Facebook is one of the most sought after jobs in Silicon Valley, California. It was ranked No. 1 on Glassdoor’s 2018 Best Places to Work list. As of March 31, 2019, it currently employs 37,773 people, which is an increase of 36% from last year. To get a coveted position at Facebook, you’ll need to get familiar with the interview process and have spectacular answers to some tough questions.
Facebook Hiring Process
The hiring process usually starts with a phone interview with a recruiter. After that, potential candidates may visit the campus for a series of in-person interviews and a tour of the facility. The purpose of the trip is to help job candidates feel a bit more comfortable before getting down to business and answering questions.
The final decision is made by a committee. It evaluates the different reviews of the various interviewers to find the candidate that is the best fit for the position.
Since Facebook is a tech company, the tech interviewing process is a bit more intensive. Three Facebook Software Engineers broke down the Software Engineering interview process into two stages: Initial Technical Screen and Onsite Interview.
During the Initial Technical Screen, you’ll first exchange introductions and discuss your career aspirations. Afterward, approximately 30 to 35 minutes is spent on coding to give Facebook insight on your approach to problem-solving. The last few minutes are reserved for the candidate to ask questions.
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Prepare for the questions that are really going to be asked in your next interview.
For the Onsite Interview, you’ll do a series of four or five meetings divided into three main interview types. First, the coding interview is an opportunity to solve some general coding questions. Second, the design interview allows you to show off your design skills. Finally, the behavioral interview is the time to talk about your previous work and answer behavioral questions.
If your interview day goes through lunchtime, someone from recruiting or engineering will take you to lunch! This meal would be a chance to ask questions to someone who isn’t interviewing you. Instead, you can learn about an employee’s experience working at Facebook.
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Sample Facebook Interview Questions
Tell me about a challenging situation. If you could go back to the very beginning, what would you do differently?
This question is Facebook’s VP of Product Julie Zhuo’s favorite interview question. Your answer to this behavioral interview question can indicate many things. Facebook wants to see that you have a growth mindset, are introspective about your experiences, and learn from past experiences.
Zhuo believes that a red flag response would be if an interviewee felt that everything that happened was outside his or her control. When answering this question, it is essential to demonstrate what you have learned and show your problem-solving strategies.
What are Facebook’s challenges in the upcoming years?
This question is a test to see if you did your homework. It demonstrates if the candidate bothered to research the company and industry as well as his or her ability to identify trends and potential obstacles. After all, if you don’t know the problem, you won’t be the solution that a company is looking for.
What would you do if your interviewer failed to show up?
This interview question is a curveball. A hypothetical scenario helps Facebook evaluate a candidate’s resourcefulness and see if they take the initiative and take action when things go wrong. For example, would you walk out, or would you send an email or call them? Alternatively, would you try to contact other people at the company to try to figure out what happened?
Tell me about your most successful collaboration experience.
No position is independent of others. The company as a whole must work together and collaborate. As a result, talking about your most successful collaboration experience can reveal your collaboration style and how you will work with others in the future. After all, Facebook is about networking, socializing, and connecting with people.
Do you have any questions for me?
While this may not seem like part of the interview, this question helps leave a final positive impression. Zhou says that a candidate’s question can show that they have a sincere interest to be on Facebook’s team. These candidates ask about the nitty gritty details of working in that environment and want to confirm that they are a good fit.
Extra Tips
1. Study Up
Be sure to thoroughly brush up on your coding and design skills if interviewing for a tech position. You will need to solve and answer questions on site. For example, you may be asked to write code for reversing a linked list recursively on an online collaborative editor or a whiteboard for in-person interviews.
2. Practice
Facebook is a Fortune 500 company that is continuously looking for innovative new ideas to cater to billions of users. Your previous experience is the best way for an interviewer to evaluate your ability to handle new problems. As a result, your answers should be clear and compelling to those tough Facebook interview questions. Be sure to follow the STAR method to provide concrete anecdotes of your skills.
Before your interview, practice your responses out loud. Consider a service like Interview School that helps you rehearse your answers by providing critical feedback on your response. Our AI technology will give you a score that judges your confidence and tone. With sufficient preparation and practice, you’ll sound natural and confident.
3. Appropriate Interview Attire
Facebook and other tech companies typically have a more laid back culture with a more informal dress code. However, this does not mean that you should show up in sports sweats. You should always dress better than the prevailing dress culture. Forbes recommends, specifically, 25% more formal.
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According to Glassdoor, every corporate job attracts 250 applicants on average. Gain an edge over these other applicants by learning from previous interviewees.
At Facebook, you may find executives wearing hoodies. The most formal attire is likely what a professor might wear. As a result, you should likely dress business casual for your interview.
