Facebook Software Engineer Interview Process

Posted on 5/20/2022, 2:49:49 PM

Facebook pays well. It is ranked as the second-highest paying company for Staff Engineers. However, if you want to get a job at Facebook, you will need a great mentor and extensive preparation because the screening process can be challenging. 

The Facebook Software Engineer Process takes 4-8 weeks. 

Call with Recruiter

The process starts with a call with the recruiter. The call lasts 30 minutes. The recruiter will ask you questions about your professional experience, preferred coding languages, and accomplishments. They will explain the interview process and timeline and answer general questions about the team and day-to-day responsibilities.

Technical phone interview

The technical phone interview starts with a short 5-10 minute intro followed by 1-2 coding questions that last 30-35 minutes. You will be asked to work through the questions using an online collaboration tool. Make sure you walk the interviewers through your thought process. The interviewer will ask follow-up questions and add constraints to the problems that they ask. Questions can cover various topics such as data structures, algorithms, and time complexity. The final five minutes are usually reserved for your questions.

The Onsite interview is now digital until further notice. It consists of 5 interviews. It is the more difficult part of the process. It starts with introductions, coding, and candidate questions. The goal is to evaluate your technical knowledge and problem-solving skills. 

• There will be two interviews (45 minutes each) where you will choose the programming language you want to use. Facebook will ask you 1-2 coding questions on an online platform or whiteboard. You should talk through the problem-solving process so that the interviewer understands your logic. The interviews might focus on binary trees, strings, stacks, or lists. You might want to study as many concepts as possible.
• There will be two more interviews focused on systems and product design. These interviews will not require you to code. The goal is to see if you can develop a solution to a real-life design engineering problem. Facebook will ask broad design questions. You should explain your thought process as you go through each question.
• The culture/behavioral interview is 45 minutes. It consists of generic interview questions focused on your work ethic, leadership experience, etc. We recommend that you bring up anecdotes about your past accomplishments during this interview. It would help if you showed your willingness to collaborate as a team and self-awareness. Facebook has five core values that you should also focus on: be bold, focus on impact, move fast, be open, and build social value. You should demonstrate to the interviewer how you embody these values. Facebook might ask you a short coding question.

Post Interview

A group of senior executives will evaluate your interview packet and decide whether to hire you. Their decision will be sent to a VP. You might be required to go through additional interviews.

Offer/No Offer

After 4-8 weeks, you will know whether you got in or not. If you got in, congrats! If not, do not worry. You have six months to prepare for another round. Book a call with a mentor on our platform. They can walk you through the interview process and help you acquire the skills needed to do well.