What were you doing on your very best day at work?

"I try to have every day be my best day. I do this by grabbing everything I can control by the reins. By arriving at work a little early, coffee in hand, I show up relaxed and at the top of my game, ready for what comes next. I greet all of my coworkers, dive into some fun banter, and set the stage for having fun with my teams. I want everyone to look forward to working together, day in and day out, so we can have the best experience together. Then, I head to the gym at lunch and have a keto power meal. Ideally, I'll deliver work that exceeds my standard, spread high-fives all around, map out my following day, and even get a head start on one or two projects. I then wrap up with a few good laughs with coworkers, while looking forward to the next challenge."

Your interviewer is curious to learn more about your work standard, and how often you rise to the occasion to go above and beyond in your work. Your response should inform them what you enjoy most about the work you do and where your passions lie. This goes beyond what your day-to-day responsibilities look like. It more so pertains to the quality you bring to your time at work. Their ideal candidates enjoy the work they do and are bringing their best selves to work every day. So, take your interviewer through your ideal day in your current role, and when describing what you do, try to make going the distance look like your work standard. Remember to be positive and upbeat.

Included in the frequently asked questions on Meta's careers site is the question, "What should I focus on when applying for a job at Meta?" They then detail that this interview question is one they frequently like to ask. Here is their advice for answering this question: "Focus on your strengths. We like to ask, 'What were you doing on your very best day at work?' We want you to do that not just on your best day, but every day. Show us something you've built. Builders look at the world with fresh eyes. They see things that are good, but could be better, and figure out how to make it so. We look for candidates who've got that same building mind-set, whether they're applying for executive roles or internships. Share when you've failed and learned. Don't hesitate to talk about the blunders you've made in the pursuit of big ideas. We want to hear about those as much as your wins."

"My best day at work involves presenting a successful campaign to the client and exceeding their expectations. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a happy client and knowing all the hard work we've done as a team paid off."

"My best day at work will start with a clear picture of what I need to accomplish by the end of the day and have a clear plan. I'd have good interactions with my colleagues in the office during social events and become familiar with their projects. I'd be thrilled to learn something new in my work as well. Leaving work with a sense of accomplishment and a plan for the next day would be my perfect day."

"On the best day of my work, I learn something new, have a few productive discussions with coworkers, and earn new customers for my system. A couple of months back, I gave a demo of my system to several collaborators in academia and industry that were part of an ongoing project of detecting wildfires in California. They needed a database system that can support the efficient execution of machine learning functions using the ease of SQL queries. At the end of the demo, they loved my system, and they decided to use the system as the backend for the project. I was happy that day to be appreciated for my hard work and my system to be part of another big project."

"I have a list of things I want to accomplish at the start of the day. I prioritize and go through the high-priority tasks first and then move on to the next. Maybe at lunch or coffee, I have a good conversation with a colleague and get a fresh inspiration - it could be about my project or even life in general, by getting to know that person better. By the end of the day, I have crossed off all of the items for execution and generated new strategic ideas on how to move my projects forward."

Do you prefer change or the status quo?

"The high-growth tech startup I work for initially kept reinventing themselves, shifting their focus as they trained many of us to wear all the hats, and we were constantly learning on the go as they parceled out jobs and responsibilities between sales and marketing. Eventually, they shifted gears and hired a chief marketing officer who hired specialists in that field. As a result, the company went through 3 major rebrandings and shiftings of focus for the company. Many of our teammates enjoyed the work, even though they lacked proper training, and grew frustrated by these shifts, resulting in a lot of turnover. I did what I could to share the company's vision and defend the direction we were heading. But not everyone shared my enthusiasm."

Meta's products are constantly evolving, with new products being added, older ones being improved upon, and occasional shifts occurring in their company focus. Therefore, your interviewer is curious about how able you are to adapt and how effectively you embrace and support the vision and direction of your employer. As they say on their website, "We all recognize that Meta's business is both broad in scope and constantly changing, and while I know many of you are energized by this, I also recognize that the idea of upcoming changes creates uncertainty and stress. My hope is to focus on the critical work ahead."

How you answer this question could provide insights into whether this job is the right fit for you. For example, those who prefer to cruise along performing at the status quo, relying on the security of predictable work, day in and day out, are more likely to feel stressed out and burnout on the job than those who are more adaptive and thrive in a constantly changing, fast-paced work environment. So showcase your familiarity with the type of work environment they've created, and that you feel this is the right opportunity for you.

"I've had to adapt to the needs of new clients that were more digitally oriented. Our first clients required more traditional advertising, whereas our newer clients were more focused on digital advertising. I worked on digital campaigns and learned new things along the way. This sparked my interest in social advertising at Facebook."

"I have had to adapt to change for every single role that I undertook which had a pretty different set of responsibilities. I also have the experience of changing sectors, starting work in a country that I didn't grow up in, and in each team that I was in, it was a different cultural composition of people. In essence, my whole career (as well as education) has been a story of change and I am confident to be able to successfully adapt to the next new role and environment as well."

"At my last employment, we had one of our managers leave and a new one was hired. When the new manager joined he reviewed our tickets and he explained how to be more thorough in the analysis of impact after finishing a case. For example, asking questions like are we protected from this threat on our endpoints? what can we do to detect this in advance going forward? Ultimately it forced me to dig a little deeper in each case and started reaching out to other teams to find answers to those kinds of questions."

What would you have done if we did not show up to this interview, today?

"I can empathize with how challenging a job recruiting is and would give you the benefit of the doubt. So I would start by reaching out to you to make sure you were okay. If I couldn't get a hold of you, I would reach out to your human resources and explain the situation and express my concern. I would then try to be flexible regarding rescheduling. However, if it seemed clear that this interview wasn't a high priority, then I might ask more questions, and reflect on the wisest course of action from there, depending on the situation."

According to sources online, Meta's interviewers are known to ask this question from time to time. This hypothetical, scenario-based question is meant to test your problem-solving abilities, your communication skills, emotional intelligence, and your sense of diplomacy. The way you respond will show the interviewers your level of confidence, how you strategically think when placed in uncomfortable situations, and how driven you are to reach your goals. It also could provide them a glimpse of your self-perceived professional worth, and how badly you want the job.

Before your interview, make sure to exhaust all efforts in understanding the nature of their work culture, and the traits that they look for when recruiting their people. This will help you better determine how aligned you are with them, and whether this is the right fit for you. Remember, everyone who works for Meta, from their recruiters to their hiring managers, to their team members, all serve as representatives of their employee culture. So, when answering this question, approach it with the understanding that you are still getting to know one another, and if hired, you will potentially be working with and collaborating with the person sitting across the table from you.

This question is something of a test of your communication skills. Without understanding what may have transpired to have caused your interviewer to miss your appointment, it is necessary to approach the situation with an open mind while offering the benefit of the doubt. Therefore, demonstrate empathy. Many of Meta's seasoned employees detail in their careers blogs that empathy is a requirement for working there. So, when answering this question, be a leader. Exude empathy, confidence, professionalism, and self-respect.

A huge part of being a skilled communicator is asking questions and actively listening. So, in this hypothetical situation, suggest the questions you might ask to better understand the situation and circumstances of why they didn't show up for the interview. Then determine whether their responses align with your work standard and the standard you expect from those on your team.

"I would not give up because I really want this job. I would follow up with you by email and ask if we could reschedule to another day that is convenient for you."

"If you did not come to the interview today, I would ask your admin team to rebook me for a time when you were around. I would take it graciously; however, I would not give up. After rescheduling, I would send an email or make a call, expressing my keen interest in the role. I have no problem chasing down a great opportunity."

"I would have waited for around 15-20 minutes and emailed you. I would express my strong interest in the role and ask for rescheduling of the interview!"

How up to date are you on Meta's advancements with AI, AR, and VR?

"I spent some time reading up on all of it on your website. Some people are big Apple fans, but I am definitely more of a Meta fan. I don't have any of the cool products Meta has available right now, like the most recent Quest, but would love to justify the expense soon. I am especially keen on the Ray-Ban Wayfarers. So cool! That is definitely going to be my next priority purchase."

Your interviewer is curious whether you share their passion for their innovations and for the direction they're taking the company. How you respond may also inform them of how effectively you'll work with their teams, the level of dedication they can expect from you, whether you'll help them further the company's vision, and to what degree you already fit in.

Here are a collection of combined quotes where Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook and Meta, discusses his company's focus on the Metaverse, augmented reality, virtual reality, and AI. "We've been focusing on both A.I. and the metaverse for years now, and we will continue to focus on both. The two areas are also related. I believe augmented and virtual reality are going to enable a deeper sense of presence and social connection than any existing platform, and they're going to be an important part of how we will interact in the future. The Metaverse has the potential to revolutionize education by creating immersive learning experiences that feel like you're actually there. AI can personalize learning pathways in the Metaverse, adapting to individual needs and styles."

