Roadmap

6-Month Interview Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation Building (Months 1-2)

Daily Commitment: 1.5-2 hours

Month 1: Core Data Structures & Algorithms Refresh

Week 1-2: Arrays, Strings, Hash Tables

• Start with LeetCode Easy problems (2-3 daily)
• Focus on two-pointer and sliding window patterns
• Target: Complete 20-25 problems
• Resource: NeetCode.io videos for pattern explanations

Week 3-4: Sorting, Searching, Recursion

• Master binary search variations
• Understand quicksort/mergesort implementation
• Practice basic recursion patterns
• Target: 20-25 problems (mix of easy/medium)

Month 2: Essential Algorithms & Trees

Week 5-6: Trees and Binary Search Trees

• Tree traversals (both recursive and iterative)
• BST operations
• Target: 25 problems focusing on tree patterns

Week 7-8: Graphs Introduction & Backend Basics

• BFS/DFS implementations
• Basic graph representations
• Start backend learning: Database fundamentals, API design
• Target: 20 graph problems + 30 min daily backend study

Checkpoint: You should have ~90 problems solved and feel comfortable with medium problems

Phase 2: Advanced Patterns & Full-Stack Skills (Months 3-4)

Daily Commitment: 2-2.5 hours

Month 3: Dynamic Programming & Backend Systems

Week 9-10: DP Fundamentals

• Start with classic problems (fibonacci, coin change)
• Build pattern recognition for DP
• Target: 2 DP problems daily
• Backend focus: SQL vs NoSQL, caching strategies

Week 11-12: Advanced Data Structures

• Heaps/Priority Queues
• Tries
• Union-Find
• Backend focus: Microservices, message queues
• Target: 25 problems + complete a small full-stack project

Month 4: System Design Introduction

Week 13-14: Distributed Systems Basics

• Study CAP theorem, consistency models
• Load balancing, sharding strategies
• Start “Grokking the System Design Interview”
• Practice: 1 system design problem every 2 days

Week 15-16: Architecture Patterns

• Microservices vs monoliths
• Event-driven architecture
• API design (REST, GraphQL, gRPC)
• Frontend-specific: CDNs, browser performance
• Target: Complete 8-10 system design problems

Checkpoint: 150+ problems solved, basic system design understanding, backend fundamentals solid

Phase 3: System Design Mastery (Month 5)

Daily Commitment: 2.5-3 hours

Week 17-18: Full-Stack System Design

• Design complete applications (e.g., Twitter, Uber)
• Focus on frontend-backend integration points
• Component architecture + API design
• Practice: 1 full system design daily
• Resource: System Design Primer (GitHub)

Week 19-20: Frontend-Specific System Design

• Performance optimization (lazy loading, code splitting)
• State management at scale
• Real-time features (WebSockets, polling strategies)
• Accessibility and internationalization
• Target: 15 total system designs completed

Start scheduling interviews at end of Month 5 for 3-4 weeks out

Phase 4: Interview Ready (Month 6)

Daily Commitment: 2-3 hours

Week 21-22: Mock Interview Intensive

• Schedule 2-3 mock interviews per week
• Use Pramp for algorithms, Interviewing.io for system design
• Record yourself and review communication
• Polish behavioral stories (prepare 10-12 STAR examples)

Week 23-24: Company-Specific Polish

• LeetCode Premium: Filter by target companies
• Study company engineering blogs
• Practice company-specific patterns
• Final mock interviews with experienced engineers
• Mental preparation and logistics

Weekly Schedule Template

Monday-Friday (1.5-2.5 hours)

• 6:30-7:30 AM: 1-2 new problems
• Lunch (30 min): Review solutions, watch explanations
• 8:00-9:30 PM: System design or backend study

Saturday (4-5 hours)

• Morning: 3-hour problem-solving session
• Afternoon: System design practice
• Evening: Behavioral story writing

Sunday (3-4 hours)

• Mock interview (after Month 2)
• Week review and planning
• Catch-up on weak areas

Key Milestones & Metrics

Month 1-2:

• ✓ 90-100 problems solved
• ✓ Can solve easy in 15 min, medium in 25 min
• ✓ Understand basic backend concepts

Month 3-4:

• ✓ 150-175 total problems
• ✓ Comfortable with DP patterns
• ✓ 10+ system designs attempted
• ✓ Built 1-2 full-stack projects

Month 5:

• ✓ 200+ problems total
• ✓ 20+ system designs
• ✓ Can design complex systems end-to-end

Month 6:

• ✓ 5+ mock interviews completed
• ✓ 10+ behavioral stories polished
• ✓ Company-specific preparation done

Resource Investment

Essential Purchases:

• LeetCode Premium: $35/month × 6 = $210
• Grokking System Design: $79
• Educative.io (1 month for final prep): $59
• 4-5 professional mocks: $800-1000
• Total: ~$1,150-1,350

Free Resources:

• NeetCode.io for video explanations
• System Design Primer (GitHub)
• Tech Interview Handbook
• Frontend Masters (if you have access)

Critical Success Factors

1. Never skip mock interviews - Schedule your first one at end of Month 2
2. Track everything in a spreadsheet: problems solved, time taken, patterns learned
3. Frontend advantage: Emphasize your ability to design full user experiences
4. The 20-minute rule: If stuck on a problem for 20 minutes, look at the solution
5. Behavioral prep starts Month 4 - Don’t leave it until the end

Adjustment Points

• If ahead of schedule: Add more system design practice (this differentiates L5 vs L4)
• If behind: Reduce target to 150 total problems, focus on Blind 75 + system design
• If struggling with backend: Extend by 1 month, spend Month 1 purely on backend fundamentals