How Alok Elevated His Tech Career with Interview Kickstart

With over a decade of tech experience, Alok Roy knew he had the technical skills to succeed — but when it came to interviews, something was missing. He turned to Interview Kickstart, a structured program that helped him refine his technical knowledge, build confidence, and master the interview process. Within just one month of joining, he identified and addressed the gaps holding him back, ultimately landing a Senior Data Engineer role at AWS. Alok shares how Interview Kickstart’s rigorous training, expert instructors, and interview support gave him the edge he needed to land a higher-paying tech role. 

How did you get into the tech field you're currently working in?

I got my degree in India. During college, I decided to become a computer engineer. My first job was as a Software Engineer with Tata Consultancy Service and then I continued working my way up from there.

You have 16 years of tech experience! What prompted you to look for an interview preparation program at this point in your career?

Learning is a part of my life! I’ve wanted to continue learning at each company I worked for, which means learning more technologies. When I was doing interviews to move to different companies, though, I realized I wasn’t fully prepared for them, even though I had basic knowledge of the roles. I started looking for a course to help me improve my interview skills. 

What sets Interview Kickstart apart from other interview preparation programs?

I first saw an ad for Interview Kickstart on YouTube. I realized that while some other programs had structured courses, they didn’t have discipline. Those programs would be difficult because I was a little lazy and needed someone to hold me accountable. I needed a program that did mock interviews and followed up with me about what I learned. I attended an Interview Kickstart webinar and liked how they structured the course. I felt like if I followed their path, then I would definitely be learning something new! The curriculum goes step by step with guidance to help you go in the right direction. 

When you were enrolling at Interview Kickstart, what were your career goals? 

Without a goal, you cannot achieve anything in life. My main goal when I joined Interview Kickstart was to fill the gap in my learning. I wanted to figure out why I wasn’t able to clear the last round of every interview cycle and where I was lacking. Within one month of joining Interview Kickstart, I understood why I was struggling in my interviews and strengthened those technical skills. Interview Kickstart helped me fill the gap and land the job at AWS!

What were some of the main skills or tools you learned at Interview Kickstart?

The very first thing we went over was data structures. Before Interview Kickstart, I was practicing data structure using LeetCode and HackerRank, but it was not a properly structured practice. When I attended the Interview Kickstart classes, they helped me gain a core understanding of data structures so I could solve more problems.

How did Interview Kickstart prepare you for technical interviews?

There were a few mock interviews with the Interview Kickstart team, and they gave me some very good feedback. For example, they helped me create my elevator pitch so I could sell myself in job interviews. They also helped me understand how to present metrics in my interview to quantify my achievements. All of that helped me crack my job interviews.

What were your instructors like at Interview Kickstart? Were they also tech professionals?

All of my instructors were tech professionals, and they were very experienced. They understood the types of interviews and problems we would face, so their teaching style and methods reflected that. I learned a lot from them, and I still am! It’s been four years since I took the Interview Kickstart course, and whenever I have an interview, I go back to the course materials and recordings to help me prepare. 

What is the community like at Interview Kickstart?

I'm connected to a few folks, and I also referred a few people to the program. They are all very happy they joined. I told my friends that if they are serious about interviews, they should spend the time preparing with a program like this. There is no shortcut for it. You have to start at the basics and go from there.

How many hours a week did you commit to your Interview Kickstart program? Were you able to work and do this program at the same time?

Luckily, I was doing my course at Interview Kickstart before my current job, so I had some more bandwidth. I was spending about 15 hours per week on the course, which included doing homework and attending classes. I’m so busy now with my current job at AWS and family commitments that it would be tough to do this course, but at the time, my life was a bit more flexible.

AWS is known for its formidable interview process. Having gone through it and landed a job, do you feel that Interview Kickstart prepared you for all elements of the AWS interview cycle?

100%! I was able to understand my weaknesses in interviewing and solve that problem. Going through my first interview at AWS, I was able to crack it, and I got my job at AWS within the first month of the course.

When you were interviewing at AWS, could you reach out to your instructors at Interview Kickstart for support?

Interview Kickstart gave me a lot of support. Once an interview was done, I could share my experience with them and get their feedback. Interview Kickstart is still supporting me! If I have a question, I can always reach out to them.

Has Interview Kickstart helped you with salary negotiations?

When I first landed my job, I didn’t realize I could get salary negotiation support from Interview Kickstart. I joined the company and realized I wasn't getting the salary I was supposed to. I reached out to Interview Kickstart, and they helped me understand how to negotiate with my manager so I could get a good salary the following year.

In general, what kinds of projects are you working on now as a Senior Data Engineer at AWS?

I have worked on a variety of projects. One is a big data-based project involving large-scale data transformation. I also help with business insights by doing product analytics and visualization. I help the business understand how it’s doing based on the data.

At this point in your career was Interview Kickstart worth it for you?

100% yes!

What is your advice to anyone thinking of enrolling at Interview Kickstart?

If you really want to enhance your skills and get a better job, you should join Interview Kickstart because they will help you get the job. You will need to put in the effort, but your effort will pay off with an optimum result. They will increase your chances of getting a better job.

Find out more and read Interview Kickstart on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with Interview Kickstart.