Curated by engineers, for engineers
Interview Prep Resources
Books, certifications, AI skills, and a clear study plan — tailored for every career level. Pick your path.
Entry Level / New Grad
Build a rock-solid foundation and land your first role
1
Language Mastery
- Pick ONE language: Python, Java, or C++
- Master data types, loops, functions, OOP basics
- Write 50+ small programs to build muscle memory
2
DSA Concepts & Patterns
- Learn core data structures: arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, heaps
- Understand Big-O analysis — time AND space complexity
- Study the 15 core coding patterns (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS, etc.)
3
Essential 75 Problems
- Solve the Essential 75 — curated problems covering all major patterns
- Aim for 2–3 problems per day with deep understanding, not speed
- Review solutions in multiple languages to broaden perspective
4
Mock Interviews & Polish
- Practice explaining your approach out loud
- Do timed mock interviews (45 min per problem)
- Review behavioral interview questions (STAR method)
Gen AI Skills
- Learn to use AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Cursor) effectively
- Understand prompt engineering basics — get better results from LLMs
- Build a small project using an LLM API (OpenAI, Anthropic)
Senior Engineer
Level up system design and sharpen your coding edge
1
DSA Refresh
- Revisit the Essential 75 with a pattern-based approach
- Focus on graphs, dynamic programming, and advanced tree problems
- Time yourself — senior rounds expect faster solutions
2
System Design Foundations
- Distributed systems fundamentals: CAP theorem, consistency, partitioning
- Building blocks: load balancers, caches, message queues, databases
- Learn to estimate capacity (QPS, storage, bandwidth)
3
Design Scenarios
- Practice 15–20 classic scenarios: URL shortener, Twitter feed, WhatsApp, Netflix
- Focus on trade-offs, not memorized answers
- Draw diagrams and explain to a rubber duck (or a friend)
4
Low-Level Design
- OOP design patterns: Strategy, Observer, Factory, Builder
- Practice LLD problems: parking lot, elevator, chess, booking system
- Focus on clean interfaces, SOLID principles, and extensibility
Gen AI Skills
- Understand LLM architectures — transformers, attention, fine-tuning vs RAG
- Design systems that integrate LLMs — API gateways, caching, token management
- Practice designing ML pipelines — ingestion, feature stores, model serving
Staff+ Engineer
Master architecture, cloud, and cross-cutting design
1
Advanced System Design
- Event-driven architecture, CQRS, saga patterns
- Distributed transactions, consensus protocols (Raft, Paxos)
- Study real architectures: Netflix, Google, Uber
2
Cloud Architecture
- Pick ONE cloud provider and go deep (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
- Compute, storage, networking, and managed services
- Multi-region deployments, disaster recovery, cost optimization
3
Technologies Deep Dive
- Master Kafka, Redis, Elasticsearch — know when to use each and why
- Database selection: SQL vs NoSQL vs NewSQL vs time-series
- Observability: metrics, logging, tracing (OpenTelemetry)
4
Leadership & Communication
- Writing design docs and architecture proposals
- Behavioral rounds — stories about tech leadership and influence
- Cross-cutting concerns: security, compliance, cost governance
Gen AI Skills
- Architect AI systems — RAG pipelines, vector DBs, multi-model orchestration
- AI governance — bias detection, model evaluation, responsible AI
- MLOps at scale — model versioning, A/B testing, drift monitoring
- Know when NOT to use AI — cost-benefit, latency, determinism
Practice smarter, not harder
Now bring it all together
Books give you knowledge. InterviewPickle helps you track, practice, and master it — with visual walkthroughs, progress tracking, and solutions in 4 languages.
Track progress across 150+ problems
Solutions in Python, Java, C++ & TypeScript
Visual walkthroughs for every pattern
One-time payment — 70% less than subscriptions
DSA + System Design + Cloud — all in one place
Lifetime access — no recurring fees, ever
70% less than subscription platforms
One-time payment. Lifetime access. Plenty of free content to explore before you decide.