Why is this free? What does FastPress Labs get out of it?

We build launch tools in the open and offer paid services to people who already like our work. Teaching for free is how we earn that trust. No catch.

Can I ask questions or suggest a resource?

Yes — open a discussion, a pull request, or use the form/email below. Real humans reply within a day.

A FastPress Labs project · free forever

Placement prep, the honest way.

Q: Is everything on this page really free?

Yes. Every learning link is a free resource. We never promote paid courses, referral links or affiliate deals. FastPress Labs' own paid services are separate and clearly labeled elsewhere.

Q: I am not from a CS background. Can I still get placed?

Yes. The plan works for any degree. Many companies hire skills over certificates. Start with the foundations track, then one real project in public beats ten certificates.

Q: How long does placement prep actually take?

The honest range is 2 to 6 months of consistent work depending on your starting point. The 90-day plan is the fast track — not a guarantee, a structure.

One page with everything you actually need to get hired: a 90-day plan, the best free learning links, real practice, one flagship project, and where to apply. No paid courses promoted, no fake success stories, no gatekeeping.

Start the 90-day plan Browse all links

51 free links, verified 26 Oct 2026
0 paid courses promoted
0 fake testimonials
Human replies within a day

start.json

{
  "pick_a_stack":   "1 language, then stick to it",
  "practice_daily": "DSA or build, 90 min/day",
  "build_public":   "1 flagship project on GitHub",
  "apply_early":    "day 60, not day 90",
  "be_kind":        "help one junior each week",
  "cost":           0
}

The 90-day plan

Four phases. Miss a day? Miss a week? Resume, don't restart. The plan flexes, your excuses don't get to run it.

Days 1-14

Foundations

Pick one language (Python or JavaScript). Learn HTML/CSS/JS basics or Python basics properly. Learn Git and push daily.

Milestone: a GitHub profile with a profile README and 10+ small commits.

Days 15-45

DSA core

Start the NeetCode roadmap or Striver's A2Z sheet. One focused session daily. Understand, don't memorize — explanation beats speed.

Milestone: 60-80 problems solved, your two weakest patterns identified.

Days 46-75

Flagship + mocks

Build one real project people can use (not a to-do app). Interview mocks with a friend or AI. Resume from day 60.

Milestone: deployed project with README, screenshots and honest docs.

Days 76-90

Apply & loop

Applications go out daily now. Track every one. Each rejection gets the same treatment: what was asked, what to drill next.

Milestone: 20+ targeted applications, 3+ mock interviews done.

Week-by-week from zero (if you are starting from scratch)

Weeks 1-2: HTML, CSS, basic JS or Python syntax. Git everyday. Weeks 3-4: First mini projects + first 20 easy DSA problems. Weeks 5-8: Core DSA daily + start the flagship idea. Weeks 9-10: Flagship v1 live + resume published. Weeks 11-12: Apply daily + mocks + keep one open-source PR alive. Repeat the last two weeks until offers land.

Learn the craft — free, best-in-class

The Odin ProjectFull free curriculum for web dev. Structured, honest, zero fluff. freeCodeCampFree certifications, thousands of exercises, huge community. JavaScript.infoThe modern JavaScript tutorial. In our opinion the best free JS book. Getting started with PythonOfficial Python starter — pick the right free path. CS50 (Harvard)Legendary intro to computer science. Free lectures, free problem sets. MDN Web DocsThe reference you will use your entire career. Learn to read docs. Roadmap.shCommunity stage-by-stage roadmaps for every dev role.

DSA & practice — where offers are won

NeetCode roadmap150 curated problems that cover the patterns interviews actually test. Striver's A2Z DSA sheetThe classic free sheet that thousands of Indian placements use. GfG DSA tutorialReference reading when a concept refuses to click. LeetCode problem setThe industry default for practice. Free tier is plenty for prep. HackerRank DSAMany companies test on HackerRank — practice where they test. CodeforcesWeekly contests. Free. Good once basics are stable. ExercismFree practice with human code review and 60+ languages. IndiaBixThe classic free aptitude/reasoning bank for campus rounds.

