My 3-Month Interview Preparation Journey

After 8+ years in the industry, I decided to prepare for Staff Engineer roles at top tech companies. Here’s my complete preparation strategy.

The Challenge

Staff Engineer interviews are different from regular SDE interviews:

• System Design carries more weight (40-50%)
• Behavioral questions probe for leadership and influence
• Coding still matters but focuses on problem-solving approach
• Architecture discussions go deep into trade-offs

My 3-Month Plan

Month 1: Foundation

Week 1-2: Data Structures Review

• Arrays, Strings, Linked Lists
• Trees, Graphs, Heaps
• Hash Tables, Stacks, Queues

Week 3-4: Algorithm Patterns

• Two Pointers
• Sliding Window
• Binary Search variations
• BFS/DFS
• Dynamic Programming basics

Daily routine:

• 2 LeetCode problems (1 easy, 1 medium)
• 30 min reviewing solutions
• Note down patterns

Month 2: System Design Deep Dive

Week 1-2: Fundamentals

• Scalability concepts
• Database design
• Caching strategies
• Load balancing

Week 3-4: Common Systems

• URL Shortener
• Rate Limiter
• News Feed
• Chat System
• Notification Service

Resources used:

• “Designing Data-Intensive Applications” (book)
• System Design Primer (GitHub)
• YouTube: Tech Dummies, Gaurav Sen

Month 3: Mock Interviews & Polish

Week 1-2: Mock Interviews

• 2 coding mocks/week
• 2 system design mocks/week
• Used: Pramp, Interviewing.io

Week 3-4: Company-Specific Prep

• Researched company engineering blogs
• Practiced explaining past projects
• Prepared STAR stories for behavioral

My Study Resources

Coding

Resource	Purpose
LeetCode Premium	Company-specific questions
NeetCode 150	Curated problem list
Blind 75	Classic must-knows
AlgoExpert	Video explanations

System Design

Resource	Purpose
DDIA Book	Deep understanding
Grokking System Design	Interview-focused
System Design Primer	Quick reference
Company Tech Blogs	Real-world examples

Behavioral

Resource	Purpose
STAR Method	Story structure
Leadership Principles	Amazon-style prep
Past Project Notes	Concrete examples

Key Patterns I Focused On

Coding Patterns

1. Sliding Window - Subarray problems
2. Two Pointers - Sorted arrays, palindromes
3. Fast & Slow Pointers - Cycle detection
4. Merge Intervals - Scheduling problems
5. Top K Elements - Heap usage
6. Binary Search - Rotated arrays, boundaries

System Design Patterns

1. Caching - When and how to cache
2. Sharding - Database partitioning
3. Message Queues - Async processing
4. CDN - Global content delivery
5. Consistent Hashing - Distributed systems

Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)

1. Starting with Hard Problems

Mistake: Jumped into hard LeetCode problems Fix: Start with easy, master patterns, then medium

2. Passive Learning

Mistake: Watching videos without practicing Fix: Active recall - explain solutions out loud

3. Ignoring Behavioral

Mistake: 90% time on coding, 10% on behavioral Fix: Behavioral can make or break offers

4. Not Mocking Enough

Mistake: Practiced alone, panicked in real interviews Fix: Regular mock interviews are essential

Results

After 3 months:

• 200+ LeetCode problems solved
• 15+ system designs practiced
• 10+ mock interviews completed
• Multiple offers at L5/Staff level

My Recommendations

For Coding

1. Focus on patterns, not just problems
2. Time yourself (45 min for medium)
3. Practice explaining while coding
4. Review optimal solutions after each problem

For System Design

1. Understand trade-offs deeply
2. Practice drawing diagrams
3. Discuss real systems you’ve built
4. Be ready to go deep on any component

For Behavioral

1. Prepare 5-6 strong STAR stories
2. Cover: conflict, failure, leadership, impact
3. Quantify your impact (metrics!)
4. Practice with a friend

Daily Schedule That Worked

6:00 AM - Wake up
6:30 AM - 1 LeetCode problem
7:30 AM - Review solution, note patterns
8:00 AM - Work
6:00 PM - 1 System Design topic (1 hour)
7:00 PM - Dinner, break
8:00 PM - 1 more LeetCode + behavioral prep
10:00 PM - Sleep

Final Thoughts

Interview prep is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency beats intensity. Good luck!