Below I’m going to discuss a complete roadmap to become a placement-ready programmer. The focus is that, if you want to get a job within 9-10 months whether you are in your final year or you are in a service-based company and you want to shift from there, or you want to get placed in a product based company it can be Amazon, Microsoft or it can be many product-based start-ups, I will give you a complete roadmap. This roadmap will have month-based distributions like what to do for the first 2 months and so on.
I will tell you from scratch. Even if you don’t know anything and do these for 9-10 months, then you will definitely get ready to apply for a job. Also, you will get a good job. As your preparation will be complete. So as I will discuss from the scratch, if you have completed a certain task then please leave that part. The portion which is still left, you can cover later.
Table of Contents
Week 1-4 (Language)
Let’s start from scratch now. If you don’t know anything, then what is the 1st thing that you learn in programming? For 15-20 days or for a month, we must learn a language. It can be C++, Java, or Python. If you want to be placement ready then I would recommend that if you don’t know anything then choose Java. It’s a mediocre path. It’s neither very difficult nor very easy. C++ is a bit more difficult and Python is very easy. So you can choose Java. Either you learn the basics of Java or you learn the basics of C++, it doesn’t make a difference. Functions, Loops, Eiffel – you must be able to do these little things.
Duration
If you have to learn a language for 15-20 days or for a month then you have to work for 7-8hrs daily, only then you will reach that stage. Then learn the basics of the language, Eiffel and as I said, loops, functions, OOPS concepts of language, learn all of that I think that will build your base
Strategy
You must know that I thought of this logic and I am able to code this. See, I am going to make sure of one thing if you have not done this then you have to put in one more hour. You have to study for 7-8hrs minimum, per day. Obviously, if some people are a bit slow, then they have to work harder. Maybe they have to work for 10-12hrs. Be ready with all this. If you work hard enough for the next 9-10 months, then you will not realize it. Eventually, you will reach a very good stage in your life. So please be ready for that.
Week 4-16 (DSA)
Duration
Now for the next 2-3 months, give your full focus to data structure and algorithms. We have to do problem-solving. Make sure that you have to do DS & Algo in 2-3 months. See, ideally what happens is that if you work for 2-3hrs., then you will learn it in 6-7 months. But if you want a job or want to become job-ready in 9-10 months then we have to do DS & Algo in 2-3 months. We have to work harder we have to learn the topics quickly. Please you have to devote more time, so be ready for that.
Strategy
We have to do it in a structured way. First, we have to do arrays, then strings, then we have to do Linked List we have to do Recursion, and we have to do Trees and Priority Queues. We have to basically learn by practice. We have to do many questions in them around 300-350 questions is a must. Completing them in a span of 3 months is compulsory. We cannot delay more than this or else more time will get wasted.
This is just for a learning perspective. If you want to practice, then you can use CodeStudio. There is a guide path to DS & Algo also over there. We have courses also. You can refer to them. If you want to learn, you can learn from anywhere. But within 3-4 months, you have to do DS & Algo very well. You don’t have to do anything else at this time. Do only DS & Algo.
I have repeated this before also, if you have already learned a language and have already done DS & Algo, then you can skip this part and do the remaining parts which are there. Then only you will become a job-ready programmer. Ok? So it doesn’t make a difference, whether you are in the final year or if you want to go from a service-based to a product-based company whatever you want to do, everyone has to do this. Only then he will get a good job and only then one can get a job with a good package.
Week 16 to 30 (Projects)
Duration
So we have done this part. We have done good practice of DS & Algo. I know that I have done well in problem-solving. Our base is made. Now, what is there? Now for the next few months, we have to focus on projects well. What is missing in our resume? Projects are missing. I will highly recommend it. It’s very important to put projects in a resume. It can be in web development, app development or it can be in machine learning. It can be in anything. But in the next 3-4 months, we have to learn a skill and make a project from it at the end.
Strategy
If we choose web development, then our end goal must be to make a website. We have to understand the front end and back end in it. By putting more and more time into it we have to simultaneously make a project in web development. It’s very important to make it ready in the next 3-4 months.
If you do app development, then we have to make an app corresponding to that. We should make sure that it’s deployed, and that the app is on the play store. If you have made a website, it is deployed somewhere because this will build your project and this will stand you out that there is a project in my resume and it has a link also.
If it’s machine learning, then you have to make a project end to end and this is the GitHub link, you have put that in your resume and that will make you stand out. See, it’s the same old thing if you had given 2-3 hrs. daily, then you can take 6-7 months but since you want to become job-ready really fast i.e in 9-10 months then don’t delay too much.