Git & GitHub — table stakes, learned in a day

Learn Git BranchingVisual, interactive, free — the fastest way to actually get Git. Oh Shit, Git?!Plain-English fixes for every Git mistake you are about to make. Pro Git (full book)Free, official, deep. Read chapters 1-3, bookmark the rest. GitHub SkillsFree hands-on GitHub courses inside real repos.

Show your work — projects, portfolio, open source

FastPress Start (our template)Fork a zero-build launch page that passes quality audits — deploy your project card in 15 minutes. Reactive ResumeFree open-source resume builder. No watermarks, no paywalls. GitHub profile READMEOfficial docs — the first thing recruiters open after your name. Hire-me page example (ours)Our proof-of-work page — copy the structure: facts, links, dated audits. First contributionsYour first open-source PR today, with a step-by-step free guide. Good first issue Finds real beginner-friendly issues across GitHub. Up-for-grabsCross-repo index of starter tasks. Pick one, ship it.

Interview prep — the human layer

Tech Interview HandbookFree end-to-end prep guide: resumes, algorithms, behavioral, offers. NeetCode practicePattern drills + solutions. Use the free plan. interviewing.io blogReal interview transcripts and advice from actual engineers.

Mock interview tip: ask a friend, or use AI chatbots to role-play the interviewer. Then answer yourself out loud. Reading feels like knowing; speaking is knowing.

Find jobs & internships — where to actually apply

LinkedIn JobsStill the main channel. Daily, filtered, with people you can message. WellfoundStartups that talk salaries. Cold-messaging founders works better than you think. InternshalaIndia-focused internships and fresher roles. RemoteOKGlobal remote jobs. Fine at any experience level with a good portfolio. HN “Who is hiring?”Monthly thread of companies hiring directly — no HR layers.

Apply at day 60, not day 90 — interviews themselves teach the syllabus. Also: we do human resume/page reviews when you want a pro's eyes after the free plan.

AI skills — the new table stake

Skills.shFree agent skills marketplace — install real skills and read how they work. MCP documentationThe protocol connecting AI agents to tools. Reading it puts you ahead. GitHub Actions docsAutomate tests and deploys — recruiters notice CI in student repos.

Use AI to learn faster (explain, quiz, review) — not to fake skill. Placement interviews were invented to catch exactly that.

The nice-and-free mindset

Placement culture is stressful enough without people making it worse. Be the person who:

Helps one person a week

Explain something you just learned to a junior. Teaching is the fastest review there is — start with the friendly culture of first-time contributions.

Never fakes it

No fabricated experience, no copied projects, no paid certifications pretending to be skills. Interviewers have seen it all — real beats polished.

Shares everything free

Know a good free resource? Add it here. This list lives on pull requests. Gatekeeping knowledge is how mediocrity survives.

Stays sane and kind

Rejections are the norm in placements. Rest is part of the plan. Compare yourself to yesterday's you, never to someone's highlight post.

Honest questions, honest answers

Is everything really free?

Yes. Links point to free resources; we never promote paid courses, referral links or affiliate deals. FastPress Labs' own paid consulting is a separate thing that doesn't hide behind this page.

I am not from a CS background. Can I still get placed?

Yes. Skills beat degree labels in most modern hiring. Start at Foundations, follow the plan, build in public. One real project outweighs ten certificates.

How long does prep actually take?

2 to 6 months of consistent work, depending on your starting point. The 90-day plan is a structure, not a promise.

Why is this free?

FastPress Labs builds free launch tools in the open; people who like them hire us for paid work. Teaching for free earns that trust. No catch, no upsell inside these links.

A link broke or something is wrong. What do I do?

Tell us — discussion, PR or the form below. We fix within a day and re-verify links monthly (last check: 26 Oct 2026).

Add a resource. Help the next person.

Know a free link that belongs here? Open a pull request or use the form. One specific link — not a promo, not a funnel. Every suggestion gets a real human reply and honest evaluation.

Email: meetcode99@gmail.com · Discussions · Repo

About / why we care

Placement Kit is maintained by FastPress Labs — a small open-source studio (LaunchGrade, RepoGrade, agency page). We got tired of placement advice that hides the free stuff behind a paywall. So: this page is free, forkable, and maintained by humans who actually plant flags at links they verify monthly.

Nothing here is sponsored. Nothing is a funnel. If something already helped you, the nicest thing you can do is add the next person's resource.