Preparing for Technical Interviews

Alright, so I’ve been putting off the LeetCode grind for far too long. After 5 years as a software engineer, I’ve somehow managed to avoid the dreaded technical interview gauntlet — and I won’t lie, the longer I’ve delayed it, the scarier it’s become. Imposter syndrome, meet your enabler.

But with the current tech landscape being what it is — competitive, unpredictable, and full of “just one more round” interview loops — I know it’s time to face this challenge head-on. No more excuses. I’m committed to giving this prep journey everything I’ve got.

So, I’m kicking off this blog series for three reasons:

1. Accountability: Writing about my journey makes it real.

2. Knowledge Sharing: If I find something that works (or definitely doesn’t), I want to pass it on.

3. Community: Maybe you’re in the same boat — if so, let’s prep together.

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🔄 What I’m Starting With

To begin, I’ll be working through the NeetCode 150 problems. These are categorized by topic and difficulty, and they’ve become a go-to roadmap for interview prep across the board.

As I go, I’ll be documenting my progress, problem-solving strategies, and aha! moments here on the blog and across my social platforms. I’ll also share breakdowns of any particularly tricky problems, either in writing or as short-form videos (because explaining it to others helps me lock it in).

🛣️ My Technical Interview Prep Roadmap

This roadmap isn’t rigid, but it gives me structure and a sense of pace. I’m aiming for ~5–10 problems per week depending on the difficulty and topic.

🧠 Months 1–2: Master the Basics

• Arrays & HashTables

• Two Pointers

• Sliding Window

• Stack & Queue

🌱 Months 3–4: Core Data Structures

• Linked Lists

• Binary Search

• Trees & Binary Search Trees

• Heaps & Priority Queues

• Graphs & Traversals

🧩 Month 5: Advanced Topics

• Recursion & Backtracking

• Dynamic Programming

• Tries & Greedy Algorithms

🧱 Month 6: System Design + Mock Interviews

• Scalable architecture concepts

• Real-world design challenges

• Whiteboard-style mock interviews

• Behavioral & STAR method prep

🎯 My Goals & Learning Style

My goal is to be confident and technically sharp enough to apply to senior-level roles at companies like Google, Airbnb, or Netflix by the end of the year. I’m focusing on Python as my interview language, but will revisit JavaScript if needed for front-end roles.

I tend to learn best when I:

• Write things down by hand

• Teach the concept (through a post or a short video)

• Solve problems in batches (with breaks to avoid burnout)

So if you see a post from me explaining a concept, know that it’s as much for me as it is for you!

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📚 Resources Page

I’ll be compiling all the tools, courses, cheat sheets, and videos I use on my Resources page, which I’ll update regularly. So if you’re looking for Python templates, Big O cheat sheets, or a sanity-saving visual explanation of dynamic programming, check there first.

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✨ Let’s Do This Together

If you’ve been putting this off too — whether because of burnout, fear, or just life — I see you. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or “behind,” but the truth is, the best time to start was yesterday… and the second-best time is today.

Let’s prep together. 💻

Let’s grow together. 🌱

And let’s land that next dream job. 💼

I’ll be posting updates weekly here and on @ChicanaCodes — feel free to follow along or drop a comment to say hi. If you’re on the same journey, I’d love to cheer you on too.