Before your interview, read up on how AI, AR, and VR all play interconnected roles in their "Metaverse" of products. "Meta's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. What we build today could one day be the norm. So to be here today is to truly be at the heart of change and the frontier of what's to come. We're the people helping to define the metaverse. We may not have all the answers. But together, we're getting closer." Meta also details how AI helps personalize content, creates A.I. generated advertising, and readily available intuitive and personalized chatbots, among other applications, such as Meta's open-sourced language model, Llama 2. So thoroughly explore all of their products, services, and offerings so you can knowledgeably discuss them when such topics come up in your interview.

"AR allows people to express themselves within their existing physical environment. VR creates immersive and transformative experiences, allowing people to enter another environment. For example, they can virtually travel to a different location and experience the surroundings as if they were really there."

"In an online shopping context, AR and VR can create a close-to-reality fitting experience that is not only entertaining for people but also can critically aid their decisions to buy. Things like shoes - people want to try them on before buying to ensure that the size fits. Maybe even dresses, t-shirts, or lipsticks. The technology already exists to facilitate such experiential shopping and I think Facebook can definitely take it further to reach a wider population in the world."

What are your developmental priorities over the next 6 months?

"I am very interested in moving into a leadership role and have been reading books and taking online classes on leadership development. So, next my focus will be on communication and delegation best practices, team-building, and coaching rising leaders. I am very interested in learning more about Meta's Leadership in Practice program and am very interested in learning what it takes to enter the program."

This question is aimed at gauging how motivated you are, whether you have a mapped-out career plan, what your short-term goals are, and what growth opportunities you are working on right now. This is different from asking where you plan to be in five years, which your interviewer may ask, which helps them determine whether you see this opportunity as a long-term career move, and have mapped out some big-picture goals for where you hope Meta may take your career next. How you answer questions like these may potentially inform them of how driven you are, and what your level of personal achievement looks like.

Read through Meta's careers blogs, which often feature their model employees, for more insights into their company's culture. For example, here are some insights that directly correlate to this interview question, and how they count on all of Meta's employees to have a growth mindset and an "always learning" attitude. "No matter your role, having a growth mindset is critical. Things are always changing and the industry is evolving quickly. People who do well here are passionate and genuinely excited to learn." They go on to say, "the key is to keep challenging yourself, which is a defining factor at Meta. As long as you push yourself forward with the knowledge you already have, you have the right people supporting you, and you have access to new opportunities, you'll be fine."

Someone who cruises along at the status quo often uses the expression, no news is good news. But when taking charge of your own development with the aim of furthering your career, this couldn't be farther from the truth. In one of Meta's career blogs, a department manager said, "Enabling growth can be a balance between offering encouragement, radical candor and sometimes, tough love. It's important to give constructive feedback and have honest, difficult conversations." So when describing your drive and ambition to grow in your career, detail how you proactively seek out feedback at every opportunity, and that you receptively consider all feedback as a learning opportunity.

"I have been following site reliability, IaC, and DevOps practices for managing our Infrastructure and have been a big promoter of it within BioRad, which gives higher availability and reliability. Provide 24/7 global support for internal and external customers. I would love to learn more about how this is done on Facebook and at that scale compared. Especially the processes, tooling, etc."

"Working at Facebook would give me a great base for implementing my academic knowledge at an industrial level. In the next six months, I'd love to leverage my skills and knowledge on working towards real product development at an industrial level, which I am certain Facebook would help me achieve."

"I would like to be part of the Women LEAP Program."

"I am extremely eager to develop my data analytics capabilities even further and I would like to focus on getting more training on that if I were to join Facebook. I'd also like to really get on top of the machine learning technology that you are leveraging to accomplish the objectives of the team."

"I have been supporting the biggest cloud service company in the world to help them to build better network infrastructure. I would love to see more about how my expert knowledge and experience can make things be done differently on Facebook. Especially the network automation and tooling, etc."

How would you describe what we do here at Meta?

"I would say that Meta helps connect individuals and communities on a global scale. They find new ways to help people tell their stories, to relate to each other, and new methods of communicating online, enabling everyone's voice to be heard."

They're curious about how familiar you are with Meta and how they define themselves as a company. They are also curious how effectively you would detail what they do as a company to their users, advertisers, or the general public. They're looking for candidates with exceptional communication skills, and who are resourceful in building relationships across the larger Meta ecosystem. For example, before Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook as Meta, he was quoted as saying, "Facebook is really about communicating and telling stories."

Meta describes what they do as building technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. Among their offerings, they sell proprietary AR and VR devices, such as Meta Quest and Ray-Ban Meta. They offer their social networking apps, such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Meta Horizon. They even offer work tools involving immersive virtual reality experiences. Not only do they expect their employees to represent the interests of the company, but they expect them to embrace their offerings as well.

Meta details in their code of conduct that they expect their employees to communicate transparently. They state that they empower honest, open communication and that they expect their employees to be clear, truthful, courteous, and professional in their internal and external communications. "We understand that information travels rapidly and unpredictably. As Meta Personnel, everything we say and share reflects on us individually and on Meta. We are thoughtful and responsible in how we connect and communicate with the world. Whether we are in a meeting, a cafe, walking together or communicating online, our words matter. Thus, we should pause before communicating to avoid misunderstandings and allow our authentic voice to be heard."

Your social media presence can reveal a lot about you, your hobbies, external interests, and your personality. The more your online presence reflects upon you as a good fit to join their company, the better. Your interviewer expects you to be publicly active on their social media channels. However, they also count on their employees to make it clear when they are expressing their personal opinions, not leading people to believe they are speaking on behalf of Meta, unless they've received permission to do so. So before your interview, make absolutely sure your online social media presence is professional.

Which of our platforms do you connect with most, and how frequently?

"I'm always on Instagram. I love scrolling through stories. Honestly, there is no greater source for cat videos anywhere. I love viewing them and posting them. If I am having a bad or stressful day, a micro break with a few cat videos is all I need to get back on course."

Your interviewer is curious to what degree you are a fan of their company, how energized you feel about the direction Meta is going, how engaged you are with their products and offerings, how they impact your daily life, and how you connect with others. Whether you are actively on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, or utilize Meta Quest and its over 50 games, detail how you connect to others by connecting with Meta. "From social media to cutting-edge AR/VR, all our technologies share a vision of a more connected world."

"To me, the best Instagram feature is Instagram Stories. It allows both individuals and businesses to get creative and personal at the moment without committing to keeping the content permanently on their page. It is also the most entertaining feature, in my opinion."

"IG is a visual-oriented platform and I think they have hit the core of people's desires to beautify their photos/videos with their diverse filter and effect options, which continue to evolve. This certainly strengthens people's core interactions on the platform and enables users to create their personal brands."

Why should Meta hire you?

"I would describe my personality as supportive, emotionally intelligent, and highly empathic. I have a lot of drive and am one of those people who preach that nothing is impossible. I'm adventurous and also enjoy taking on new challenges and am willing to jump into any situation and learn on the spot. I'm also resourceful. In fact, one of the nicknames my coworkers have for me is MacGyver. I am also very driven to grow professionally and am always receptive to feedback. I'm always asking questions, am willing to try new things, am incredibly positive and happy-go-lucky."

Posing similarly phrased questions can serve several purposes. It can help your interviewer assess your attention to detail. It tests whether you can think on your feet, and how original your answers are from question to question. In this set, you'll find three such similarly phrased questions; "Why do you want to work for Meta?", "What makes you unique from the rest of the candidates in Meta's talent pool?", and this question, "Why should Meta hire you?" The first of these questions has to do with your career goals, and how Meta aligns with where you want to take your career next. The second question concerns your work standard, and how you tend to stand out among your peers. And this question concerns how aligned you are with the talent Meta is ideally hoping to recruit.

To get the most of out this question, you must learn all you can about every aspect of Meta's culture, identify all the ways you fit their mold, and where you can relate to and identify with their methodology. Go beyond researching the careers pages on Meta's website. Explore the Meta Careers Blog, Meta Careers on Facebook, Meta Careers on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. Sign up for their Career Profile, which they call "your source for the information and resources you need for your career journey at Meta. Create personalized job alerts, see jobs recommended for you, try our coding puzzles, get interview schedules and more." Doing this will help you paint a clearer picture of how you are uniquely positioned to complement their teams.

Meta describes their company's purpose as building a more connected future. To do that, Mark Zuckerberg describes his philosophy for recruiting those whom he wants on his teams. "I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person. It's a pretty good test." Here are several other quotes from several of Meta's top talent, who in different ways describe what it is like being part of their culture. "Innovators, change makers and thought leaders, you'll find them all at Meta." "We are solution-seekers and bold builders." "At Meta, your career is in your hands." "Learning has never stopped." "Empathy is key." "People's lives change once they're able to connect."