Don’t focus on the idea too much. If you come across a good idea wherein you will learn a lot just choose it and make a project out of it from end to end. We cannot delay this. We have to make a good project in this one quality project in which you have worked very well right from end to end. There is nothing like it. Just make your project well, that’s the ex-factor it’s deployed, it deployed and it’s deployed. Ok? These are the things that stand you out. So please focus on your project.
Simultaneously
Along with this, while working on the project, while working in the advanced field like web development, app development, or machine learning we have to do one thing. I am strongly telling you this for a minimum of 2 hrs. You have to take out time for DS & Algo. You may be doing Web D for 6-7hrs. but for 2 hrs. you have to study for DS & Algo. Either you practice on Code Studio or you do computer programming you can do anything but maintain your flow for DS & Algo. If you don’t continue with it for 3-4 months, then you will face difficulties in the future. So you have to make it a habit of simultaneously practicing DS & Algo.
If you find it very hard, then skip it but at least prepare for the interviews. Amazon’s top interview questions, Google’s top interview questions, and appear for online tests. Even if you are appearing for mock test series in different companies, at least a flow will be maintained. Do anything but in these 3-4 months, you have to maintain the flow of DS & Algo. Don’t delay it. Ok? So we have done DS & Algo.
Week 30-35 (Programming Fundamentals)
We learned a language for 1 month initially then we did DS & Algo for 3 months. After that, we worked on a project. Simultaneously, we have maintained a flow for DS & Algo. So 8 months are over.
Duration
Now we have to study a few programming fundamentals. See, this has become very important in today’s date. Questions are asked in the interviews on operating systems, computer networks, DBMS, or some basic system design. These things have become a bit important. These questions come in the interview even in the 1st online round. You can solve the coding questions in it only if you have practiced DS & Algo well. Questions on programming fundamentals and on output can also appear. So we need to study this for 1-1.5 months and practice it well.
Strategy
Remember you have to study from the perspective of the placement. You don’t have to study the whole book for everything. I will highly recommend that we have a guided path for each of these skills. On CodeStudio, we have them for Operating systems, computer networks, DBMS, and system design as well. Whatever we have to do for being interview ready we can definitely study that from there. It has been made in a structured way with notes and MCQs.
But again we will maintain the flow for DS & Algo. Our project has been made, we will study a bit for 6-7hrs. We will do these programming fundamentals. Simultaneously we will practice interview-type questions and will study and strengthen these concepts. We are good in MCQs and have become good in basic stuff that will definitely make us stand out. Now whatever we had to study for placement, we have done that. I have suggested the resources at the same time. You can refer to those resources and study well.
Week 35 Ahead (Miscellaneous Concepts)
Now our DS & Algo has become good, our project has also become good. Our programming fundamentals have also become good. There are 1-2 miscellaneous concepts about which I want to talk to you about. They can be a bit different but if you focus on these things a bit then you will become a complete job-ready programmer.
Firstly
What is miscellaneous – i.e Aptitude? So some questions on aptitude may come in some companies in the 1st round. It feels very bad if we get rejected because of this, so practice aptitude a bit. Again, we have the guide path for aptitude also. You can go to CodeStudio and practice it well. There are notes and MCQs. Maintain the flow, your aptitude will be done.
Secondly
Another miscellaneous thing is Interview Puzzles. In some interviews, they ask for standard puzzles. So if we have made a flow for it, then we know the thought process of it because these are a bit tricky. If you have not done these puzzles, then you will struggle because of it. So study some 100 interview puzzles. There are many resources. If you study some interview puzzles then your mind is framed in a way that this is also a method and these are the tricks to solve interview puzzles. So these are your miscellaneous concepts – aptitude and interview puzzles.
Thirdly
The 3rd point I will tell you before you become job-ready please practice mock interviews with your friends a bit. We keep practicing many things, and we become very knowledgeable but when it comes to presenting them, we struggle a bit. So if we can give little mock interviews here and there if we are able to talk professionally and practice a bit.
It would be better if we can arrange for some good mock interviews or if you have some links. Like if you have some relatives who are in companies then do mock interviews through them or pay them or do something or the other. Finally, get some mock interviews done through them. You will get feedback from them. And eventually, when you will be going to a company to give interviews you will see a big difference. All those communication gaps will go away, once you give that mock interview.
All the points are covered for you. There will be no regret thereafter. Once this is done, your resume is ready in a superb way. Now you will have everything that you need to become placement ready and apply for internships. You can apply for a full time or apply wherever you want. If there are on-campus opportunities then don’t miss them. After that search outside you will land in great companies. As you have worked very hard in the last 9-10 months. All the best for your preparations!
Make easy-to-revise notes on DSA: Read this.