Software Engineer Interview Experience - Palo Alto, California
December 1, 2015
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
The interviewers were really patient and very helpful during the interview process. You can definitely ask for some guidance on interview questions. They don't limit your language for writing code, so just use the language you are most comfortable with.
The on-site interview and university day at Facebook were really amazing. They led us to explore the whole Facebook campus and introduced a lot of fun stuff about Facebook. Also, the food at Facebook is very, very good. So glad I got the part!
Questions
Similar to Permutation & Trie combination questions.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 78 interview experiences for the Meta Software Engineer role in Palo Alto, California.
Success Rate
13%
Pass Rate
Meta's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in Palo Alto, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Positive44%
Neutral36%
Negative21%
Candidates reported having good feelings for Meta's Software Engineer interview process in Palo Alto, California.
Meta Work Experiences
5.0
Facebook is the best engineering organization I have ever worked for
Software Engineer • Current Employee
Palo Alto, California, United States
August 4, 2010
Pros: A bureaucracy-free environment that allows you to simply get work done.
Strong management with strong technical backgrounds all the way to the top.
A very metric-driven engineering team.
The ability to prioritize tasks based on what you think is important.
A remarkably well-defined review process that encourages personal development in different areas.
Company policy to leave unnecessary meetings early or skip them entirely.
Cons: Some politics and cliques.
Some user-facing projects have too many product managers.
Some late nights when supporting new code pushes.
Fighting fires can become a full-time job.
2.0
Overhyped Lifelong Hackathon
Software Engineer • Current Employee
Palo Alto, California, United States
March 2, 2011
Pros: Good pay, if you negotiate aggressively.
Good food.
Good benefits.
Location is good; California is a nice place to live, although expensive.
Lots of exposure.
Cons: Management is constantly pushing you.
You don't work at your own pace; you have to work at everyone else's pace.
You need to stay after work every day and go to work on weekends.
People are very egocentric, and their ego is entirely tied to how much code they write.
I'm afraid of getting fired every single day.
3.0
Fight For Pay, Poor Wlb
Software Engineer • Current Employee
Palo Alto, California, United States
August 13, 2025
Pros: If you want to fight, you might get a better salary.
Cons: WLB is not ideal, and politics exist.
- 5.0Facebook is the best engineering organization I have ever worked forSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeePalo Alto, California, United StatesAugust 4, 2010Pros: A bureaucracy-free environment that allows you to simply get work done. Strong management with strong technical backgrounds all the way to the top. A very metric-driven engineering team. The ability to prioritize tasks based on what you think is important. A remarkably well-defined review process that encourages personal development in different areas. Company policy to leave unnecessary meetings early or skip them entirely.Cons: Some politics and cliques. Some user-facing projects have too many product managers. Some late nights when supporting new code pushes. Fighting fires can become a full-time job.
- 2.0Overhyped Lifelong HackathonSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeePalo Alto, California, United StatesMarch 2, 2011Pros: Good pay, if you negotiate aggressively. Good food. Good benefits. Location is good; California is a nice place to live, although expensive. Lots of exposure.Cons: Management is constantly pushing you. You don't work at your own pace; you have to work at everyone else's pace. You need to stay after work every day and go to work on weekends. People are very egocentric, and their ego is entirely tied to how much code they write. I'm afraid of getting fired every single day.
- 3.0Fight For Pay, Poor WlbSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeePalo Alto, California, United StatesAugust 13, 2025Pros: If you want to fight, you might get a better salary.Cons: WLB is not ideal, and politics exist.
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