What makes you unique from the rest of the candidates in Meta's talent pool?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What You Need to Know
Experienced Example
Community Answers

It is your interviewer's job to identify and recruit their target talent. This can prove even more difficult with how many applications they receive and how competitive pursuing a position at Meta can be. So, to make their job easier, your interviewer wants to hear your pitch for not only what you feel makes you unique, but what distinguishes your work standard and performance level from your peers. They'll assess how confident you are in your own statements, and how well you've aligned your drive, ambition, experience, and personality with the qualities they look for in their ideal candidates. In some ways, they are offering you an opportunity to showcase what you have to offer.

It's impossible to know how you compare to the other candidates being interviewed. Instead, focus on who Meta's trying to recruit, and what the performance and work standard for their top talent looks like, (those who work fast, averting risk through information flow and decision-making, while making sure all the rough edges are polished off before sending work further up the chain).

When describing his expectations and vision for his company and employees, Mark Zuckerberg suggests the more they are held to his standard, the more Meta will become an even greater magnet for the most talented people. He describes looking for individual contributors who grow and develop faster, at every level. He suggests those who utilize what they are capable of, working leaner and within their means, execute higher priorities faster, are more productive, and find their work more fun and fulfilling. Those who work leaner operate more efficiently, identify obsolete processes worth phasing out, and work more meaningfully. He also emphasizes that building trusting relationships gets more done and those relationships help each other work more effectively. Being resilient, looking ahead, and focusing on what you can control, delivers more sustainable results and helps every team run more efficiently.

"I am very competitive with myself. Not so much with those I work with. But, if I admire a coworker, and see what they are doing is better than what I can do, I'll learn everything I can from them, and not because I am trying to outperform them. Rather, if I am not outperforming my previous best record, I am not doing my best. My learning curve is steep, as is my desire for growth and knowledge. I am always focusing on the impact of my work and always moving fast. My stress resistance is also exceptionally high. I like to think I have a pretty great attitude, and it's because I am always having fun at work."

Anonymous Answer

"My communications skills have helped me build strong relationships with both clients and colleagues. I have a trusting personality and the ability to learn very fast and adapt to any situation quite easily."

Stephanie's Feedback

You do a great job of highlighting some of your professional strengths, such as communication skills, the ability to learn quickly, and adaptability. I would caution against using the phrase "trusting personality" as that can have mixed connotations; you could change this to "trustworthy personality." Additionally, if there is another positive personality trait that you wish to highlight, you can do so here instead.

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Anonymous Answer

"I have vigorously forged my paths in the last decade - having gone through very competitive educational systems, accomplishing a sector change in a foreign country, and advancing in the technology sector with the constant acquisition of new skills and networks. I have also successfully navigated in extremely multi-cultural environments and complex global organizations. I am determined to bring all of my experiences, skills, and resources together to be successful on Facebook."

Stephanie's Feedback

Facebook clearly has an extremely talented employee base, but that response makes it sound like you would fit right in!