"I'm an inquisitive person who always seeks to learn new things. In my current job, I ask to participate in meetings that are out of my scope to learn more about the business. I'm also very supportive and always have my colleagues' back. I volunteer to help whenever I can. My colleagues would also say I was a funny person. I'm always trying to spread positive vibes and put a smile on people's faces."

"I am open-minded and adaptive - which I think fits in well with Facebook's diverse and inclusive culture :)When it comes to work and problem solving, I am a reflective and logical person who likes to think through different perspectives and options and make strategic decisions towards the team/company's goals."

What values form your character?

"I would say that my core values are consistency in quality, happy work relationships are fundamental to performance, always be creative, and maintain a spirit of adventure in everything you do."

Your interviewer is curious whether you have a personal or professional code that forms your character or your decision-making. How you answer may educate them on how closely your values align with theirs. For example, a candidate who is more likely to prioritize the needs of Meta or their fellow metamates is more aligned with their values than someone who prioritizes themselves or the advancement of their own career.

If you don't already have a few core values by which you operate, take some time to perform the exercise of coming up with a few. Think about the principles and morals you live by, and the kind of person you strive to be. Once you've written those down, phrase them in a manner that complements Meta's core values.

Meta's 6 core values are presently, "Move fast, Focus on long-term impact, Build awesome things, Live in the future, Be direct and respect your colleagues, Meta - metamates - me." The last of these values is a play on the nautical saying, "ship, shipmates, self." This in essence means they first must prioritize the ship, then their fellow shipmates, and lastly, they prioritize themselves. Also, before rebranding to Meta, Facebook's five core values used to be "Focus on Impact, Move Fast, Be Bold, Be Open, and Build Social Value."

"One of my top values is honesty which I apply when communicating with colleagues and stakeholders. I also value growth which means that I always seek to learn new things in my field. I also care deeply about reliability as I seek to be someone people can come to for help and support."

"My core values include consistency in work, a belief that healthy relationships with team members are fundamental to success, and my commitment to solving real-life problems. I believe that my core values are inlined with the established core values of Facebook. I will always maintain my core values to contribute my best towards the goal of Facebook."

"My core values include 1) strive for excellence - which means I take the quality of my work seriously - 2) hunger for development - as I believe such attitude not only will result in great output but also your personal growth - and 3) collaboration - as you can't achieve things all on your own in an organization and collaborating well within and across teams is critical in delivering towards the company's goals. These are the values that guide my interactions with people as well as my overall approach to work."

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

"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."

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.

"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."

"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."

Which of Meta Platforms' products and services are you most excited about?

"I'd say I am most excited about the next generation of smart glasses. And partnering with Ray-Ban, you can't get any cooler than that. I am more of a Wayfarers fan. And the idea that you can access all of those features without ever taking your phone out of your pocket is truly awe-inspiring."

Your interviewer is curious to learn the extent of your familiarity with Meta's products and offerings, or those which you are looking forward to trying, whether currently out on the market or coming soon. How familiar you are with where the company is trending may serve as an indicator of your interest and enthusiasm for joining their teams.

Some of Meta's offerings are more widely known and available, such as their social platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Whereas others are not as widely publicized or available, such as Meta's Ray-Ban AR and VR glasses, Meta's Llama 2, (Large Language Model Meta AI), or their Meta Quest or Meta Quest Pro VR headsets, their accessories, apps and games, and more. So dive deep into their products and services, and be prepared to speak about those which excite you the most.

"The best business feature I've seen is the augmented reality ads. I think they can really help businesses stand out and increase interaction with their potential customers. I've seen examples of AR ads for sunglasses brands and Makeup brands. These are really effective and can easily convince a shopper to complete their purchase."

"Facebook recently launched Live Shopping Fridays featuring big beauty brands. It's not necessarily a feature rollout but elevating the live shopping functionality through more visible and wider brand participation. Live shopping is already pretty mainstream in some parts of the world and an irreversible retail trend that I've been researching since last year. The initiative marks how Facebook is stepping up towards the trend in the North American market hence has caught my eye."

What will you contribute to Meta's mission and values?

"I have friends and family all across the globe and I honestly wish I could step into a teleportation machine and hang out with them, to be in the same room as them at any time. Often, making a video call on your phone simply doesn't capture what it is like being there with them. But, the advancements Meta is making with the metaverse, to feel like you are actually in the same room with them, and then to goof around and hang out as your avatar, or whatever you want to be, is amazing. This is the future of connecting with others across the world, and I want to be part of advancing that future."

Meta's recruiters are looking for top performers who they connect with, and who see the value in building connections with others. Therefore, your interviewer is curious how familiar you are with their company language, and the many ways they define why they do what they do as a company, and the values and principles that guide how they work, each and every day. So, before you can adequately answer this question, it's essential that you understand what Meta's missions and values are. The most ubiquitous keyword that appears across their site is connection.

Facebook was founded in 2004. In 2017, Mark Zuckerberg expanded its mission to "Bring the world closer together." Then, in late 2021, Facebook was rebranded as Meta, and their full mission statement became "to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. That reflects that we can't do this ourselves, but only by empowering people to build communities and bring people together." Their six core values are, "Move fast, Focus on long-term impact, Build awesome things, Live in the future, Be direct and respect your colleagues, Meta - metamates - me."

Explore each of their core values in depth and determine which of their values you stand to contribute to the most. Examine your work history and where you've shined. For example, in the descriptions of their core values, they describe how their employees build and learn faster than anyone else, and act with urgency, removing barriers, "moving fast in one direction together as a company and as individuals. We emphasize long-term thinking rather than optimizing for near-term wins. We push ourselves to focus more on inspiring, in everything we do."

"Facebook's mission is to bring the world closer together, and I plan on helping businesses get closer to their customers by helping them optimize their campaigns and identifying new opportunities."

"Facebook's mission to connect communities and people all over the globe is a mission that I desire to join. For Facebook to focus on projects that give more people a voice, strengthen community bonds, and create economic opportunities is admirable. Your mission and vision is the 'something more' that I have been seeking out in my career."

"One of my personal core values is failing early fail often and that aligns well with facebooks mission of moving fast and break things. I constantly strive to overcome my limits each day."

Why do you want to work for Meta?

"I read an interview with your COO where she said, 'I would rather take a total superstar in another area and move them into a new job than take someone who hasn't performed as well but has the right experience.' I love that, and I get it. I want to work with the best, and be part of a great team that will help deliver us into the future. Meta gets this and understands what it takes to build a solid team. So I am interested in that type of collaboration, where our daily interactions help me learn and grow, just by being immersed in a great diverse team with new perspectives. It's all about the angles to look at things. I am an avid learner who actively seeks opportunities to grow, and I want to surround myself with those who are similar."

Your interviewer wants to assess your enthusiasm and interest in this role, and Meta as a company. How you answer could potentially help them determine how aligned you are with their mission and values, how familiar you are with their culture and what they do, and if you feel this position and their company are a strong match for your career goals. By understanding why you want to work there, they'll better be able to determine whether they should invest in you as an employee.

When examining your career goals, go beyond how this opportunity of working for a leading tech company would be a step forward for your career. Rather, align your career goals with what they are doing as a company, how their culture complements what you are looking for, and how you'd like to learn, develop, and grow with them. Also, relay how working for them feels like participating in something bigger than yourself, "the future of how people connect."

At Meta, they state that their best work is yet to come. And they're looking for their ideal talent to help them. "Do what you love or discover new challenges in a place where you can take ownership, chase ideas and build the future of connectivity. We want to invest in you as a person. You're our most valuable resource." On their career blog, one of their engineers describes Meta's culture "as challenging and fun. The opportunities you have to work on what you're interested in, even moving to a different project or team, are just amazing."

"I am mesmerized by the scale of Facebook's user population and want to be part of the teams that build and handle the requests for such a huge number of users. I have experience working with different products but not to this scale. I also read about the support and mentorship the company offers to employees, so they grow with the company, and this is exciting. I want to be part of an organization where I can give my best."

"Facebook is one of the largest social networking companies in the world. It has billions of daily active users, billions of people post about their life events, social events, and stories. I am always amazed by the scale on which FB operates, such as the amount of data it maintains, the number of queries it serves in real-time, and the number of resources it allocates for the services of common people. As a database researcher, I want to be a part of the FB team to solve the real-life challenges of data management. On Facebook, I will contribute to such exciting projects. Since my goal is to be a leading researcher in data management systems, working on such projects will allow me to find innovative solutions to complex real-life problems."

"I want to be part of Facebook's xx team specifically because I have held a long-standing interest in both technology/social media platforms like Facebook as well as online commerce. Each of the two is an extremely exciting domain for me, not to mention the combination of the two. I'd also like to be part of a large-scale organization solving complex problems and one that zealously supports employees' continuous intellectual growth and career development. Facebook seems to be exactly that, so I am extremely excited about the opportunity."

