How did I switch from a service-based to a product-based company and receive 17 job offers — and you can too

I worked in a service-based analytics firm for 3.5 years and experienced significant growth, securing 2 promotions within 3 years. However, I aimed to transition to a product-based company for several reasons:

1. Better Compensation: Product companies offer up to 50%-60% or even more in salary compared to service-based firms. For the same role, such as Mid-Senior Analyst, there was a difference of 10-12 LPA, and this gap widened with years of experience.

2. Workload: Working 10-11 hours in a service company is common, whereas things are more relaxed in any product company. I rarely worked more than 8 hours in my experience.

3. Quality of Work: Work quality is better due to new initiatives, whereas there are repetitive tasks in service-based companies.

In Jun 2021, I began applying to different product-based companies through various job portals, career pages, LinkedIn, and referrals, wherever possible, and secured many interviews. However, I faced rejection from 8-9 companies straight, with the main reasons being:-

1. Tougher Interviews: Interviews are more exhaustive in product-based companies, with more challenging coding rounds than in service-based ones.

2. Lack of Product Understanding and Perspective

I spent the next 3-4 months rigorously preparing for interviews. For an Analyst role, I studied in-depth, gaining theoretical and practical knowledge of:-

1. SQL, Excel, Tableau, Python, Statistics

2. Solved SQL Leetcode questions and referred to websites offering free questions with solutions(https://lnkd.in/dFFnPtzd)

3. Solved product questions from the Product Management Exercise website (https://lnkd.in/gZMe6CPC)

4. Practiced behavioral questions based on my experience

5. Practiced presenting my analytics projects using the STAR technique

Once I felt confident in my preparation, I resumed applying for jobs. Within 2 months, I received 17 job offers from companies like Zomato, Paytm, Amazon, OLX, and several startups.

Personal Suggestion:

No matter where you went to college or what you've done before, highlight your skills and experience. Don't worry about being rejected because of your college or previous job. Just prepare well, use all available opportunities to apply, and keep trying even if you face setbacks. With dedication and practice, you can ace any interview.