I applied through an employee referral and received a response from the recruiter in about a week. After an initial chat with the recruiter about Facebook, my interests, and logistics, I was scheduled for a 45-minute screening. I was given two options for the screen: phone/codeshare or an onsite visit (likely an option available for local candidates only). I chose the in-person option and received an invitation for a full day of interviews (5 total) within a few hours after the initial screen.

Facebook recruiters send interview prep materials to candidates, outlining what to expect, what to brush up on, and providing suggestions tailored to a candidate's weaker areas (in my case, it was coding speed). I knew what to expect going in and felt well-prepared.

The initial screen consisted of algorithm and coding questions, nothing overly challenging. The onsite interviews included 5 sessions (+ informal lunch) covering:

• One "Jedi" interview with a hiring manager testing behavior/culture fit + warm-up coding. Prepare to talk about past experience, career goals, and several "tell me about a time when..." questions.
• One "Pirate" interview focusing on system design. There are great resources on Quora with suggestions on how to prepare and what to pay attention to.
• Three "Ninja" interviews focusing on algorithms and coding. I had actually seen all the questions asked at Facebook before, but that didn't help as the reason for rejection was cited as not being able to come up with optimal solutions and code fast enough.

I received a phone call from the recruiter about a week and a few days after the interview, delivering the unfortunate news. I believe I waited a few extra days due to the July holidays; typically, the process is faster.

Culture: I did find some of the junior Facebook engineers conducting my interview a bit arrogant and cocky, but nothing too alarming.

All in all, I had a positive interview experience. I wish the interview loop was better tailored towards someone more senior, e.g., less emphasis on coding and more on design. The current interview process makes it seem like they hire "code monkeys."

I can't discuss specifics due to an NDA, but the interview questions were neither overly difficult nor tricky. Check Careercup and brush up on algorithms (string processing, binary trees, graphs, etc.). Practice coding fast, which potentially means forgetting good software engineering practices such as class design and refactoring, as these will only slow you down.

Establish rapport with your interviewer. Remember to ask clarifying questions, talk through your thinking process and solutions, and you'll do well, hopefully better than me.

Best of luck!