"There are various reasons why I want to work for Facebook. I advocate for job fulfillment where your job is something you look forward to every day because you're doing something you love. By reading about Facebook's company culture of being impactful, and the responsibilities of this position, I believe I can help make impactful decisions through data and working with cross-functional teams.Additionally, Facebook continues to grow its user base every quarter with new projects, implementations, and acquisitions. A company that's consistently looking to grow in a scalable way and their employees' skill sets is important to me. Technology is quickly advancing, specifically social networks and their usage, so I'd love to be a part of those changes. I also want to be in a position where you can make an impact, grow, launch new products, and be with people who have the same aspirations as you. Just as Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together, my mission is to do the same. Through all of my experiences connecting with people from Facebook, I've had great conversations that have showcased the innovative and interconnected environment. Does that match up with the way you would characterize the environment?"

"I am mesmerized by the scale of Facebook's production network and want to be part of the network team for network automation. First, I'm excited to join the Facebook network team because the work it does impact all Facebook users. This is a truly unique opportunity.Secondly, I am attracted to Facebook's culture of moving fast and being bold. These are some of the values I try to implement in my own work and I am excited to join a team that thinks along similar lines.Last, I have experience in the network automation area, I want to be part of an organization where I can give my best."

What do you believe were the biggest challenges Meta faced this year?

"I would say that with all the new breakthroughs of AI, now increasing at an exponential rate, incorporating those advances and the potential of those AI breakthroughs into the metaverse was a huge challenge. Not only in realizing the implications and applications, but what it means for connecting people through the Metaverse on a previously unrealized scale."

Your interviewer is curious to hear your opinion on the direction the company is heading and the challenges ahead. Not only are they interested in determining how informed you are, but also curious about how aligned your views are with those of Meta, and how you would be able to represent their positions and attitudes when discussing work with those outside of the company.

When asked about industry topics or the company's direction, always start with the positions and perspectives of the company, similar to the information they offer on their website. So, to prepare for this question or those like it, check out the top stories on Meta's Newsroom, such as, "Living in the Future," where they discuss Meta's two long-term bets on technologies of the future, AI and the metaverse, each of which took major steps forward in 2023. Or, explore their article "What's New Across Our AI Experiences," where they discuss the features they're adding to Meta AI and the new ways generative AI will improve experiences across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

"One of the biggest challenges would be earning back the trust of users lost due to privacy controversies. Also, Facebook has a challenge with the new iOS14 privacy setting, which will prevent businesses from properly connecting with their potential customers."

"Although this is not a new challenge, content moderation and keeping the platform safe from inappropriate content and fake news will continue to be a challenge for Facebook. The complexity of national/global issues that the world faces will only increase and Facebook as the largest social media network where people freely express their thoughts on issues of all kinds will have to grapple with the right and effective ways to balance between freedom of speech and public safety."

What kind of disagreements have you had with colleagues and/or managers? How have you resolved them? Can you empathize with people whose points of view differ radically from yours?

"Well, I work in a very collaborative think tank environment currently. And often our teams are challenged with charting unmapped paths forward on major projects. The aim is to get it done together and to collaborate at speed. So, this often requires a lot of active listening, validating, and implementing advanced communication, negotiation, diplomacy, validation, non-defensive communication, and compromise. On occasion, simply because of communication backdowns, things get tense, but they never result in conflict. In those situations, we'll ultimately reach a compromise and work well together toward our common goal. We all want the same thing. It's just how to get there that ends up for debate. All for one and one for all."

In Meta's Full Loop Interview Prep Guide, they pose this very question, and there is a chance your interviewer may ask this to assess how thoroughly you've prepared for this interview. This falls under one of the five signals they evaluate their candidates for, resolving conflict. This question directly pertains to how well you would thrive in their unstructured, open working environment. They want to know how aligned you are with their culture and how adept you are at resolving conflict when tense situations may arise, for whatever reason. How you answer will inform them of how aligned you are with their culture, and how your approach to resolving conflict aligns with theirs.

At Meta, they repeatedly emphasize that they are looking to hire "highly qualified individuals from the widest range of backgrounds and experiences. This helps us benefit from each other's vast variety of experiences and perspectives and offer products and services truly designed for all." They depend on each one of those metamates to get along, treat each other with respect, and collaborate harmoniously. As Mark Zuckerberg succinctly puts it, "At Meta, I believe that embracing a deep responsibility to each other allows us to innovate better and be a better company."

Here are several guidelines for being kind and respectful which Meta details in their code of conduct. "It is important that Meta Personnel feel valued and respected and that they are treated fairly at work and work-related events, whether in-person or virtual. This culture helps establish the openness and trust we need to make informed decisions and have a meaningful impact in the world. Being kind and respectful means we treat every person within our community with respect, regardless of role, position, seniority, employment status or tenure. Consider the needs and perspectives of others and how our words and actions might be received. Never threaten, act violently toward or harass others. Don't insult, bully, disparage, shame or mock others and stay vigilant. Don't retaliate. Speak up."

Do you consider yourself more of a left-brained or right-brained person?

"My best friend says I am super pragmatic, and my sister says I am the most creative person in the world, so I guess it depends on who you ask. I'd say I fall somewhere and alternate back and forth from the right to the left. I look at the world from all angles, am unconventional in my thinking, and try to look at things from every unbiased angle, never taking sides, and just try to follow the path of what makes the most sense."

Your interviewer wants to learn more about your motivators and preferences for the type of work you perform. How you answer could prove insightful in regards to your behavior and personality and whether you are more creatively inclined, or more pragmatic. It could also inform them where you fall on the scale from being more of an introvert who enjoys solitary analytical work, an extrovert who enjoys more social and collaborative work, or more of an ambivert, falling somewhere on the scale between the two.

When answering this question, it is important to be as honest with yourself as you are with the person you are interviewing with. You should be certain this opportunity feels like the right fit for your talents, personality, and professional skills. "Innovators, changemakers and thought leaders, you'll find them all at Meta." By showcasing who you truly are as a person, and as a professional, you stand a greater chance of landing this, or perhaps another position which the recruiter might see you as a better fit for. "What really motivates people at Facebook is building stuff that they're proud of." - Mark Zuckerberg

"I strongly believe that necessity is the mother of innovation, and with that, it brings in creativity. I come from a background where we are very cost-conscious; I always try to find innovative ways of resolving an issue, building new projects, and managing teams that require creativity."

"Yes, I always participate in and propose ideas during brainstorming sessions, and I also proactively brainstorm ideas for clients. I also am working on a personal business project of my own."

"I am a type of person who is very driven to accomplish the goals I have set for myself and will think of various - creative ways - to ensure that I achieve them. For example, accomplishing my goals and managing projects in a fluid tech company in the last years was possible only through my unique and creative combination of focus, logical thinking, and relationship management skills in a highly multi-cultural context."

What does the word "innovation" mean to you?

"To me, innovation means what it means, which is a great improvement that moves something forward. Whereas kaizen means a small, or a collection of small improvements. I am all about improvement implementation, whether on a large or small scale. But, the aim is to constantly improve on what was done before, on whatever scale, which as a whole translates to innovation. As I always say, do better with consistency and move the world forward. Ideally, I'd like to move the world forward at Meta."

Your interviewer is curious how closely your concept of innovation aligns with theirs and would like to know what innovation looks like for you. The term "innovation" is not something that Meta's employees strive for, it is a job requirement. At Meta, they describe their culture as innovative by nature, and responsible by design. "Take on meaningful, challenging work at incredible scale. What we do has never before been done. By asking complex questions to drive innovation, you can help shape the future as you build for the world."

Mark Zuckerberg is reported to hold his employees to a high standard. According to reviews from Glassdoor, and from several articles and blogs on the subject, the work is very challenging, and demanding, and the hours can be long. Due to being surrounded by high-performing, top talent, the environment can sometimes feel competitive and the talents of those you're working with can feel intimidating. So, part of their innovative culture requires a high degree of commitment, drive, dedication, and perseverance.

"I have been innovative when I built a new database management system for our IoT system. I wanted to create a DBMS that could answer queries progressively and execute complex functions efficiently. I developed this DBMS and wrote three analysis applications on image data, sensor data, and social media data to show the efficiency of my system. I showed how the system becomes interactive when queries are executed progressively as compared to waiting for a long time to finish a query execution. The DBMS and the applications I developed were shown to multiple clients during our demo and resulted in research funding from the National Science Foundation. To me, innovation means introducing a new process or potential breakthrough in the workplace."

"For me, innovation is simply a new way of doing things, that did not exist before in a particular context. It could be about a methodology of doing something, a process, or also be a product. In my work in xx we were designing new processes and new products that did not exist before, that suggested new ways of delivering service to our users more efficiently. I'd consider them innovative."

Tell me about yourself.

