I got interviews with all of FAANG as a New Grad (SWE)
Welcome! I hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself.
This season, I got to interview with Facebook (Meta), Amazon, Netflix, and Google. (Some other top companies include: Microsoft, Snapchat, Disney, JP Morgan, and Tiktok.) A quick background about me for additional context: I’m a 4/4 Computer Science major at non-target school, average GPA, female, and started coding around 7 years ago. So, how did I get these interviews in the first place? What was the process like? What were the lessons learned? There are key takeaways for skimming purposes highlighted throughout but a lot of other important advice I’d recommend going through within each subcategory as well. Let’s dive in.
Previous Experience & Interview Prep:
When preparing for software engineering interviews, everyone has different strengths and focus areas. For me, my strong suit has always been the behavioral part of interviews — I love talking to new people, thinking on my feet, and having a good discussion with my interviewer. My weak half without a doubt has been doing the traditional leetcode grind and mocking the technical side of the interviews. I think I’ve always been slightly intimidated by it and never fixed a good routine or schedule for prepping. So here comes the first piece of advice:
Takeaway #1: Create an all encompassing preparation schedule early
- Decide what platform you will use to prepare: I spent way too much time alternating between LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal that I never really knew what my progress looked like. I think LeetCode is definitely one of the most popular with good reason. For behavioral interviews, have your elevator pitch down pat, know how to answer “why Company X”, and read up on current products/news about the company at hand. Beyond that know everything on your resume well, make sure it can be parsed, and try out https://thepminterview.com/ for more mock questions even for SWE roles.
- Decide when you are going to prepare: We’ve all been there — we are so sure we are going to grind out some interview prep when we get back home and suddenly we find ourselves doing everything but that. Schedule interview prep like you have to go to a class — it doesn’t have to be every day for some unholy amount of time. Having a routine will not only make it easier for you to learn but also give you confidence because your mind knows you’ve been routinely studying.
- Implement & Mock Interviews: There are tons of resources, slack channels, and Facebook groups if you want to interview prep with a complete stranger. Also, there is a pretty good backbone of how to structure technical interview answers that is worth practicing. (I can write more about this in another article!)
As for past experiences I interned at 2 of the Big Four U.S Banks as a Software Engineer. I was also President of a club on Campus, a TA, and had a couple of small side projects all listed out. I made sure to flex as much as I could and utilize the best vocabulary to describe all these experiences on an ATS-friendly resume I created in Google Docs. This is without a doubt the first step — make your resume good and apply away.
Application Process:
Based on your own availability and overall goals, decide your strategy for applications and interviews. Do you want to take an interview anywhere? Utilize it as an interview prepping opportunity or focus your energy and time only interviewing at the companies you know you want? (Also, assess why you actually want the companies you do in the first place.)
I will say in retrospect, especially for full-time roles, final rounds are long, draining, and a huge commitment. They can get exhausting quickly so be ready to deal with that accordingly. Some FAANG specific advice — referrals and LinkedIn messages do not hurt.
Takeaway #2: Take full advantage of any sort of networking (it works!) and know your strategy
I was able to get a referral to Google and I had never gotten past the resume scan before that. I messaged a Netflix and Snapchat recruiter on LinkedIn and got responses from both of them.
I messaged a Netflix and Snapchat Recruiter on LinkedIn and got responses from both of them.
Companies like initiative and current employees get bonuses from successful referrals so don’t be afraid to politely reach out to people. If nothing else, you don’t lose anything by trying.
The Interviews:
Takeaway #3: Be on your own team & prep questions beforehand
As obvious as this sounds, be on your own team and come with your best foot forward. If that means getting a good night’s sleep before, grabbing dinner with friends to destress, or even just stepping away from studying for a night — learn what calms your nerves and puts you in the best mood. Come in knowing you are a worthy candidate and always have questions ready to ask at the end of your interview. (I have compiled a large list I always have pulled up in case I can also post separately.)
Post Interview & Lessons Learned:
After an interview, make sure to (ask first if you’d like) connect with interviewers and recruiters on LinkedIn and thank them for their time. Even if the interview outcome is not what you wanted, you now will have a great resource and connection you could reach out to at a later time.
Takeaway #4: Write down what went well and what didn’t right after any interview
Write down what you thought went well and most importantly, where things could have gone better. I wish I did this earlier because when you get asked a similar question on another interview and still get flustered you’ll be even more frustrated if you didn’t write it down and add to your prep accordingly.
Takeaway #5: It’s not me, it’s actually you
A hard truth I have learned is that as much as you prep and really want something, things don’t always work. Interviewers are rude or in a bad mood. You get a complete curveball question. You get nervous. I think often we forget although we are being interviewed as candidates, you should be assessing the company as well. How did they treat you and make you feel throughout the process? Do your values align with theirs?
At the end of the day, interviewing is a flawed system and can be really toxic for people. Always remember to take care of yourself and that the company you end up at does not define you, for the good or the bad.
Takeaway #6: Prioritize Growth
There is always going to be a better company, different roles, and more to do. That’s one of the most exciting and challenging things about being in tech so remember there is always more to come.
P.S. — If this article was helpful in any sense I’d really appreciate a follow to help me reach my 100 follower goal by the end of March :)
Best of Luck!
