Facebook might be one of the most famous technology companies in the world, and with the Facebook family of companies now including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus, it is a popular destination for tech-minded graduates and experienced professionals.
Famously founded at Harvard in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook offers job opportunities in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa, and since the Covid pandemic has also initiated flexible working schemes that offer completely remote roles as well as a combination of working from home and coming into the office at Menlo Park, California or one of the regional locations.
Getting A Job At Facebook
There are many roles available at Facebook, and at any time there are hundreds of job opportunities across departments that are suitable for interns, graduates and experienced professionals at all levels including managers and executives. With a long list of what Facebook describes as ‘holistic benefits’ alongside a culture of diversity and innovation with a competitive salary package, it is no surprise that it is a popular choice for tech graduates to apply to.
Facebook Values
Facebook has five core values, which are used throughout the application process but also in everyday working life:
- Be Bold. Facebook rewards risk taking and looks for employees who are willing to try and risk failure.
- Focus On Impact. A different way of describing ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’, the focus for employees should be on the things that make the most difference.
- Move Fast. Facebook believes that it is better to make mistakes than miss opportunities, so agile performers are preferred.
- Be Open. Facebook wants all employees to have all the information they need in order to make better decisions
- Build Social Value. The social network basis of Facebook means that employees should strive to create value that brings closeness on a global scale.
Types Of Roles At Facebook
Aside from the obvious tech and innovation roles, there are other important areas in Facebook that have open roles, including everything from infrastructure to advertising, legal and admin to security, design and user experience and sales and marketing. As part of the dedication to diversity that Facebook is interested in, there are job opportunities for veterans, for interns and graduates, and especially for those in underrepresented communities through Facebook University. With global operations, the remote work possibilities are also endless - allowing applications from potential employees in Canada, the US and the UK to work from wherever they are without feeling disconnected.
Hiring Process At Facebook
The hiring process at Facebook can take some time between rounds - some users have reported several months from application to job offer - but the stages are relatively straightforward. For any non-technical roles, the process is all about how well you interview and can express yourself to managers and colleagues about why you want to work for Facebook, while technical and engineering roles will have extra testing steps to ensure that candidates have the relevant skills to match their experience and qualifications.
Facebook Application Form
The first step in the application process is a simple application form that can be accessed as a link on the job you want to apply for. There are often several hundred roles available at any one time, but if there is a position that you are interested in that is not hiring at this time, you can register your interest to be among the first to hear if a position does come up.
The application form collects basic details about you including contact information, your skills, qualifications and experience, much like a resume. If you are at university or college you might have met a member of the recruitment team - and you can always hand them a copy of your bespoke resume.
If you match the minimum standards of the role you have applied for, you will be contacted by a member of the recruitment team for a short conversation about the role and the wider world of Facebook as a place to work. This is more of a fact-finding conversation so that you can be sure of the role you have applied for and ask any questions that you might have.
Facebook Telephone Interview
The next stage of the recruitment process is a telephone interview, which might consist of some skills tests depending on the role you have applied for.
The beginning of the telephone interview will be a discussion of your resume, achievements and experience, along with some motivational questions to determine what made you choose Facebook for your application.
Facebook Aptitude Tests
If you are going for an engineering or technological position, you will then be asked to complete a coding skills test that takes about 30 minutes or so. During this assessment, you will be using some type of collaborative coding platform such as CoderPad, and you will be asked to complete one or two coding challenges.
The challenges themselves are likely to be quite straightforward if you have preexisting knowledge of programming, but the questions asked can be a bit vague, so don't be afraid to ask questions to clarify any specifics.
You might have more phone interviews, both with hiring managers, the recruitment team, or even potential colleagues - all of whom will be scoring you on your performance, which goes towards your final score.
Facebook Interview Process
The onsite interview can be as much as six or seven rounds, although some of what is described as an interview is actually more of a test.
Facebook Engineering Technical Roles
For those looking at engineering technical roles, you will be expected to complete another coding test - this time much harder and lasting about 45 minutes. You might be using a collaborative coding app, and it is likely that the interviewer will be there with you while you are completing it so you can talk through your thought processes and ask any questions if there is something that needs clarifying.
This will be followed by a design interview, where you won’t necessarily be coding, but you will be answering questions using a whiteboard and will be expected to talk through your ideas and why you would choose a specific process to solve a problem.