"I first grew intrigued with code when I was teaching myself how to build my profile page on Myspace. Then, when Facebook came along, I abandoned Myspace of course. But I was still addicted to code and created a few apps here and there. Small fun games. For quite a while, it was a dream of mine that I'd create the next big app and Facebook would buy it from me. Although I have developed a few, and some I've sold to smaller outfits, I later landed a career developing apps for companies. But the dream of working with Facebook was still there. So, I revamped my career goals and steered my development and learning with the aim of working for Meta. Having gained the right skills and experience, and learning all I can about the company, I feel like I am already a metamate, and hope to meet the rest of the teams."

According to one of Meta's Full Loop Interview Prep Guides, one of the purposes of your interview is to assess whether you would thrive or flounder in Meta's fast-paced and highly unstructured environment. They want to learn more about your background, what you're passionate about in tech, and what kind of impact you want to make. So come prepared to share a well-structured narrative of your background and interests, what you're passionate about in tech, why you're looking to make a change in your career, and what kind of impact you hope to make at Meta. "It's important to prepare ahead of time for interviews designed to get to know you better." This is your opportunity to share stories and examples of your past work, what you've learned along your career journey, what it's like to work with you, and how you feel about the types of challenges you'll face at Meta.

One of the signals your interviewer will watch out for will be how effectively you communicate your answers throughout your interview. This may inform them of how well you'll communicate with their teams, and with their cross-functional partners, and whether you can tailor your communication based on your work and/or your audience. To help construct your answer, Meta's recruiters recommend you use the STAR method. "Use the S.T.A.R. method to mentally organize your thoughts. This will provoke a well-thought-out and chronological action of events. Easy to describe, easy to follow. You can practice this method using the Journaling Exercises in the Preparation Hub within your Career Profile. S: One or two sentences about the SITUATION: What happened? T: Describe the TASK: What was your specific goal? A: ACTIONS you took to overcome the obstacles and complete your objective. R: The tangible / quantifiable RESULTS of the situation: How did it help the team/company? Have concrete examples or anecdotes. Support each question with practical experiences and examples. Avoid theoretical answers. If you go into a theoretical tangent, your interviewer will redirect you to provide a concrete example."

How much experience do you have working in a diverse and inclusive environment?

"I appreciate the open and transparent effort that Meta makes when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, especially after reading your most recent diversity report. I embrace the fact that everyone is different. Every chance I get to get to know someone new is a learning opportunity. I love to travel, love music from every corner of the world, and love learning about new cultures. My views on diversity are that it's not simply a matter of culture but also gender, identity, background, demographics, and so much more. I am sensitive in all my actions as well, and take nothing for granted."

Your interviewer needs to ensure you are culturally competent and will have no difficulties collaborating with Meta's diverse teams. "Connecting the world takes people with different backgrounds and points of view to build products that work better for everyone. This means building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the people we serve and a workplace focused on equity and inclusion." In Meta's annual diversity reports, they detail their efforts towards building strong relationships with organizations that support people of color and women. "We value each contribution and unique perspective, and we see lived experience as an asset." So, they also need to ensure you'll have no difficulty connecting with a diverse world. "People from all backgrounds, with diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas, rely on Meta technologies to build community. Building a diverse team where everyone belongs is crucial to understanding where we're succeeding and where we need to do better."

Meta's diversity report begins with the following statement by Mark Zuckerberg: "To bring the world closer together, diversity is a must-have for Meta, not an option. Hiring people with different backgrounds and experiences helps us build better products and make better decisions. We're committed to building a workforce that's as diverse as the communities we serve. Responsibility rests on us and our companies. You need diverse teams to do the best work. So it's important that we do better on diversity, not only because it's the right thing to do, but because that's the only way we're going to serve our community the best."

"I always respect people's differences and cultures, and I actually love learning new things about different cultures and different ways of thinking."

"I am actually very excited by the environment and opportunities to work with people who are different from me. I feel like I am stimulated, learn to think from a different perspective, and can develop my thoughts further in that way. I have worked in a diverse environment all throughout my career and maintained the attitude of being a good listener, trying to understand where the person is coming from, empathize, and try to find a way to integrate people's different perspectives into our teamwork."

How do you balance your personal life with your work life?

"I have found that one of the best ways to avoid burnout is to constantly celebrate. Take time to show gratitude and appreciation for your team, their support, and their wins. Also, strategically planning every project, whether it's planning a major work project or planning your week, morning, nights, weekends, meals, just plan and remove any stressors that are easily avoided. I call that last one being kind to yourself. Minimize stress and keep moving at a manageable pace. Exercise your body, and your mind, and find time for those things which enrich your spirit as well."

Even though Meta, through several programs and benefits, invests in the wellness of their employees, for the sake of recruiting a sustainable workforce, they need to ensure their employees put in equal or greater efforts to promote a strong work-life balance and are capable of maintaining their passion for the work they perform. So, your interviewer is curious whether you have a thorough understanding of the level of dedication and hard work Meta requires of their employees. Before considering hiring you, they need to ensure you can rise to the challenge without getting burned out on the job.

According to many of the employee reviews on Glassdoor, Meta's employees struggle with their work-life balance due to the high-performance standard, work-related stress, and demanding schedules. But, the company also invests in their employees' work-life balance, including freeing up their employees' time and creating more efficiency in catering to their other needs, such as providing health, dental, and vision care on and near Meta campuses. "When it comes to our benefits and programs, we know it's not a one-size-fits-all situation. Our wellness reimbursement program gives more flexibility to reimburse expenses that support well-being. Eligible employees can be reimbursed up to a specific amount each calendar year for eligible expenses."

"I strategically plan my projects from start to finish. I have a status report for all projects that I updated regularly. I plan big campaigns via a critical path schedule and divide them into steps. That way, I remain highly organized and avoid unnecessary stress."

"As much as I become eager at my work, I have learned the lesson that it is important to keep an even pace in order to be consistently productive in the long run. So I manage my time thoroughly to ensure that I get regular sleep and exercise and engage in activities that light me up. This is a way for me to maintain the highest level of productivity and focus during the day."

Do you take constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve? How have you approached improving your skills?

"I thrive on feedback. I need it, and any time someone is willing to offer it, I approach it with appreciation. Sometimes the feedback can be disappointing, but only because I have been working hard on the issue to which the feedback pertains, and had hoped I was either farther along in my development or noticed for the progress I'd made. But, regardless, I take those in stride and keep at it until my reputation once again proceeds me."

At Meta, they state they're interested in recruiting new employees with great interest in continual professional growth. How receptive someone is to feedback, and how proactive a professional is with seeking out feedback is a clear indication of how career-minded that professional is. Among their incentives is the promise of offering development programs designed to accelerate their careers. So, they'll be trying to determine in each interview how close that candidate aligns with their target talent.

Here are some of the value propositions Meta posts on their careers site to recruit their target talent. "Sharing, providing feedback, debating and questioning, all with kindness, respect and humor, are core to our culture and key to our mission. Meta must be a space where everyone is welcome and has the opportunity to succeed. We help people who work here expand their skill sets, including their capabilities to build inclusive team environments where everyone is seen, heard and valued. From onboarding to managing performance to providing community education programs, we offer consistent support and resources to help people grow professionally and personally."

What would you consider a professional weakness of yours?

"I would say that my biggest growth opportunity is sharing tips and tricks with those whom I work with, and helping them out more when they're struggling. I often become far too engrossed in surpassing my deadlines, working at speed, and over-delivering that I rarely afford the time to help out another teammate who might be struggling, even if I have a tip that I can share that will help them over-deliver as well. It's not because I am being competitive or anything like that. I am just too hyper-focused on my own tasks that I become blind to where I can help out elsewhere. Granted, it takes a bit of multitasking. But, I have recently realized this is a growth opportunity and have been making small improvements in this regard, but still have a way to go."

How you answer this question stands to inform your interviewer of whether you take charge of your professional development, and are actively trying to grow professionally and personally. As detailed in one of Meta's interview prep guides, they will assess each candidate for signals that correlate with what they see as attributes to which they credit their success. One of these is "Growing continuously. Your interviewer will be assessing your aptitude for seeking out opportunities for growth and learning. Do you take constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve? How have you approached improving your skills?"

Here are some excerpts from Meta's career blogs, where their top employees detail the growth mindset of their work culture. "I might not know it inside and out, but I'll learn on the job, make mistakes and get better." "I always tell everyone on my team that it's great to make mistakes as long as you don't repeat them." "Getting your team to trust you and to mutually share honest feedback, interests and motivations is highly valued. It is the norm to share wins as well as failures openly within the company."

"I do not have in-depth knowledge of Facebook solutions (ads manager, for example); however, I have continued to learn through the Facebook blueprint and YouTube videos. If Facebook hires me, I will continue to learn more during the onboarding sessions and from my colleagues."

