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Interactive roadmap

Pick your track, timeline and target companies, then tick each task as you finish it. Progress saves in this browser only, so use Export to move it.

Checklist version for GitHub and readers without JavaScript. The site version adds timelines, company tasks, filters and saved progress.

Setup

Pick a plan, a role and a language. Set up your logs.

Foundations

Resume v1, LinkedIn, a job list and DSA basics.

Core DSA

One main problem list, pattern by pattern.

  • Pick one main problem list and finish it in order. For example Grind 75 or NeetCode 150. Switching lists halfway costs you time. Problem lists, Grind 75, NeetCode roadmap. 0.5 h.
  • Use a fixed per-problem process with a time limit. Give each problem 20 to 30 minutes before you open a solution. Write the pattern in your log. How to practice, Ascend: I cleared Amazon, Google and Meta with only 120 LeetCode problems. 0.5 h.
  • Read the core patterns page once. Learn the signal that points to each pattern. Come back to it after every problem. Coding patterns, Sean Prashad's LeetCode Patterns. 1 h.
  • Solve the two pointers and sliding window problems. Sorted input, pairs, or a contiguous subarray with a condition point here. Do every one on your main list. Coding patterns. 8 h.
  • Solve the binary search problems. Include binary search on the answer: the smallest speed, capacity or time that works. Coding patterns, LeetCode Binary Search study plan. 5 h.
  • Solve the stack and linked list problems. Matching brackets, next greater element, fast and slow pointers, reversal and merge. Coding patterns. 6 h.
  • Solve the tree BFS and DFS problems. BFS for levels, DFS for paths and subtrees, and BST order for search. Coding patterns. 8 h.
  • Solve the heap and top K problems. Top K elements, K-way merge and running median. Coding patterns. 4 h.
  • Solve the graph problems: BFS, DFS, topological sort. Treat grids as graphs. Add union-find for connectivity questions. Coding patterns, LeetCode Graph Theory study plan. 10 h.
  • Solve the backtracking problems. Subsets, permutations and combinations. Draw the decision tree before you code. Coding patterns. 5 h.
  • Solve the dynamic programming problems, 1D then 2D. Start with climbing stairs and house robber, then grids and two-string problems. Coding patterns, LeetCode Dynamic Programming study plan. 12 h.
  • Solve the intervals and greedy problems. Sort by start or end time, then sweep once. Coding patterns. 4 h.
  • Solve the trie and bit manipulation problems. Tries for prefix search and autocomplete. Bit tricks for single number and subset questions. Coding patterns, Tech Interview Handbook: Trie. 3 h. New grad and experienced.
  • Redo 10 problems from your log without notes. Pick the ones you needed help on. If you get stuck again, schedule it for next week. How to practice. 5 h.
  • Solve 10 medium problems in under 25 minutes each. Time yourself and talk out loud as if an interviewer is listening. How to practice. 5 h. New grad and experienced.
  • Learn what interviewers grade in your code. Clear names, small helpers and your own test cases are graded too. A passing answer is not enough. Code quality. 1 h.

Applications and outreach

Tailored applications, referrals, recruiters, cold email and a tracker.

Online assessments

Formats, platforms and timed practice.

  • Learn how online assessments are scored. Most score hidden test cases within a time limit. Some also review your code and check for plagiarism. How OAs work. 0.5 h.
  • Look up the OA format for each tier 1 company. Platform, number of questions, time limit and extra sections such as work-style surveys. OA formats by company, Company guides. 1 h.
  • Practice on the platform your target companies use. Get used to the editor, the input format and running your own tests. OA platforms, HackerRank Interview Preparation Kit, CodeSignal Learn (freemium). 2 h.
  • Take 3 timed practice OAs, one sitting each. Same time limit, no notes, camera on if the real one needs it. Review every failed test case after. How to pass OAs. 5 h.
  • Prepare your OA day: quiet room, charger, rules read. Read the integrity rules first. A partial solution that passes some tests beats an empty one. How to pass OAs. 0.5 h.
  • Write OA code that a reviewer can read. Some companies read your OA code after the tests pass. Use clear names and delete dead code. Code quality in OAs. 1 h.
  • Practice the non-coding OA sections. Work-style surveys, work simulations and game-based tests. Answer consistently and honestly. OA platforms, Amazon: SDE online assessment. 1 h.

Interview prep

Mocks, company lists, your story bank and design rounds.

