I was contacted via LinkedIn and asked to apply in 2014. I went through the full process then but didnt get an offer. Facebook contacted me again this year and we went through the process again.
As is well documented, you will have two phone interviews. One will be coding, the other will be systems. If you get thumbs up for both, Facebook will fly you to Menlo Park CA for on-site interviews.
I flew from Sydney AU direct to SFO - Facebook where happy to do direct flights rather than via LAX (who likes layovers?). In 2014 Facebook put me up in a hotel for 3 nights but this year mercifully it was 4 nights - it was much nicer to have a relaxing evening after the on-site interviews rather than rushing straight to the airport. Facebook was also happy for me to pick one of their Hotel options (which are all nice enough), but which put me closer to things I wanted to explore. I flew out on Saturday morning Sydney time to land Saturday morning SF time, which gave me two nights to partially adjust to local time before interviews on the Monday. These finished mid afternoon, which left plenty of time to explore a few more things this second time before flying out on the tuesday (where as in 2014 I had to pretty much head to the airport to check in on the Monday).
Questions for the phone interviews are mentioned in many places here and on peoples blogs, so I wont repeat them.
On-site you will have 5 interviews, all kept to strictly 45 mins. Your recruiter or the interviewing person will escort you at all times (fair enough) and the recruiter will take you to any of the restaurants on-site for 30 mins lunch break. The recruiter and reception will offer for you to stock your pockets or bags with snacks and drinks - this isnt a trick question so grab a few Coke's and anything that wont melt!
Each on-site question is 45 mins, of which perhaps 5 mins at the start will be pleasantries and a few minutes at the end is set aside for questions. Think about what you might ask ahead of time. A chose to ask:
- What is something you didnt do before Facebook, but do now, that you would always do in future jobs? (generally they responded with something thats automated)
- What do you like about Facebook that keeps you here? (one response was that things with a billion-to-one chance happen 3-4 times a day at Facebook)
