The Decision
I'm done waiting for the right moment. Starting February 23, 2026, I'm locking in for 90 days with one non-negotiable outcome: a job offer as a backend, full-stack, or AI engineer.
This post is my public commitment. If you're reading this, hold me accountable.
Why 90 Days?
90 days is long enough to build real momentum and short enough to stay urgent. It's roughly 12 weeks — enough time to:
- Send 200+ tailored applications
- Solve 150+ DSA problems
- Master system design fundamentals
- Get interview-ready physically and mentally
The clock starts tomorrow. Here's the roadmap.
The Four Pillars
1. Job Applications — Consistent, Targeted, Personal
No spray-and-pray. Every application gets a tailored resume and cover letter aligned to the role's stack and company culture. My targets are backend, full-stack, and AI engineer roles across Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary.
Weekly targets:
- 15–20 applications sent
- 3–5 cold emails to recruiters or engineers
- 1–2 referral requests from my network
- Follow-up on every application past 7 days
Roles I'm targeting: Java/Spring Boot backend, Node.js/React full-stack, AI/LLM-integrated engineering, and cloud-native microservices positions.
2. DSA & Competitive Programming — Daily, Non-Negotiable
At 4 AM every morning, before the day pulls me in every direction, I open LeetCode. No exceptions.
The plan:
- 2 problems per day minimum (Easy + Medium rotation)
- Weekly: 1 Hard problem
- Focus areas: Arrays, Trees, Graphs, DP, Sliding Window, Heap, and Two Pointers
- Every Saturday: mock interview session (timed, no hints)
I'm already past 300 problems. By day 90, I want to be at 450+ and genuinely comfortable with any medium-difficulty problem under 25 minutes.
3. System Design — Think Like a Senior Engineer
This is where junior candidates lose senior-targeting roles. I'm studying system design every evening, treating it like a craft.
Weekly topics rotation:
- Week 1–2: Fundamentals — load balancing, caching, databases, CAP theorem
- Week 3–4: Real systems — URL shortener, rate limiter, notification service
- Week 5–6: Distributed systems — Kafka, consistent hashing, leader election
- Week 7–8: Cloud-native — microservices patterns, API gateways, container orchestration
- Week 9–10: AI/ML systems — LLM pipelines, vector DBs, RAG architectures
- Week 11–12: Mock design interviews + review weak areas
Every week I'll document one system design breakdown right here on this blog.
4. Gym + Eating Clean — The Non-Negotiable Foundation
I've learned that job hunting is a mental game. Discipline bleeds across all areas of your life — if I'm consistent in the gym and in the kitchen, I'll be consistent with applications and code too.
Training: 5 days a week, strength + cardio split. No skipped sessions unless I'm sick.
Nutrition: Clean eating starting tomorrow. Protein-first meals, no junk during the week, meal prepped on Sundays. Hydration tracked.
The goal isn't aesthetics — it's mental sharpness, better sleep, and showing up every day with energy.
Weekly Check-In Structure
Every Sunday I'll post a short update on this blog covering:
- Applications sent that week and response rates
- DSA problems solved and key learnings
- System design topic studied
- Gym attendance
- One honest reflection — what worked, what didn't
Transparency is the point. Progress in public builds accountability.
The Stack I'm Betting On
My strongest areas going into this sprint:
- Backend: Java, Spring Boot 3, Node.js, REST APIs, microservices
- Frontend: React, TypeScript, Next.js
- AI/LLM: GPT-4, Gemini, Claude API integrations, RAG pipelines
- Cloud & DevOps: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
If a role touches any combination of these, I'm applying — and I'll be ready.
Day 90 Target
By May 23, 2026, I will have a signed offer letter. That's the only acceptable outcome.
If you're on a similar journey — grinding applications, studying nights, trying to break through — I'd love to connect. Let's hold each other accountable.
The work starts tomorrow. Let's go.