute of Technology is where I received my bachelor's degree in electronics and communications engineering.

Because of the pandemic, I was unable to find a job after graduating from college. Actually, the college didn't teach me the skills I needed to land a job. The degree now seems like a piece of paper that has no value.  

What do colleges get wrong these days?

The colleges do not focus on core subjects of a particular stream. They ignore the basics and run after useless subjects which are sometimes totally irrelevant to the ‌stream. This affects at the time of interviews as the students do not even know the basics.  

How and when did you discover Masai?

Some of my college friends were in Masai. They got placed in really good companies. That’s how I came to know about Masai. For more information watched some videos on YouTube.

Did you trust Masai when you discovered it for the first time?

Yes, of course. A lot of my friends were already there in Masai and they assured me that this is a great institute to be in. They also told me that if I complete their curriculum properly, they will definitely place me with a good package.

How did you convince your parents when you wanted to join Masai?

My parents were very supportive of my decision. It wasn’t difficult to convince as I explained everything about Masai and they were impressed.

What ‌challenges you face at Masai?

The biggest challenge was to manage time properly in a very hectic timetable. Sometimes I used to feel bad about missing out on social functions and gatherings because of the tight schedule of Masai. But, now after getting placed in a good company, I feel ‌it was worth it.  

How difficult it was for you at Masai, since you come from a non-technical background?

At first, it was really difficult for me, especially the practice-based curriculum as I was not at all used to it. But, after Unit-1 I could cope up with everything, as a habit of working hard was developed.

When did you feel that your efforts and hard work are worth it?

When we completed our first project in Unit-2, I felt ‌we are genuinely learning a lot of things here. There was a project where we had created a Coursera clone and how to optimize it for mobile applications.

What kind of projects have you worked upon? What were your learnings?

I have cloned three websites during the curriculum. Before these projects, I had never worked in a team. These projects taught me how to work efficiently as a team and how to give my best as a team member. It taught me how to solve problems together. It was a nice experience and gave me some great learnings.

Did working on your projects help you during your interviews?

Surely. These projects cleared the core concepts, and that helped in answering all the questions of the interviews ‌easily.

What were your lows and highs at Masai?

The high time was when I stood third in Masai Construct Week Project Competition in Unit-4. It was a really good feeling. I still feel proud of that achievement. The low time was when I was unable to complete assignments during React learning.

What are your thoughts on the Masai curriculum and its teaching methods?

The curriculum is all about practice and repetition. So, if you do not understand a concept in the first attempt, you have time to understand it during assignments. This helps in understanding every concept clearly and from the base level itself. And, the best thing about Masai is the availability of Instructor Associates all the time.

How do Instructor Associates help?

They guide and help us with our assignments. During weekends, they help us clear our concepts that we somehow could not understand during regular lectures. They are available to help anytime, even at midnight. They are like best friends who are always there to support you.

What is the difference between mentors at Masai and other colleges?

The mentors are really helpful at Masai. They are always ready to help you during the curriculum. You also get to interact with them personally too. The instructors at Masai explain everything in the simplest way possible. They also reply calmly to repetitive queries. That type of support we do not get at colleges.

Were you not worried that you might not get placed because you do not have a degree in computer science?

No, I was not at all worried. I had researched a lot about Masai and I knew that the placement rate and the process is very good. Also, my friends who were in Masai had assured me about the teaching methods and placement process. They had told me that they will teach me everything from the scratch.

How is the placement process at Masai?

In the final unit, the instructors make you revise everything from the start. We get the necessary materials for the same. Our all doubts and problems also get solved during these rounds. We get all the help from instructors. We also have to appear for internal exams. These sessions prepare us for interviews, and that really helps at the time of placements.

During placements, Masai shares our profiles with the recruiting companies. We get short-listed by those companies and are then asked to appear for the interviews. After that, if you clear interview rounds, you get hired accordingly. The placement team is super helpful during the whole process.

How many companies did you sit for placements?

A lot of students out there think that Masai doesn’t allow sitting for placements in more than a few companies. That is totally wrong. I sat for placements of 11 companies. You can sit for placements in as many companies as you want. There is no limit at all. I used to appear for three interviews in a single day. It all depends on you.

Where are you currently working?

I work at Tekion Corp as an associate software engineer.

How did your parents feel when you got placed?

They were really excited when they heard I was placed in a good company with a good package.

What will you do with your first few pay cheques?

There are a lot of parties pending. From friends to family members, everyone is asking for a party since I got placed.

What is your advice to the students of Masai?

In the data structure, solve more and more questions and if you have doubts, connect with your instructor. They will guide you through everything, but you have to keep solving on your own to be confident about it.

And, complete your assignments regularly. They are really important and they help you even during your placements.

What is your advice to the students trying to crack the Masai entrance test?

It is not that difficult to crack it. Just be confident and appear for it with some basic knowledge of computer programming.

Do you think it is worth paying 3 lakhs to Masai?

Yes, absolutely. The ISA (Income Share Agreement) program is the best thing and you are not at all worried about installments when you are learning. Basically, you never feel that you have paid anything for the course. And, when you finally get the job, 3 lakhs seems a very small amount.

If you are someone who is looking to learn new skills or upgrade your career in web development, Masai is the best institute out there. I will definitely recommend everyone to join Masai if they want to become a software engineer.