Win or Learn: How SHE Cracked Microsoft by Starting Early | Entrance & Beyond | Episode 37 part 1
What does it REALLY take to land a Microsoft internship — and convert it into a full-time offer? 🚀
No sugarcoating. No fake motivation. Just the raw, unfiltered truth from someone who did it from Year 1.
Meet Muskan Walia — an MSRIT student who started building her career while everyone else was "chilling" in freshman year.
From cracking Google's Global Hackathon (Top 2.5% out of 27,000+ students) to converting a Microsoft internship into a full-time Software Engineer role — this is the story of what happens when you compound your efforts early.
This isn't about being the smartest person in the room. It's about starting before you feel ready, learning from every rejection, and understanding that there are only two outcomes — you win, or you learn.
If you're tired of generic advice and want the real blueprint — this one's for you.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:01 Intro – The Power of Compounding (Sachin, Phelps, Virat)
1:02 Meet Muskan Walia – Microsoft SWE & Her Journey
3:00 Win or Learn – Muskan's Core Mindset
4:00 AI & Jobs: Will Engineers Be Replaced?
6:14 How to Use AI as a Steering Wheel (Not a Crutch)
9:08 Jobs Aren't Dying, They're Evolving
12:09 What to Do in Year 1 of Engineering
17:39 Women in Tech Programs & Building LinkedIn Before College
21:47 Why Getting a PPO is the Easiest Route
25:02 Q&A: What to Do After Learning Your First Language
26:49 DSA – The Foundation You Can't Skip
30:37 How to Stay Consistent at DSA (Without Burning Out)
38:31 Muskan's Full DSA Roadmap Summarised
39:21 How to Get a Microsoft Internship in 2026
🎙️ Guest: Muskan Walia | MSRIT Bangalore
💼 Software Engineer @ Microsoft
🏆 Top 2.5% — Google Global Hackathon (27,000+ participants, 800+ universities)
🎓 Google Women Engineering Scholar
🔗 LinkedIn: / muskanwalia20
📍 Instagram: / waliamuskan20
🎯 Topmate: https://topmate.io/muskan_walia9
🎙️ Host: Aparimeya Tiwari
🔗 LinkedIn: / aparimeyatiwari
📱 Follow Entrance & Beyond:
📍 Instagram: / entrance_and_beyond
💼 LinkedIn: / entrance-beyond
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NJeKxx...
🎧 Listen to part 1 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0B48...
💬 Drop a comment: What's your biggest struggle — DSA, resume, or landing that first internship? We'll cover it in upcoming episodes!