Finally, you will be asked some behavioral questions to assess your personality, what motivates you, and how you make decisions. Here, answers that align with the Facebook core values are what is being looked for, although the questions asked might seem a bit ‘out there’ (although you won't be asked what type of cake you would be). The questions might be about how you work in a team, or what motivates you, and the interviewer wants to have a situation-based well-rounded answer that demonstrates your competencies.
Facebook Non-Engineering Technical Roles
The first interview part for a non-engineering technical role is about behaviour, to learn more about what you are like as an employee and that you are agile and resilient. Much like for the engineering roles, it is best to have some examples of when you have shown competencies that align with the five Facebook values, and be open and honest in your answers.
The second interview will be on technical knowledge, and you are likely to be interviewed by someone who is in the same department as the one you are applying for - which means that you will be interviewed by a potential colleague or manager. Technical questions will include specific skills that are needed in the role, like locating a substring in a string or designing an algorithm.
Finally, you will be asked some specific questions about system design, based on the area you have applied for. This will include some questions about vague project parameters, making it as much about asking the right questions than finding the right answers. This interview will likely take place with another potential colleague.
Each interviewer, from the first conversation to the last in-person round, will score your performance and this will all be added together to give you a total score - which means that all is not lost if you did not perform well on one particular section.
You will receive detailed feedback about your performance throughout the interviews, and if successful will receive a job offer.
Facebook Orientation Process
All engineering recruits, from graduates to executives, go through an Engineering Bootcamp designed to ensure everyone knows what they need to know to be successful at Facebook, and introduce new employees to other departments and areas that they will be working alongside. This takes six weeks and is a great introduction to working at Facebook.
What Is It Like To Work At Facebook?
There are many benefits to working at Facebook alongside the competitive salary - with a flexible working schedule including the opportunity to work from home, from the office or from pretty much anywhere as well as choosing when you want to work.
Some of the benefits for Facebook employees include:
- Medical/dental/vision insurance
- Autism therapies, cancer care and transgender service programs
- Paid leave for new parents
- Support for family planning including adoption and surrogacy
- Flexible dependent care that can be used for children or parents
- A competitive retirement plan
- Life insurance
- Tax consultant access
- Generous paid time off
- 30 day paid break every five years.
The Facebook approach to innovation means that employees are encouraged to make changes and take risks, with opportunities to impact the world while staying true to themselves.
Top Tips To Getting Hired At Facebook
1. Do Your Research
Working for Facebook means you need to know as much as possible about the business and the industry in general. Research needs to be about how Facebook works in the online space, how they are disrupting and innovating in VR and AI to improve connectivity, and what the role you are applying for is looking for too.
In the job description of the role you are applying for, there will be lots of information about the job, what they are looking for in an applicant, and what skills and qualifications you need - which will help you know what you should be highlighting in your resume, application form and through the interviews.
2. Practice Skill Tests Online
Keeping on top of updates and innovations in the tech world, especially in coding and programming, will ensure that your skills stay relevant. To help you perform well in the skills tests as part of the interview, take coding challenges where you can online - especially if there is an area of programming that you are not as confident in.
Taking practice skills tests will help get you familiar with the layout and structure of the interview, and also help you work quickly and accurately when you are in the real thing. You should also be prepared for any aptitude, behavioural and personality tests, and it may help to become familiar with Facebook products, eg you can try out Facebook Ads test questions.
3. Stay Positive
The application process at Facebook is known to be long - so stay positive when you are waiting to see how you performed at each stage. Remember that there are potentially thousands of other potential candidates that need to be assessed too, and focus on performing at your best at every opportunity.
Facebook is interested in hiring positive people who are always looking for ways to improve.
4. Know What You Want
As part of the interview questions, the recruitment team or other employees might ask you questions about your motivation and why you want to work at Facebook - and this will include questions about what you want to achieve in the next five or even 10 years. Be sure about what you want to get out of your employment with Facebook and why this role is important to you.
5. Be Data Driven
Data is an essential part of Facebook, from algorithms to the number of likes on a post. Data driven people are an integral part of what makes Facebook the pinnacle of social media and one of the biggest tech conglomerates around.
Whenever you get the opportunity, demonstrate a passion for and understanding of the power of data to make the best impression.