"I see a list of software and coding languages - I do not have a mastery of all of them. But I would like to tackle them one by one. Or get better at something that I currently know. How would I gain that skill - if there are internal platforms for education and training, I would make the best use of them, otherwise, I will take on additional training courses."

"Understanding the needs of the stakeholders is one skill that I definitely need to grow in. I can read more about security from a managerial perspective and that will help me understand the impact of each task better."

What is the riskiest decision you've made in your career?

"One of the riskiest decisions I made was to leave my job with an established organization to create a startup. But I did so in stages, first by reducing my hours, from full-time to part-time, then by making the leap to dedicating myself to the business full-time. My start-up was focused on providing a service that would pioneer a new space in the nutraceutical marketplace. Of course, we had some roadblocks along the way, but I learned to quickly pivot in the face of a challenge. I grew significantly during that time, and although it was a risk, I stand behind my choice. I later sold the business and did well, and was incredibly proud of what I created and passed on. It was a lot of work, sometimes too much work, but working hard and putting in long hours is something I am used to."

Risk-taking plays a role in their company culture. One of Facebook's original core values was to "Be Bold." Often, being bold requires taking calculated risks. Mark Zuckerberg also detailed in an address that information flow is necessary for making calculated risks. So, your interviewer is curious about your approach to taking risks, your experience, whether you are risk averse, or whether you compulsively take risks based on intuition rather than information. As one senior Meta employee puts it, part of what makes someone successful at Meta is the ability to make "bold decisions and take calculated risks without being afraid of being wrong."

In one of Meta's interview prep guides, they advise their candidates to be honest. "Not every project is a runaway success. Being transparent in these situations won't be counted against you in the interview. In fact, sharing & discussing how you learned, improved, and grew from your past experiences is valued. Know yourself. Take the time to review your own resume, as your interviewer will almost certainly ask about key events in your work history. Be prepared to discuss projects in depth. It's helpful to outline 2-3 major projects ahead of time." And, as Mark Zuckerberg once said, "The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks."

"One of the riskiest decisions I made was my attempt to transition from the EE side to Computer Software. I have an MS EE background, and I could have stayed in my comfort zone and stuck to working in companies where I could continue to build on my EE background. I chose to leave my comfort zone and take on more challenging roles that needed me to ramp up on the software side. I have done this so many times now, and I have learned and grown from these experiences."

"The riskiest decision that I took was when I was given an opportunity to lead an infrastructure team outside of my domain area. I had to spend the extra hours and learn about the technology and nuances of it. However, it paid off, and I was very successful at it. Since then, I have taken more responsibilities from different infrastructure towers."

"The riskiest decision I ever made was to present something different than what the client asked for. I thought my choice would be better for them. One of the managers from the client-side argued with me because he had promised something different to his CEO; however, once I presented it to the CEO, he liked the idea, and we proceeded with it."

"One of the riskiest decisions I made was to leave my industry job and join academia to boost my knowledge of database systems. It was very hard, in the beginning, to cope with the coursework, research work, and project works. I worked very hard to balance my time to be as productive as possible in my research. I failed a lot along the way while defining my thesis topic, research goal, and new solutions for my problem. At the same time, I learned how to think critically, understand the state of the art systems and build on small research ideas to complete full-grown systems."

"I would say when I left xx as I had spent many years of my education and competition to get there. At the time I left without a solid position at hand, but just with the conviction that I wanted to work in a fast-moving company, the technology industry in Southeast Asia. It was a risk, but with just that goal in mind, I worked myself towards it, acquired new skills, got to work in known tech companies in Thailand, got more education in business, and here I am, more solid than before."

What is your greatest strength?

"I would say my greatest strength is that I have a pretty easygoing, super positive nature, and have been told multiple times that I have a nurturing and calming effect on those around me. I am able to lift others up when they're feeling low, have no problems going against the grain when I know it's right, and always choose to do the right thing. I always take the time to get to know people for who they are and show them my authentic self in exchange. I've always believed this is the best way to build relationships."

The interviewer would like to learn what you perceive as your greatest strengths, and how they might benefit Meta. While preparing for your interview, make a list of your greatest strengths, and choose those that align with Meta's culture. Consider adopting some of their language into yours, such as their keywords and coined key phrases.

According to Meta's careers blogs, Meta encourages everyone to draw on their unique strengths by promoting a think-tank, strengths-based culture "which aims to identify and foster employees' talents rather than try to round out their weaknesses. This allows us to build on what our people are good at instead of what can be fixed, maximizing the power of their skills and inspiring them with confidence. By aligning our people's strengths and passions with the right projects, leaders at Meta are able to drive high results and cultivate productivity and innovation in their teams."

"People genuinely trust me. My boss always relies on me to get the job done, and my clients always feel comfortable when I handle their projects and campaigns because they know that I will care for them as if they were my own."

"I can make anyone feel at ease in my presence, whether it is one of my direct reports from my juniors in my lab or one of the students I lead while working on my project. I like to get to know people's thinking process towards solving a challenging problem and explain my ideas to improve the situation. I believe the best co-worker relationships are built this way, as well."

"In the last decade, I have been outside of my home country, reinventing myself, eagerly forging my own path, connecting and learning from different people. My adventurous spirit, openness, adaptability are some of the things that are part of authentic me and I have been able to bring my unique self to work in the tech industry."

What motivates you at work?

"I am motivated by doing the work I love to do, by being given the opportunity to do what I do best and to take that to the next level. I am also motivated by working with teams that share my enthusiasm for the work we are doing together, where we all geek out in the same way. There is something super motivating about that specific collaborative energy."

The interviewers want to know what motivates you at work, what inspires you to perform at your best, and to go above and beyond. They want to know where your passions lie and the impact you strive to make in your career. How you answer may help them determine how suited you are to the role. As one of their top-performing candidates puts it, at Meta, your career is in your hands. "It's almost like being a kid again because you get to dream big. You may be hired to do a job, but if you discover a new passion, there will always be a way for you to explore it."

Meta's approach to a happy team begins with getting to know each person's greatest motivators. On Meta's careers site, the company states, "We work on things we're incredibly passionate about, that align with our values and purpose, and that have a positive impact on the world. It's who we are. It's why we build. You can bring your values to do work that matters, not just to you, but to the world. You belong here. Here's your blank canvas, now decide what to paint."

"I like to create a culture where team members acknowledge the support from one another, giving credit to others' contributions as necessary. I'd also feel happy if the accomplishments are acknowledged in performance reviews and a reward system that the company has put in place."

"I would like to be recognized publicly and would like to be involved to be more challenging opportunities and grow within the company. Getting recognized publicly helps me build a stronger relationship as it helps my stakeholders know my inputs and challenging projects help me stay motivated and learn and grow."

How do you manage your priorities when multitasking becomes necessary?

"I start by analyzing each task to determine its priority, necessity, and impact. From there, I make notations on the work I am temporarily setting aside, and where I left off. Once that's done, I focus my attention on where I have the highest potential to make an impact. Also, I often determine where to focus my attention based on time management, and the time I have to work with. I delegate tasks when I can and commit until I deliver on all of my obligations. I take ownership of my work and have never had I under-delivered on a deadline."

In any Meta behavioral interview, they will assess each candidate for signals that correlate with what they view as attributes of success. One of these is "Embracing ambiguity: How do you operate in an ambiguous and quickly changing environment? Are you comfortable making decisions and maintaining high levels of productivity when you are missing information or lack clarity? How did you react when you had to quickly pivot away from a project due to a shift in priority?" How you answer will help your interviewer determine your experience level, and whether you are ready for this opportunity.

Too often, when managing multiple priorities, it's common for one's time management to be undermined, resulting in losing track of where you left off in your work, increasing the likelihood of losing track of a time-sensitive priority in the midst of various distractions. At Meta, "work is multi-functional and requires an evolving set of skills, prioritizing multiple assignments quickly, multitasking and changing direction quickly, looking ahead, anticipating needs, and making needed adjustments." Reflect on the systems and processes you employ to track your work, maintain strong attention to detail, and assist in not losing track of any of your work when more pressing priorities arise. You want to showcase that you are capable of performing at a high standard in a variety of challenging environments.

"I would consider all jobs important but prioritize the urgent ones that align most with the company's strategic goals, such as projects that would create the biggest impact."

"I'd prioritize based on projects that are most closely aligned with the company or the team's strategic goals and that will generate the highest level of impact. Also, I will assess the actions that need to be taken, to think about what I need to do in terms of the number of hours. I will delegate and allocate work after that."

Tell us about a time where you got really involved in your work.

"I'd say it is a regular occurrence. And when I am doing something I've done before, I try to avoid it ever becoming repetitive. For example, last Saturday, I started an online course on video and optimization. It's something I've done before. But instead of teaching the same old material, I made sure it was more edgy, and more current, and challenged myself to up my game and learn something new that I could then impart to the class. I was then super excited about the work, and the day flew by so fast. I loved every second of it. Any time I am studying and gaining a new skill, it feels like I lose track of time. My boss appreciated my passion and expressed they'd like me to perform more classes."

