Journey to Senior Software Engineer [E5] at Meta: A Detailed Interview Experience
-[anonymous author]
Introduction
In this article, I’ll share my journey from education to landing a role at Meta. Over the course of 11 years in the tech industry, I’ve worked across diverse roles and geographies, culminating in this recent milestone. Here’s a breakdown of my journey, the preparation strategies that worked for me, and lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Education
I hold a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from a university in the UK. This foundation helped me build a strong analytical mindset and a technical skill set that would later become invaluable in my professional career.
Professional Experience
My professional journey spans 11 years and three major phases:
Application Process
The process began when a Meta recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. After an introductory phone call where we discussed my expectations, experience, and target role, I shared my résumé. This was the beginning of a multi-month journey.
Interview Process & Preparation
The interview process was rigorous but structured. Here’s a timeline of events and how I prepared for each stage:
Abridged Timeline
Preparation Strategies
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Leading up to the first round: I did one mock Meta DS&A interview on interviewing.io per week.
Before the full loop: I increased this to two mocks per week, focusing on:Data Structures & Algorithms (DS&A), Product Design and Behavioral
Interviewing.io was a key resource because of the high-quality mocks and the ability to practice with engineers from the target company.
My primary resource was Elements of Programming Interviews (EPI), which I find more comprehensive and challenging than Cracking the Coding Interview.
I practiced a few questions daily from EPI and supplemented with HackerRank and LeetCode.
I relied heavily on Hello Interview’s YouTube channel and website for this preparation.
I prepared using the interviewing.io Meta-specific behavioral guide. I drafted answers in advance and refined them during mock interviews.
Final Offer Discussion
The final offer stage was relatively straightforward, as I didn’t have competing offers to leverage. However, I was able to negotiate a small five-figure sign-on bonus, which added value to the overall package.
Reflections
The journey to Meta was demanding but rewarding. It tested my skills, resilience, and ability to adapt to various challenges. My key takeaways are:
This experience has been a milestone in my career, and I hope sharing it helps others navigate their own paths to success.
Pursuing B-Tech in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at GGSIPU|| Web Development | JavaScript | Python | C
1 个月Useful tips thanks sir
All-in-one event director, producer, and host
1 个月Switching from Google to Meta is a bold move! How did the interview process differ, and what was the most surprising part of the transition?
Helping people with tech interview preparation | Software Engineer @Microsoft | Ex Coinbase | Ex Goldman Sachs | Open Source Contributor
2 个月Very helpful, thanks for sharing !!
SWE @Microsoft | Expert @Codeforces | Guardian @Leetcode | IIT BHU
2 个月Thanks for sharing