If you’re aiming for FAANG, chances are you’ve already spent hours grinding LeetCode problems. And maybe you’ve noticed something unsettling: AI can now write most of your solutions for you. Fast. Clean. Bug-free. Which means the traditional “crack the coding interview” approach is slowly becoming outdated.
Companies are changing the parameters of how they assess talent. Coding alone won’t make you stand out from other candidates. System design and the ability to explain your thinking under pressure are emerging as the differentiators. Knowing how to prompt AI to code for you may get you in the door, but how you think, defend decisions, and communicate will get you the offer.
This post is for the working professional with a 9–5, maybe a family, maybe just a life, trying to prepare for FAANG in 30 days without losing sanity. I’ve combined my experience with insights from FAANG interviewers to give you a roadmap that’s practical, realistic, and actually useful.
Why Most 30-Day Plans Fail
- Too rigid – assuming you have 4 hours daily to spare. No one does.
- Obsessed with coding – hours of LeetCode skimming do not equal mastery.
- No mocks, no stress test – you need to simulate the real interview environment.
- Zero rest and reset – burnout kills progress faster than lack of skill.
The 3 Pillars That Matter at FAANG
1. Code to Clear the Bar
Coding is just how you enter the “game”, not a differentiator
- Start small: Begin with easy problems, move to mediums, and skip hards (they’re usually just a mash-up of mediums).
- Time-box yourself: Spend about 20 minutes per problem—the same window you’ll get in interviews. Optimize for clarity under pressure.
- Learn, then code: If stuck, review the solution, understand it, then re-code from scratch (ideally without autocomplete) to get fluid with your chosen language.
- Reinforce: Note down each problem and revisit it after 2, 5, and 10 days to make it stick.
- Target: Build up to solving mediums in under 25 minutes.
Resources: Free practice banks like LeetCode, NeetCode, Blind 75, and open study sheets shared by the community are good to get started.
2. Design to Differentiate
System design is where you demonstrate expertise. It’s your chance to show thoughtfulness, trade-off analysis, and clarity under pressure.
- Sketch classic designs: Think Ticketmaster or URL shortener for junior-mid levels. For senior roles, prepare for open-ended questions. HelloPai.ai is a great tool for practising these.
- Defend trade-offs: Always explain why you chose approach A over B.
- Whiteboard, not just read: Passive consumption won’t take you far. Record yourself, maybe on a Zoom, explaining a design to catch gaps in communication.
- Active practice: Mock interviews, live whiteboarding, AI simulators—this is your stress test.
3. Behavioural to Tip the Scale
Culture fit matters. You don’t need to over-engineer behavioral prep – just get the fundamentals right.
- Speak with a steady, confident tone.
- STAR stories must start with results
- “Tell me about yourself” is not a resume summary.
- Project your voice, even if it's just on Zoom. Many underestimate this.
A Realistic 30-Day Plan
Weekdays: Maintenance Mode
- Coding warmups: 45–60 mins, 100–150 problems in the entire 30-day period.
- Behavioral: 15–20 mins, practice one story during your commute.
- Design lite: 20–30 mins, small system sketches, 2 days/week.
Weekends: Battle Mode
- 2 hours deep coding: Timed rounds or tough sets.
- 2 hours system design mocks: Defend your design with a buddy or AI tool like PAI.
- 1–2 hours behavioral: Rehearse full story set.
- Weekly retro: What tripped you? Plan next week’s fix.
This approach respects your day job, your personal life, and still keeps the learning curve steep enough to matter.
Quick 30-Day Checklist
- Covered 5–7 coding patterns deeply.
- Sketched 1–2 full system designs + 5–7 high-level designs with targeted deep dives.
- Practiced & refined 5–7 strong behavioral stories.
Remember: FAANG success is probabilistic. Keep momentum, stay sharp, and treat every mock as a mini-interview. The bar is high, but with focused effort, it’s achievable—even with just 30 days.
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