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

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nandita Giri, a 32-year-old software engineer at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. It has been edited for length and clarity.

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.

I’m now a senior software engineer at Microsoft, and my AI skills are in high demand.

I’ve always enjoyed problem-solving

When applying for roles at Amazon, it’s not about solving problems as quickly as possible, but solving them optimally. You must…