The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Meta (Londra, Inghilterra) in Jun 2018
Interview
Initial phone interview with the recruiter which went into a little more depth than typical HR 'screening' interviews.
This was followed by 2 on-site interviews, one on Product Sense and the other on Execution. Both these interviews were harder and more thorough that I had anticipated. The interviewers were friendly and helpful, but be prepared to be questioned at a far deeper level than you would expect in traditional PM interviews. Don't use throwaway sentences or make poorly justified assumptions - you'll be called on these.
I was then invited back for 3 more on-site interviews: repeats of Product Sense & Execution, and an additional session covering Leadership & Drive.
Leadership & Drive was a very laid-back affair, more of a 'getting to know you' chat than a grilling. Just be yourself in this one.
I was much better prepared for the other two interviews than i had been in the first round, and worked my way through interesting problems in both. This time I took care to approach the tasks *with* the interviewers, as if we were working on them together, rather than trying to convince them of my approach. This felt far more natural and productive.
My advice:
- You'll be given large, messy problems. First narrow them by asking sensible questions of your interviewer.
- It's not about getting 'the answer'. It's about demonstrating your thought process - pick a framework, trust it, but be prepared to be flexible. If a good interviewer sees you following any kind of 'script' they'll throw a spanner in the works to see how you cope.
- Be yourself, Facebook isn't for everyone. This interview process will find out if this is the right place for you.
The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Meta in Jun 2018
Interview
If you get the opportunity to interview at Facebook, take it. Not because you're likely to get the job, but because it's the best practice out there and will reveal where you're weak in your methodologies.
Keep in mind that Facebook is a massive tech company, so being selected to conduct an interview is a lot like being selected for jury duty. It's likely you'll could get someone who isn't motivated to be interviewing you and that's fine. Try to take from the experience what you can.
My interview, like most others, consisted of two remote video sessions covering my product and execution sense. The product sense interview was focused around my methodology for approaching a problem, identifying a target user group, exploring a problem space, thinking up creative solutions, prioritizing my work for impact, and setting the right goals. The execution interview was focused around identifying the right metrics for determining success, and using them to move forward in the right direction.
Facebook does a good job at trying to prep you on how to prepare, though you'll need to keep in mind that you'll be working through these methodologies in the context of a specific scenario and will likely be constantly interrupted by the interviewer's questions.
I never heard back from them after the remote video sessions.
Interview questions [4]
Question 1
How would you build a product on Facebook to celebrate someone's birthday?
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at Meta (Menlo Park, CA) in Jan 2017
Interview
Very well organized by the recruiting team. I fell well prepared and knew who I was going to be meeting. Questions were good and process was solid and well calibrated. I felt the interviews were effective as evaluating me for a PM role.