I'm a senior software engineer at Microsoft. My AI skills have helped me climb the ladder in my career - here's my advice.

"My journey began with problem-solving and math long before I knew I'd end up in Big Tech. I studied at the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, in India. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google often scout talent from this school. Amazon hired me straight out of college, and I moved to Seattle in 2018. To get the job, there was a logical analysis test, and only a handful of us passed. Then came multiple interviews based on problem-solving. That's how my journey in tech began."

"On my own time, I practiced on LeetCode, a platform for coding challenges, because I liked it, not because I was preparing for interviews. Over time, I developed a strong interest in AI. Once I arrived at Amazon, I identified tasks and patterns that could be automated and suggested AI-based solutions to management, primarily focusing on internal workflow automation and data-driven decision support systems. That experience shaped my interest in building intelligent tools for enterprise use. Leadership gave me the green light"

"When applying for roles at Amazon, it's not about solving problems as quickly as possible, but solving them optimally. You must carefully consider the issue so that the solution can scale and be easily maintained. Amazon has a set of leadership principles that play a key role in hiring decisions, and understanding these principles is just as important as your coding skills."

She began with problem-solving and math, studied at the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, and was hired by Amazon straight out of college. She moved to Seattle in 2018 after passing a logical analysis test and multiple problem-solving interviews. She practiced coding on LeetCode and developed a strong interest in AI. At Amazon, she identified tasks and patterns suitable for automation and proposed AI-based solutions focused on internal workflow automation and data-driven decision support. Those projects deepened her interest in building enterprise intelligent tools. She later became a senior software engineer at Microsoft, where AI skills are highly sought, and she recommends self-learning AI one hour per day for beginners.

Read at Business Insider