Cracking FAANG Without Leetcode
Breaking Into FAANG Without LeetCode: Alternative Pathways
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Preparing for LeetCode-style questions is one way to FAANG, but it’s not the only path. Big tech hires from hackathons, competitions, open-source contributions, ML contests, internships, scholarships and portfolio projects. Below are company-specific routes:
Google
Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
Deadlines: Late March to early April
Event Dates: June - August
Criteria: Age 18+, beginner in open source, reside in eligible country
Expectations: Contribute to open-source projects under mentorship, complete 8-22 week coding project, receive stipend upon completion.
Github: Beginner’s Guide
Microsoft
Microsoft Imagine Cup
Deadlines: Registration October, final submissions early January
Event Dates: Regional finals throughout year, world championship mid-year
Criteria: Age 18+, enrolled student, teams up to 4 members
Expectations: Build AI-powered solution using 2+ Microsoft AI services, submit pitch deck and demo, solve real-world problems.
Github: Official Resources
Amazon
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Deadlines: Mid-January
Event Dates: Applications open fall, internship following summer
Criteria: High school senior, minimum 2.3 GPA, pursuing CS/engineering degree, U.S. citizen/permanent resident, financial need
Expectations: CS course or Amazon assessment, demonstrate leadership, $40,000 scholarship + paid internship
AWS AI & ML Scholarship Program
Deadlines: Early August
Event Dates: May - November
Criteria: Age 16-18+, underserved/underrepresented in tech, enrolled student, no prior tech knowledge required
Expectations: Complete free challenge course (20 hours), create AWS app, top 1,500 receive Udacity Nanodegree
Meta (Facebook)
Meta Hacker Cup
Deadlines: Registration early October, finals December
Event Dates: October - December
Criteria: Open to all programmers worldwide, no age restrictions
Expectations: Solve algorithmic problems through multiple timed rounds, cash prizes up to $20,000
Meta Horizon Developer Competitions
Deadlines: Varies by competition
Event Dates: Multiple throughout year
Criteria: Individual developers or teams, typically age 18+
Expectations: Build VR/AR apps on Meta platforms, prize pools $30,000 - $1.5 million
Apple
WWDC Swift Student Challenge
Deadlines: Late March (applications open and close within days)
Event Dates: WWDC in June
Criteria: Age 13+, enrolled student or recent graduate, registered Apple developer (free)
Expectations: Create original Swift Playground, 350 winners receive WWDC ticket, AirPods Pro, Developer Program membership
IBM
IBM Hack Challenge / Prarambh (India)
Deadlines: Registration and submissions typically July-September
Event Dates: Multi-month program with bootcamps and final submission
Criteria: All years Engineering/MCA/BCA/BSc-IT/MSc-IT students in India, team of 1-4 members
Expectations: State/national level hackathons, work on AI/cloud/GovTech problems, mentorship from IBM experts, prizes, free IBM Cloud access, certificates, skill badges
Github: Past Projects, Winner Projects
IBM InnovateX National Hackathon (India)
Deadlines: Varies by year, typically multiple rounds throughout year
Event Dates: Virtual hackathon spanning several weeks
Criteria: All years Engineering/MCA/BCA/BSc-IT/MSc-IT students in India, valid student ID required
Expectations: Finance/Technology/Entertainment/Social Good categories, prizes up to ₹1 lakh per category, IBM SkillsBuild account required, deploy on IBM Cloud platform
IBM Z Datathon (Global, includes India)
Deadlines: Registration typically opens August-September
Event Dates: October (2-day event)
Criteria: College students globally, team-based
Expectations: Technology for Good theme, $30K+ in prizes, keynote speakers, virtual/hybrid format, mentorship opportunities
Adobe
Adobe Research Internship (India & Global)
Deadlines: Rolling applications throughout year, peak hiring March-April
Event Dates: Summer (June-August), 12-24 weeks
Criteria: PhD/Master’s students in CS, AI, ML, Data Science, programming skills (Python, Java, C++), India locations: Bengaluru
Expectations: Research projects in ML/AI/Computer Vision, stipend up to ₹7 LPA, mentorship from Adobe researchers, potential publications, may lead to full-time offers
Adobe Apprenticeship Program (India)
Deadlines: Applications open fall through spring
Event Dates: 6-12 months program
Criteria: UG/PG students or recent graduates, CS/IT/Design/Marketing/Business backgrounds
Expectations: Monthly stipend ₹35,000, work on real projects in software development, UI/UX design, data analytics, marketing, locations in Bengaluru and Noida
Salesforce
Salesforce Futureforce Internship (India & Global)
Deadlines: Late summer through March (rolling basis)
Event Dates: 10-12 week summer program
Criteria: Penultimate or final year students, B.E/B.Tech in CS/IT/Circuit branches, 3.0 GPA preferred, India locations: Hyderabad, Bengaluru
Expectations: Software engineering, real project work, stipend up to ₹11 LPA (pro-rated), 80% conversion rate to full-time, mentorship from senior engineers
Salesforce Tech Launchpad (U.S. Only)
Deadlines: Applications typically open spring
Event Dates: 10-week program at San Francisco Tower
Criteria: University students interested in software engineering, underrepresented groups encouraged
Expectations: Paid pre-internship program, full-stack web development, AI curriculum, prepares for Futureforce internship
Oracle
Oracle APEX AI Days (India)
Deadlines: Registration opens few weeks before events
Event Dates: Multi-city events throughout year (Bengaluru, other Indian cities)
Criteria: Developers, students, IT professionals, completely free to attend
Expectations: In-person events, expert sessions on Oracle APEX, AI-driven low-code development, hands-on demos, networking with Oracle product team, learn latest APEX features
Oracle Dev Tour (India)
Deadlines: Registration typically opens 1-2 months before event
Event Dates: One-day events in major cities (Bengaluru and others)
Criteria: Developers, students, tech enthusiasts, free to attend
Expectations: Learn about Oracle Database, cloud services, AI applications, Java, networking opportunities, hands-on sessions, latest Oracle product innovations
Netflix
Formation x Netflix Program
Deadlines: March interviews, program May - October
Event Dates: May - October
Criteria: College students graduating next year, technical degree, U.S. work authorization
Expectations: 15-40 hours/week remote, 1:1 Netflix engineer mentorship, technical training, interview opportunity
✅ Final Thoughts
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Thanks for reading!