This question is designed to help your interviewer assess how engaged you are in your career path. Your answer will help them gauge how satisfied you'd be working with them, based on how passionate you seem about your work. Someone who loses themselves in their work is more likely to perform to a higher standard and feel energized when collaborating and innovating with others.

We all enjoy doing what we are good at. The more you enjoy your work, the less it actually feels like work. So, think about the aspects of your work that you most enjoy, which you are most accomplished in, and which plays to all of your strengths. If you can align this with why you pursued a degree in your field, all the better. "At Meta, your passion can bridge worlds and bring dreams to reality. Come build something different with us."

"I was working to onboard a newly hired person to my team. I was so involved in getting to know the person and talking about the products and processes we follow in our organization that I forgot to have lunch. I was very excited to talk about our processes, our new features and how that will make our customers happy."

"It just happened when I was researching Facebook. Reading through many aspects of facebook's business, the context of today, and the team's work - studying and thinking about all of these things were so interesting. I experience this these days with every single company that I am researching - I love this process of expanding my knowledge about the business world by applying the frameworks, concepts, and knowledge I've gained especially last year."

"Last week I was reading a book on incident response in the library. I got to the chapter on investigating windows systems and found myself reading about how to find malware on a device and all the different places in the operating system it could hide and I couldn't put the book down. By the time I got to the end of the chapter, I realized 3 hours had gone by and the library was closing."

"In one of my previous projects, I was designing an MGMT P&L view for the business. I created a financial model which pulled data from the data sources and created a P&L view for MGMT along with a Dashboard for business analytics. I enjoy being involved in challenging projects which gives me an opportunity to create & experiment with something new and has a strong impact on the business in this case."

How do you demonstrate your impact to push yourself and others? Are you self-directed in reaching goals despite challenges and roadblocks?

"I just adhere to my own standard and stay true to my character. In every way, I try to best my personal best. If I adhere to my standard, I am satisfied. If I exceed it, I am happy. But, I am present in my performance and positive in my attitude, and I always aim to make my positivity known and felt. If I can lead by example, either through my work ethic or my optimism, then all the better. This is especially useful when things don't go according to plan. I think it's common for stress or pessimism to arise in such situations. That's when you have to stay positive most of all."

This question correlates directly with one of their five signals, driving results. Your interviewer is curious how self-managed and self-directed you are in your own work, whether you lead by example, and how you drive successful outcomes for your teams. "Driven by connection, Meta's success continues to be built around open innovation, collaboration and discovery. Inspired by collaboration. When creativity meets collaboration, connections come alive. Build connections that breathe life into our worlds. Come build something different with us."

Your Meta interviewer will evaluate your answer to see whether you push "yourself and others to deliver against goals and objectives." So, spend time in advance meditating on how you would articulate what "your drive to push boundaries, to create new, exciting ways to connect," looks like to you.

How do you operate in an ambiguous and quickly changing environment? Are you comfortable making decisions and maintaining high levels of productivity when you are missing information or lack clarity?

"From day one, I am asking questions, trying to understand why everything is done the way it is, always with the aim of obtaining a deeper understanding. So, I become naturally predisposed to anticipating needs. In this regard, I consider myself a rational problem solver. So, even when information is lacking, I have a strong idea of how our leadership would approach such a situation and behave accordingly. When I can, I will involve our teams, so we can think-tank our way out of any given situation. With creativity comes the ability to take smart and calculated risks, allowing me to feel less constrained. When I can apply creative problem-solving techniques, I am more focused and likely to uncover an out-of-the-box and innovative solution."

Your interviewer is curious how you approach making informed decisions when you don't have all the necessary information needed to do so. How you answer could inform them of how decisive you are, your approach to risk-taking, your ability to think outside of the box, your resourcefulness, and your ability to anticipate the needs of your superiors. How in tune you are with your teams and superiors will speak to your experience and suitability for the role.

Another attribute for success that Meta will assess you for is how well you drive results. "We will be evaluating your experience pushing yourself and others to deliver against goals and objectives. How do you demonstrate your impact? Are you self-directed in reaching goals despite challenges and roadblocks?" So, before answering consider the words of one of Meta's department managers, "Give people a sense of trust and ownership. They'll often exceed your expectations. Everyone goes above and beyond. I encourage people to take risks, and I let them know I'll be there as a safety net."

"I consider myself a logical problem solver. I am also used to making decisions even when not all pieces of information are present, as we may experience often in a growing online commerce. I work with the mindset of 'figuring things out no matter what' with all the resources that I can draw within the given time/context, apply logical thinking, and make educated assumptions to arrive at the best problem definition and solution."

"I think I tend to solve problems analytically. I like to collect information and make decisions based on past experiences that are relevant to the problem at hand. I'm good at narrowing down and eliminating irrelevant data."

"Firstly, understand the time window I have. Layout the flowchart by breaking the problem into smaller issues. identify the easy issues, issues with no dependency, issues more critical and ambiguous. Then delegate parallel run and create a plan to address ambiguous or challenging issues. My approach is generally a combination of analytical, rational, and logical."

How do you manage your own stress, and the stress of your teammates, at work?

"I am pretty good at just being aware of what stress does to my body, and paying attention to that. For example, if my heart rate goes up, or my thoughts grow scattered, or any other physiological symptoms occur, I just manage those. I objectify what the stress does to me, manage it, and move on. I never allow my stress to confuse me or dictate my behavior. This approach also allows me to help balance stressful situations that might impact the workplace, enabling me to be a stabilizer for those I work with. However, all I can do is control my own behavior, and sometimes my coworkers have trouble managing their stress, and project their feelings onto those who they're closely working with, and conflict situations arise. But, I am a pretty strong communicator and can de-escalate such situations pretty quickly and turn things around to being more productive again. It's all about approaching such things with the right attitude."

Your interviewer is interested in learning how you manage your stress, and if your stress has the potential to impact morale and interfere with how well you get along with your coworkers in high-stress situations. Meta advertises that they have an open and horizontal work culture that often lacks walls and barriers between desks. In a high-pressure work environment, where hours are long, and expectations are high, with little standing between you and your teammates, conflict can on occasion arise. Meta's employees credit the company culture for having a supportive work environment. Therefore, your interviewer is interested in how you manage your stress, how supportive you are of your coworkers in high-stress situations, and how diplomatic your approach is to conflict resolution when such situations arise.

In one of their careers blogs, a manager at Meta describes the type of culture that they aim to foster: "I really want the team to function as a unit, so nobody is in competition with each other. I had this great professor who always said, 'Hire people who are more talented than you and lift those up around you.' And I really take that to heart. I truly believe that we are the relationships we make around us, and I want to be the person in the room who lifts everyone up." And, in one of their full-loop interview guides, they state that they'll want to know "what kind of disagreements you had with colleagues and/or managers? How have you resolved them? Can you empathize with people whose points of view differ radically from yours?"

"I would have a conversation with them first and understand what they are stressed out about. When you share your stress with someone, that is half the battle, and then come up with ideas to help them out. Or if they are not willing to share - I would suggest taking a break or talking to someone they are more comfortable with. For instance: I have a guy on my team. His name is Andy. He is genuinely a great guy and has solid technical skills. He takes on more than he should be, and he starts to stress out when things either are failing or not getting done. So I sat down with him to help him understand what's on his plate, and we made a list together of things he needs to focus on, and any new tasks or projects had to be funneled through me."

"In the spirit of being supportive, I would like to have a conversation and see if there is anything that I or the team can do to help. Being able to talk to somebody can actually be a stress reliever as well, so I will be there to listen. If he or she is not willing to share, I would suggest things that you can do to freshen up, like taking a short walk, having a cup of coffee or water, just taking your mind off from a particular task for some time, and coming back to it later."

What have you contributed to your teams?

"I mentor when I can. I always acknowledge my teammates' accomplishments and always play on their strengths. I am really good at making those on my team feel good about what they're bringing to the table, thereby helping them enjoy their work more. I lean on my teammates for their expertise and learn what I can from each one of them. I'm strong at creating a plan of action quickly, but always give credit to even the slightest suggestion that helps further our goals alone. I Flike to think of myself as cheerleader and quarterback rolled into one."

Your interviewer is curious to learn more about your unique perspective and voice by learning what you feel your strengths are when collaborating with those you work with. Regardless of whether you lead by example, set the pace, set the tone and right attitude, or whether you perform in a more supportive role, they're interested in learning what you'd potentially contribute to their teams. "At Meta, everything we do is about helping people feel connected and closer. It's in our technologies, our mission and how we collaborate. Working collectively and valuing each person for the differences we bring allows us all to do more. The pace is fast and the challenges are enormous, but this is how we thrive."