Interview loop

Day-of routine, notes, thank-you and follow-up.

  • Schedule rounds with a few days of buffer. Ask the recruiter what each round covers and pick dates that leave you time to review. Message templates. 0.5 h.
  • Test your camera, mic, editor and internet the day before. Use the exact tool the invite names. Keep a phone hotspot as a backup. The 45-minute interview. 0.5 h.
  • Review your story bank and 10 marked problems the day before. Read the stories out loud once. Re-read your notes on each problem; do not start new ones. Story bank, How to practice. 2 h.
  • Warm up with one easy problem on interview day. Then stop studying. Keep water and a notepad within reach. The 45-minute interview. 0.5 h.
  • Prepare 2 questions to ask each interviewer. Ask about the team's current work, how success is measured and what new hires find hard. Behavioral interviews. 0.5 h.
  • Write notes within an hour of each round. Questions asked, what went well, what to fix. Use them before the next round or loop. Follow-up and tracking. 0.5 h.
  • Send thank-you notes within 24 hours. Keep it short and mention one specific detail. Send it through the recruiter if you lack interviewer emails. Message templates. 0.5 h.
  • Follow up with the recruiter if the reply date passes. One polite email asking for an update. Keep your other processes moving meanwhile. Follow-up and tracking, Message templates. 0.25 h.
  • Prepare for team matching calls. Some companies, such as Google and Meta, match you to a team after you pass the interviews. Prepare questions and say what you want to build. Google guide, Meta guide. 1 h.
  • If rejected, ask for feedback and the reapply window. Log what to fix, then go back to the phase that covers it. Application strategy. 0.5 h.

Offer and negotiation

Comp basics, scripts and comparing offers.

  • Read the offer process from recruiter call to signature. Know every step before the first recruiter call, because the salary question can come early. Negotiation process. 0.5 h.
  • Prepare your answer to the salary expectations question. Avoid naming a number before you have an offer. Use the script word for word. Negotiation scripts. 0.5 h.
  • Learn base, bonus, stock, vesting and sign-on. Interns: compare hourly pay, housing and relocation instead. Comp basics. 1 h.
  • Look up real pay data for your level and city. Compare by level, not title. Save 3 data points to use on the call. Levels.fyi, Negotiation resources. 1 h.
  • Line up other processes so offers land close together. Ask each recruiter for their timeline. Tell slower companies when you have an offer deadline. Negotiation process, Application strategy. 1 h. New grad and experienced.
  • Ask for more with the negotiation email script. Thank them, state a number with a reason, and ask what is possible. Negotiation scripts, Haseeb Qureshi: Ten rules for negotiating a job offer. 1 h. New grad and experienced.
  • Ask for an extension if a deadline is too short. Ask early and propose a date. Short deadlines can often be moved. Negotiation scripts. 0.5 h.
  • Compare offers on total pay over 4 years. Include the vesting schedule, sign-on, refreshers if known, and cost of living. Comp basics. 1 h. New grad and experienced.
  • Confirm sponsorship, start date and location in writing. International students: confirm the company supports STEM OPT and will file for H-1B before you sign. International students. 0.5 h.
  • Plan for a return offer from your first week. Set goals with your manager in week one and ask for feedback at the midpoint. How internship recruiting works, Simplify: How to get a return offer. 0.5 h. Intern only.
  • Sign, withdraw elsewhere and thank everyone who helped. Tell the other companies politely. Send referrers and mentors a short thank-you. Message templates. 0.5 h.

Week-by-week problem plans

The Core DSA phase asks you to finish one main list. If you want the problems laid out by day or week, follow one of these and tick the matching pattern tasks as you finish each block.

  • Michael's FAANG 10-Week Roadmap: 5 to 6 linked LeetCode problems a week, grouped by pattern, from Jugal's interview with Michael, CEO of Simplify. How to use it: do one week's set each week and log every problem. For 5 more problems on each of 15 patterns, use Michael's Guide to FAANG DSA.
  • Master DSA with patterns: Jugal's day-by-day 60-day plan with LeetCode links by company and pattern. How to use it: budget 60 to 90 minutes a day, and on days 56 and 57 solve 4 problems a day from a target company's list.
  • I Cleared Amazon, Google, and Meta With Only 120 LeetCode Problems: the 60-day block plan behind Jugal's 120 problems, plus his pattern map for 8 companies. How to use it: move to the next block only when you can name each pattern from the problem statement alone.

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