India, April 15 -- Every year, thousands of engineering graduates apply to the world's most competitive technology companies. Only a fraction hear back, and fewer still make it through. For students in Class 12, and the parents helping them decide, the more useful question is not how difficult the process is, but what consistently sets successful candidates apart.

There was a time when strong data structures and algorithms, backed by a recognisable college name, were enough to open doors at top tech firms. That reality has changed.

Recruiters at companies like Microsoft, Google and OpenAI are now looking beyond exam scores. What matters is the ability to think clearly about real-world problems and demonstrate it through actual work. Tod...