"In team projects, I tend to take the lead. Not in an overbearing way, but in a mentoring type of way. In my current role, I manage teams, which means that this title puts me into a natural leadership role, anyways. I also take a back seat and let my teams lead as I am more in an advisory role and making sure we are sticking to our guardrails."

"I often take a leadership role in a team project, but I also take the "idea generator" role since I often brainstorm with the creative department. In the end, I'm the one who pitches the new campaigns and ideas to clients."

"If I am in the lead of projects, I take the necessary role of facilitating, drawing out ideas, providing guidance, delegating, structuring information for the team's easy digestion. Generally, I have strength in structuring things and putting them down in a concrete form and identifying the people dynamics, and taking actions to manage the stakeholders appropriately."

How well do you communicate with teams?

"I always look forward to establishing excellent relationships, whether we're introducing someone new to our teams, or I am the new addition to a team. I wholeheartedly believe that with strong trust, you'll build the best relationships, and, in so doing, build the best teams, which can accomplish the best things together. But it is an investment, and trusting relationships are built and earned over time. So, I start building trust by being transparent in my communications. Communicating clearly, working fast, earning my keep, leading by example, supporting my teams' efforts, and being willing to try new things. I will always deliver above what I say I'll do and faster than expected. When appropriate, I take the approach of under-promising and over-delivering to accelerate the trust process. I maintain a good, cheerful attitude as well. A friend to all. These are just some of the approaches I take when establishing relationships with co-workers."

Part of your interviewer's job is not just ensuring you possess the right skills, talents, and experience to do your job well. They also need to ensure you'll keep up with and complement their teams. The stronger your relationships with your coworkers, the greater the impact you'll have. So, they need to assess whether you'll be able to build lasting, cohesive, and stable relationships with your new co-workers right from the start. As they say on their careers page, "Make every connection matter."

Before their rebranding, Facebook's team members were known as Facebookers. Now they are called Metamates. Depending on your role, one of your interviews may even be with your "potential teammates, managers, and other people you may work with. Now is the time for you to learn even more about Meta, and for us to better understand your professional experience and talents. When all the interviews are complete, the people you spoke with submit their feedback on your interview performance and we assess whether you'd be successful in the role we're hiring for, or if there's another role at Meta that makes sense for you. We look forward to officially welcoming you to Meta. Together, we'll help give people the power to build community, and bring the world closer together."

"I've always found it easy to get along with people. I plan to establish relationships with my new co-workers through clear and honest communications, supporting their efforts, and learning from them."

"I will earn trusting co-worker relationships over time by being transparent in my communication. I will start with small contributions towards the projects they are working on and gain their trust to be a valuable member of their team. I will be forthcoming about my expertise and my timelines to ensure that I balance my own work and collaborations. I believe that strong trust among team members is essential to be successful in any research project."

"It will be challenging in a virtual world we are living in currently but I think communication, kindness, and proactiveness apply in the same way as it does in forging relationships in the physical world. Trust is built over time but being committed, delivering promptly, and being supportive towards your team have been the principles of my work and I have no doubt applying these consistently will work to build trust and collegial relationships with colleagues in Facebook."

Tell me about a memorable team experience.

"We were working on a seriously complex project, albeit probably boring in translation, but there were some highly complex problems that required some innovative solutions, and we had to come up with them at pace. So, our team formed a roundtable, and the meeting started off slow, but gradually gained momentum, and everyone's collaboration flourished unlike ever before. It was a real think tank. It was both encouraging and exhilarating. As a result, once we all agreed on where to steer the project and ironed out all the details, we worked together as one until the end and, as a group, delivered amazing work. In the end, nothing but cheers and pats on the back. Then, we all went out for drinks afterward, and it turned into quite a party. It was Friday night going into the weekend, and we all couldn't wait for Monday morning to come."

Your interviewer wants to assess how similarly your concept of teamwork and collaboration aligns with theirs. Many of those they employ are professionals who are rising stars in their field. So you'll be expected to hold your own while collaborating with their top-tier talent. Meta is known for recruiting those who prioritize the needs of Meta and the needs of their teams over their own needs, or over advancing their own professional gains over Meta's, or the team's. This again circles back to their core value, "Meta, metamates, me. We are stewards of our company and our mission. We have a sense of responsibility for our collective success and to each other as teammates. It's about taking care of our company and each other."

Meta's culture centers on teamwork and collaboration. Many of their employees describe their culture as having a think tank energy to it. On the company's career website, they describe part of their mission as empowering people to connect with each other, build community, and do work that is meaningful. "The work we do at Meta brings billions of people closer to what they care about. The relationships here don't just happen on their own. They are built by committed leaders who are up for the challenge. Help shape the future at Meta."

"During the peak of the COVID & economic crisis last year, we lost a lot of clients. We urgently needed to win back a big client for the survival of our office. We all worked tirelessly day and night on a new client pitch, and the great ideas from our collaboration won us that new client, putting our company back on track."

"I'd like to mention the flights' project, where the collaboration across the project team, learning and development team, and product team was the key to our well-praised success. Despite the extremely ambiguous context we were in, we constantly communicated with one another, sharing information in a transparent manner and drawing out ideas from one another constantly and applied to our output. Functioning as one big team in this way was the best possible way to work."

Facebook Interview Questions

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1. What were you doing on your very best day at work?
2. Do you prefer change or the status quo?
3. What would you have done if we did not show up to this interview, today?
4. How up to date are you on Meta's advancements with AI, AR, and VR?
5. What are your developmental priorities over the next 6 months?
6. How would you describe what we do here at Meta?
7. Which of our platforms do you connect with most, and how frequently?
8. Why should Meta hire you?
9. What values form your character?
10. What makes you unique from the rest of the candidates in Meta's talent pool?
11. Which of Meta Platforms' products and services are you most excited about?
12. What will you contribute to Meta's mission and values?
13. Why do you want to work for Meta?
14. What do you believe were the biggest challenges Meta faced this year?
15. What kind of disagreements have you had with colleagues and/or managers? How have you resolved them? Can you empathize with people whose points of view differ radically from yours?
16. Do you consider yourself more of a left-brained or right-brained person?
17. What does the word "innovation" mean to you?
18. Tell me about yourself.
19. How much experience do you have working in a diverse and inclusive environment?
20. How do you balance your personal life with your work life?
21. Do you take constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve? How have you approached improving your skills?
22. What would you consider a professional weakness of yours?
23. What is the riskiest decision you've made in your career?
24. What is your greatest strength?
25. What motivates you at work?
26. How do you manage your priorities when multitasking becomes necessary?
27. Tell us about a time where you got really involved in your work.
28. How do you demonstrate your impact to push yourself and others? Are you self-directed in reaching goals despite challenges and roadblocks?
29. How do you operate in an ambiguous and quickly changing environment? Are you comfortable making decisions and maintaining high levels of productivity when you are missing information or lack clarity?
30. How do you manage your own stress, and the stress of your teammates, at work?
31. What have you contributed to your teams?
32. How well do you communicate with teams?
33. Tell me about a memorable team experience.

Facebook Interview Questions

1. What were you doing on your very best day at work?

2. Do you prefer change or the status quo?

3. What would you have done if we did not show up to this interview, today?

4. How up to date are you on Meta's advancements with AI, AR, and VR?

5. What are your developmental priorities over the next 6 months?

6. How would you describe what we do here at Meta?

7. Which of our platforms do you connect with most, and how frequently?

8. Why should Meta hire you?

9. What values form your character?

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

11. Which of Meta Platforms' products and services are you most excited about?

12. What will you contribute to Meta's mission and values?

13. Why do you want to work for Meta?

14. What do you believe were the biggest challenges Meta faced this year?

15. What kind of disagreements have you had with colleagues and/or managers? How have you resolved them? Can you empathize with people whose points of view differ radically from yours?

16. Do you consider yourself more of a left-brained or right-brained person?

17. What does the word "innovation" mean to you?

18. Tell me about yourself.

19. How much experience do you have working in a diverse and inclusive environment?

20. How do you balance your personal life with your work life?

21. Do you take constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve? How have you approached improving your skills?

22. What would you consider a professional weakness of yours?

23. What is the riskiest decision you've made in your career?

24. What is your greatest strength?

25. What motivates you at work?

26. How do you manage your priorities when multitasking becomes necessary?

27. Tell us about a time where you got really involved in your work.

28. How do you demonstrate your impact to push yourself and others? Are you self-directed in reaching goals despite challenges and roadblocks?

29. How do you operate in an ambiguous and quickly changing environment? Are you comfortable making decisions and maintaining high levels of productivity when you are missing information or lack clarity?

30. How do you manage your own stress, and the stress of your teammates, at work?

31. What have you contributed to your teams?

32. How well do you communicate with teams?

33. Tell me about a memorable team experience.