What to expect in a Meta (Facebook) technical interview?

The technical interview process at Meta (formerly Facebook) is known for being rigorous and comprehensive, aiming to assess a wide range of skills including coding proficiency, problem-solving ability, technical knowledge, and cultural fit. Here's what you can generally expect in a Meta technical interview, particularly for software engineering roles:

1. Initial Screen

Phone Screen with a Recruiter: This is typically the first step, where a recruiter discusses your background, experiences, and motivations. It’s more of a conversation than a technical assessment.

Technical Phone Screen: This involves one or two phone or video interviews focusing on coding and algorithmic problems. You’ll be expected to code in real-time, usually in a shared coding environment. The problems often involve data structures (e.g., arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs) and algorithms (e.g., sorting, searching, recursion).

2. Onsite Interviews

If you pass the initial screening, you’ll be invited to onsite interviews, which could also be virtual. This round typically consists of 4-5 interviews, including:

• Coding Interviews: You'll solve algorithmic problems in real-time, similar to the phone screen but possibly more complex. This assesses your coding ability, problem-solving skills, and understanding of algorithms and data structures.

• System Design Interview: You'll be asked to design a scalable system or architecture, like designing a social media feed, a messaging platform, or a key-value store. This evaluates your ability to architect scalable, reliable, and efficient systems.

• Behavioral Interview ("Jedi" interview at Meta): Focuses on assessing whether you're a good cultural fit for the company. Questions revolve around Meta's core values and may include discussions on past projects, how you handle disagreements, or times you've shown leadership.

• Career Aspiration Interview: Particularly for more senior roles, you might have a discussion about your career aspirations, leadership experiences, and how you've tackled complex engineering challenges.

3. Specialized Interviews

Depending on the role, you might have additional interviews focusing on specific skills or knowledge areas, such as front-end development, machine learning, or databases.

Preparation Tips:

• Practice Coding: Solve problems on platforms like LeetCode or DesignGurus.io, focusing on Meta’s frequently asked questions and patterns.
• Review Computer Science Fundamentals: Brush up on data structures & algorithms, system design principles, and complexities.
• System Design: Practice designing large-scale systems, understanding trade-offs between different architectures, databases, and caching mechanisms.
• Behavioral Questions: Prepare examples that showcase your experiences related to Meta’s core values, your problem-solving process, teamwork, and leadership.
• Mock Interviews: Consider doing mock interviews to simulate the interview environment and receive feedback.

Conclusion

Meta’s technical interviews are designed to be challenging, aiming to hire candidates who not only excel technically but also fit well with the company culture. Preparation is key, focusing not just on technical skills but also on communication and problem-solving abilities. Good luck!