From Bootcamp to FAANG in 18 Months
18 months ago, I graduated from a coding bootcamp with no CS background. Today, I'm a software engineer at Meta. Here's my story.
My Background
- Psychology degree
- Career change at 28
- 12-week coding bootcamp
- Zero tech industry experience
The Journey
Months 0-6: Foundation Building
- Built portfolio projects
- Got first job at a startup
- Started LeetCode easy problems
Months 6-12: Skill Development
- Learned data structures deeply
- Solved 100 medium problems
- Started applying to mid-size companies
Months 12-18: FAANG Prep
- AlgoEngineer's DSA course
- 200+ total problems solved
- Weekly mock interviews
- System design preparation
The Meta Interview
- Phone Screen: Two medium problems
- Onsite: 4 coding + 1 behavioral
- Offer: $160K total comp (L3)
Key Lessons
- CS degree not required - But you must learn fundamentals
- Experience matters - Get that first job, even if small
- Consistency beats intensity - Daily practice for months
- Mock interviews are crucial - Practice under pressure
- Don't give up - I got rejected 15 times before Meta
Resources That Helped
- AlgoEngineer for structured learning
- Pramp for mock interviews
- Blind for company insights
- System Design Primer on GitHub
Advice for Bootcamp Grads
- Focus on fundamentals first
- Build strong projects
- Network actively
- Be patient with yourself
- Practice, practice, practice
If I can do it, so can you. The path exists - you just need to walk it!