Why did you decide to become a mentor?
Teaching and mentoring have always been a passion of mine. Over the past four years, I had the opportunity to work as a mentor at ACM, where I guided and mentored several engineers in hackathons and ACM contests.
Recently, when I learned about Mentor Cruise, I was instantly drawn to the idea of giving back to the community by sharing my expertise with aspiring engineers. Designing personalized learning plans for individuals and helping them achieve their career goals is something I find fulfilling and gratifying.
I have recently joined the platform as a mentor, and I am delighted to share that I have already connected with over ten mentees. Through Mentor Cruise, I support individuals in their career transitions, job searches, FAANG interview preparations, and skill development. It brings me great joy to see my mentees succeed and grow.
How did you get your career start?
In 2017, I completed my bachelor’s degree in computer science, specializing in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing. My love for programming, building things, and engineering led me to pursue computer science as my field of study.
Before graduation, I completed a few internships, and after that, I worked as a data scientist and data engineer for several startups. In 2018, I transitioned to become a full-stack applied data scientist in Germany, and then I specialized further in distributed systems while working with large companies such as Amazon and Booking.
In 2021, I joined Karat as an interview engineer and have conducted over 800 interviews for various companies to date. Over the last decade, I have been interviewed by over 500 companies and successfully passed technical interviews as a senior software engineer for many organizations like Booking.com, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, BP, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, TransferWise, Indeed, Deliveroo, and many more.
Currently, I work as a senior interview engineer at Karat, where I possess a wealth of knowledge about technical interviews, including algorithms, data structures, behavioural, and system design.
What do mentees usually come to you for?
I derive immense satisfaction from developing roadmaps for my mentees, organizing their goals, and setting clear timelines for their progress. I genuinely enjoy assisting them in their interview preparations, and career planning, and answering any engineering-related questions they may have about the companies I have worked for or interviewed with.
In addition to discussing software engineering and my experiences working in various countries such as Germany, Egypt, and the UK, I am also passionate about travelling.
Mock interviews are one of my strong suits, and I offer detailed feedback with tips for improvement to those seeking my assistance. I have helped several mentees through their career transitions and supported them in preparing for technical interviews with FAANG companies.
One of my favourite things to do with my mentees is to provide feedback on their code and resumes, as well as review the mock interviews that I conduct with them. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like me to interview you or provide guidance on your career journey.
What’s been your favourite mentorship success story so far?
I mentored a group of five engineers with no prior experience in computer vision for a hackathon, where they developed a computer vision project. Despite being up against over 50 experienced teams, we managed to secure first place. The competition was sponsored by several companies, who were impressed with my mentees’ work and offered them job positions after the hackathon.
I’m proud of the confidence my mentoring instilled in them, which led to their success in securing scholarships and high-paying jobs after graduation. My guidance and support helped them realize their potential and gave them the drive to achieve their goals.
What are you getting out of being a mentor?
Assisting and empowering others to reach their full potential is a deep-seated passion of mine. Mentoring individuals brings me immense satisfaction, as I derive joy from equipping them with the knowledge and resources they need to excel. Witnessing their growth and success in their personal and professional endeavours is truly gratifying.
As a software engineer, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the community by supporting aspiring engineers and those seeking a career shift. I find great pleasure in guiding and mentoring individuals to help them become proficient software engineers. By sharing my expertise and experience, I hope to inspire and encourage individuals to pursue their goals with confidence and determination.