The CoachIn program by LinkedIn is a diversity-driven mentorship initiative designed exclusively for women in technology. It is not an internship. It is not a hackathon prize. It is a structured mentorship programme where selected candidates receive one-to-one sessions with LinkedIn professionals and industry experts. The programme provides industry exposure, professional guidance, and career direction at a stage when most students are still deciding what to specialise in.
The selection process is nationally competitive. The online assessment tested Data Structures and Algorithms, problem-solving ability, and technical fundamentals. 140 candidates cleared this stage. Telephonic interviews evaluated both technical skills and communication under pressure. 100 were selected. LinkedIn hires from only the top eight colleges in India. For students from a private university to make this list alongside students from IITs and NITs is not common. If you too wish to be a part amongst them, then explore & enrol into B.Tech CSE at Parul University!
Saavi Kotadia: The Girl Who Hit the Ground Running
Saavi entered Parul University with a head start. Her mother is a teacher, which meant studying was a daily discipline before it was ever a personal choice. By the end of first year, she had already learned Java and C, understood web development, and was orienting herself toward how programming translates into a career.
Her track record by second year: 300+ LeetCode problems solved, an internship at OI Corp, 13th rank at the IIT-B Maths Olympiad, 500+ LinkedIn connections, and active web development projects. Saavi Kotadia‘s CoachIn journey included a second chance. She initially failed a preliminary test, solving only two of four questions. When the placement cell offered another opportunity, she solved three and was among 18 shortlisted women, three from her faculty. She describes the programme as teaching her time management, task control, and how to juggle between commitments.
“Even luck matters. But if one thing does not go your way, just trust: there are hundreds of thousands of things that will work. We do not know the big picture. Trust the process.”
Divya Jain: Confidence Built One Problem at a Time
Divya Jain‘s relationship with programming started in the 9th standard with Java. She was not among the toppers. She is candid about where she stood. But she had a stubborn sense of direction: she wanted computer science, and she was willing to work for it.
Her preparation for CoachIn was methodical. Morning university sessions from 7:30 AM to 2 PM and evening dedicated to DSA practice. One hour of yoga as a deliberate reset between back-to-back technical work. Then coding again from 7 PM into the night. If you wish to enhance your career at all levels, enrol into Parul University’s M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science!
“From the day we filled the form, I was like: okay, LinkedIn is a big company, I need to do something. I started with DSA practice, and with the help of the training, I was making sure I was understanding the problems, making observations, learning to think through problem-solving.”
Samiksha Lohia: The Kota Student Who Found Her Lane
Samiksha Lohia comes from Kota, a city whose identity in India is almost entirely bound up with IIT-JEE preparation. Until Class 12, that preparation was her world. Computer science as a daily craft came after, and it came gradually.
She also described the programme’s impact on her professional trajectory:
“It acts as a critical bridge between my academics and my professional growth. At this early stage, this kind of industry exposure is not common. It is very rare, and getting this opportunity at such an early stage of our career is like a great point.”
Soumya Batwal: The Web Developer Finding Her Stride
Soumya Batwal describes herself before college as average. Not a topper. Not particularly driven by rankings. But she had a clear aim and she held onto it. Her early semesters planted something through workshops on web development. She explored, tried things out, and gradually the interest caught and held.
By the time CoachIn arrived: HackerRank Gold Badge in C++, active full-stack development across HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python, and a LinkedIn profile carrying the Open to Work badge not as defeat but as active ambition. If you too are passionate about software development and cloud computing, delay not and enrol into Parul University’s M.Tech in Computer Engineering Program!
The Moment, the Pressure, and What Changed
March was the convergence point – ongoing practicals and term-end submissions. The students describe it without romanticising:
“It was too hectic. We had to prepare for our exams, we had a hackathon, and an assessment. But we never got the thought of leaving this training because we were enjoying it. We were more happy. We were enjoying it at the same time we were suffering from it. And we were learning new things.”
When the results came, parents were more confident than the students themselves. They had been watching the early mornings and late nights. Their response:
“You will do it. More than us, they were confident. Because everyone was sure more than us that you all will do it. They were seeing us day and night, how much hard work we were putting in, and they were like: you have got this. You are going to crack this. Just chill.”
What changed after CoachIn is not on their resumes yet. It is in how they manage time, how they approach pressure, and how they think about what is possible. The support was not just academic. Samiksha described the emotional dimension: not only with the studies, but emotionally, my friends really helped me. If I had any pain or whatever, they were there. Soumya’s advice was direct: do not procrastinate. Do your things on time, because at the end of the day you will not regret it. Samiksha’s message to other students:
“Believe in yourself. Never doubt yourself. Even though hardships come between your journey, they are just meant to teach you something. Keep being consistent. Because in your journey, there will be a lot of points where you will be like: I do not want to continue this anymore. But if you still stay consistent and believe in yourself, I think you will be able to ace that.”
PU Programme Mapping: B.Tech Computer Science Engineering
All four CoachIn students are enrolled in B.Tech Computer Science Engineering at Parul University’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology. The faculty offers B.Tech CSE with specialisations in AI and ML, Data Science, Cyber Security, IoT, and Cloud Computing, plus the Integrated Engineering Programme (IEP) that Soumya Batwal is enrolled in. The IMPACT training programme, 250+ technology labs, 2,200+ recruiters, 60 LPA highest placement (Tanish Patel, Microsoft), and PIERC (254 startups, Rs 20 crore+ funding) form the ecosystem that enabled this achievement. Students searching for Parul University B.Tech CSE reviews or Parul University engineering placement should note: four second-year women from this programme made LinkedIn’s top 100 from 21,000 applicants.
Head here to read the full story of Tanish Patel: 60 LPA at Microsoft, a proud student of Parul University!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LinkedIn's CoachIn Mentorship Program?
A diversity-driven mentorship initiative by LinkedIn for women in technology. 21,000 applied in 2026. Online assessment reduced the pool to 140. Telephonic interviews selected 100.
How did Parul University students get selected for LinkedIn CoachIn?
The placement cell organised a seminar for female engineering students introducing the programme. Approximately 30 to 40 students initially enrolled. Around 10 sat for the national assessment.
