Your roadmap to real skills.

What Node.js Is

Explain the Node runtime, the event loop in Node, and why Node excels at I/O.

Node Core Modules

Use fs, path, http, events, stream, buffer, crypto from the standard library.

npm and the Node Ecosystem

Manage package.json, semver, lockfiles, and workspaces for monorepos.

Building HTTP Servers: raw http → Express → Fastify

Build HTTP servers with the raw http module, then with Express, then with Fastify.

REST API Design with Express / Fastify

Apply routing, middleware, error handling, request validation with Zod.

Authentication in Node

Implement sessions, JWT, and OAuth flows in Node.

Working with Databases from Node

Connect to Postgres via Prisma + raw SQL; handle connection pooling.

File Uploads, Email, and Third-Party APIs

Handle file uploads (multer), email (Resend), and call external APIs.

WebSockets and Real-Time

Pick between WebSockets, SSE, and polling for real-time features.

Node.js in Production

Run Node in production: process management, clustering, memory, graceful shutdown.

Testing Node.js

Write unit + API + integration tests with Vitest + Supertest.

Passion Project: REST API from Scratch

Build, test, and deploy a full REST API with auth, validation, tests, and a real DB.

Node.js Job Readiness

Translate Node skills into resume bullets + interview answers for backend roles.