New Grad SWE Coding Interview Prep from Zero Experience: A 3-Month Plan

FAQ

Does a candidate need a CS degree to succeed in a 3‑month plan?
No. The hiring committee at Google in Q2 2024 accepted a candidate without a degree because he owned a GKE project and demonstrated latency awareness; the decision hinged on demonstrable system‑level impact, not a diploma.

Can I replace mock interviews with peer coding sessions?
Not entirely. The senior engineer at Amazon (Mike Liu, June 2023) warned that peers cannot replicate the “Mechanism Design” rubric; a mock with a senior reviewer adds the necessary execution signal.

What is the minimum number of LeetCode problems I should solve?
Fewer than 30 is acceptable if each solution includes a full test suite and a written complexity analysis; the Stripe interview in October 2023 rejected a candidate with 120 solves but no tests.

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