As a woman engineer with experience applying for a Senior Software Engineer position, I was initially contacted by a recruiter.

She allowed me to postpone the initial screen, as I wanted to prepare more on the algorithmic side, which I did.

I opted for an in-person interview rather than a phone call. The interviewer was pleasant, and the problem, which involved trees, was of moderate to difficult complexity for a phone screen. This was my first time encountering this particular problem. Although it took me some time, I did provide a solution that satisfied the interviewer. We had time for questions, allowing me to learn about his current projects.

I left the interview feeling good and confident. However, I received a disappointing automatic rejection message. I requested feedback but did not receive any.

I felt confused and upset that Facebook did not offer me a chance for an on-site interview. There aren't many women engineers in high tech, and walking on the floor at Facebook, there is evidence of this imbalance. Given Sheryl Sandberg's vocal support for women and my satisfactory initial screen, I would have hoped that the company would do more internally to address the gender imbalance in predominantly male roles at Facebook.

Screening interview only: a technical coding challenge, medium to difficult, involving trees. The question can be found in online training material or books, but I did not resolve it before.