Insights and My Experience From My Interview at Facebook

This post is to encourage people who have dreamed of something and doubted its possibility

Facebook Office — Rathbone Square London (Source: Facebook London)

When I decided to start my job search, I couldn’t convince myself that I had a real shot at landing a job at Facebook.

Five months later, I received my offer letter.

This is a journey of expectations and the unexpected. Here I’ll share with you all my experience and the insights I gained on the way.

I was working as a software engineer at Samsung Electronics for two years and had been planning to change jobs. I went on a full-fledged job hunt in the month of July, starting preparations along with applying to popular tech giants — except for Facebook. I guess I wanted to be confident enough by performing well in other companies’ interviews first before taking my chances with Facebook.

A Shot in the Dark

While commuting to work or while taking a break from interview preparation, I started networking on LinkedIn. Soon it became an obsession. I searched for recruiters of companies I wanted to apply to and sent them an email (if mentioned under Contact Info on LinkedIn) or message. I wasn’t expecting any solid outcome, but this process of reaching out to recruiters gave me some sort of a thrill and optimism that helped me get through the preparation phase, which, believe me, requires profound effort.

Tip: LinkedIn is a great platform to land recruiter calls, but it does require persistence. Do not hesitate to reach out to strangers. I heard back from recruiters of companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Snapchat, Bloomberg, and Apple simply by sending a message.

Luckily, an email I sent in August landed me a recruiter call from Facebook.

Tip: Getting the first recruiter call is the most time-consuming part of a job hunt. Start applying for open positions despite feeling unprepared. You can ask your recruiter for months-long preparation time before scheduling your first interview.