Facebook senior software engineer interview • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#131

Post by kylestlb » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:37 PM UTC

NeverFade wrote: post #7

Besides the usual advice, this observation is very interesting: > Applying for senior engineering positions (>E4) in FANG companies is one of the best ways to get into them. This comment by a veteran senior engineer confirms to me that Facebook, just like most other FANGs, does a poor job of promoting from within. There are multiple comments to the same effect from many other FANG employees: It's much easier to get r…

Either this or junior/non-senior engineers at FB are already long gone before they have a chance to be promoted to senior because they job hopped somewhere else.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#132

Post by lrossi » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:38 PM UTC

xdavidliu wrote: post #111

> Day 12 — CLRS (ch 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) > When studying CLRS or PP, it’s essential to solve the exercises at the end of each chapter. I spent the last 2-3 weeks of 2020 going through these exact chapters, 22-26 (solving every exercise and problem) and it took me about 15 hours a day. Toward the end of chapter 26, it got extremely difficult (Goldberg and Tarjan's push relabel algorithm for max flow).

The suggested schedule is ridiculous, and I am not convinced it’s a good way for preparing for the interview.

Still, the author didn’t say that he actually got the job.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#133

Post by throwaway7281 » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:39 PM UTC

colmvp wrote: post #107

throwaway7281 wrote: post #36

Sad to see that FAANG is so attractive - sure, pay is nice, technical problems are nice - but you are actively working on walled gardens. You become a walled gardener.

I used to believe that when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I'm understanding of people optimizing pay and intellectual challenges. At the end of the day, people have to optimize for their own interests because the world sure as hell doesn't care about your or my sacrifice. Even my best friend who took a job at a non-for-profit for many years helping those in need eventually joined BigCo to be able to afford thing…

Yes of course. You have to give in at a point, because you have no options, it's probably simple as that.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#134

Post by hackinthebochs » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:41 PM UTC

janoc wrote: post #91

arihant wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author mentions CLRS. It’s an introductory level algorithms book and is used in Junior/Senior years of undergrad. Expecting a senior engineer to be well versed in undergrad level algorithms is not a monoculture problem.

The problem is not the expectation but that something like that can even come up during an interview for a senior position! It is like testing a surgeon's suturing skill during a job interview. Of course, it is an essential skill for them to have, but that's something for a school exam and not job interview for someone with verifiable credentials. Or do you think that surgeon didn't suture in their previous job and j…

>that's something for a school exam and not job interview for someone with verifiable credentials

The problem is the "verifiable credentials" vary widely in rigor. There is no analogous standardizing and credentialing body like their is in medical fields. So the "basics" need to be tested repeatedly at every new interview. The solution is to have an analogous standardizing body, but people in this field seem to be reflexively against it.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#135

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:41 PM UTC

jyu wrote: post #77

Uberphallus wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I kind of agree with your cynicism, but I'm partial due to having been refused by Facebook, twice. The first time I made the mistake of using Python (because of its whiteboard value) while not being proficient in it. They really didn't like me Googling some basic stuff. The second time I still used Python, but had 5 years experience using it behind. Can't be objective but it was probably the best interview I've ever…

Coding a good solution is necessary but not sufficient to pass an interview. Maybe you asked too many questions or not enough, maybe you solved the problem too slowly. Interviewers for better or worse look for specific signals that clue them into your being a good coworker. It's why even if you're a good programmer you may need to apply multiple times before the right set of interviewers grant you admission into thei…

[deleted]

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#136

Post by TameAntelope » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:42 PM UTC

LordHumungous wrote: post #122

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After 20 years in software, I had a phone interview with an Amazon guy who sounded half my age (at most). Asked me to write some kind of function to do something, sort some stuff or some such. I described verbally how I would do it, almost line by line, in pseudo-code. He said "I need you to write it out in [some language]". I said "But why? I just told you how I'd do it." But he needed me to literally write the code…

You have a hard time at Amazon

For what it's worth, I don't think he'd disagree with you.

Additionally, I would probably translate that to be, "Unwilling to put up with what appears to be needless effort."

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#137

Post by nafizh » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:43 PM UTC

xR63cRyqrL wrote: post #101

LandR wrote: post #30

How can anyone work at Facebooks nowadays and have a clear conscience. Is it just the salary? It is, isn't it? Just money. How depressing.

Turns out you got to pay bills even if you are on a moral high horse. Besides if one has to have a clear conscience to match everyone's standard here, one should stop working at FAANG, stop using FAANG products, maybe stop using big oil products, stop using big pharma products, is it ok to pay taxes to a govt if you don't agree with something they did or should one pick up and move too? what else did I miss? HN is so…

You are doing a whataboutism just like many others. Among FAANG, Facebook is distinctly more problematic. If you don't see that, you are just unaware of the scandals upon scandals from the last 5 years.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#138

Post by onlyrealcuzzo » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:43 PM UTC

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #8

onion2k wrote: post #2

There are two interesting things in this post. The first is that a senior developer at Facebook believes every single senior developer looking for a role at Facebook can revise the same things. Clearly the author believes that Facebook are looking for programmers who fit a very specific mould, to the point that they're willing to go out in public and state exactly that. I'd argue that points to a massive monoculture…

I couldn't disagree more with your post. The author is basically just putting out a detailed study plan for passing an exam. If a doctor posted a plan for passing the medical boards would your first thought be "Wow, look at that massive medical monoculture problem!" That seems like a ridiculous stretch in my opinion. To your second point, I hear this all the time in threads about tech interviewing: "Tech interviews a…

Isn't this just one person's opinion? It's not like this was posted on Facebook's blog - right?

At a company Facebook's size - a random Senior Engineer doesn't carry that much weight.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#139

Post by andred14 » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:43 PM UTC

At this point in time I would rather go poor than sell my soul to work at Fascistbook:

Where they ban you if your opinions differ from theirs.

Re: Facebook senior software engineer interview

#140

Post by nilkn » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:44 PM UTC

You can simplify the coding preparation by just getting a basic LeetCode subscription, filtering down to problems asked at Facebook in the last six months, and then sorting by frequency (how many times each question has been asked recently, according to user reports). CLRS, etc., are nice books, but if you're seriously considering a senior role at Facebook presumably you already know the basics and just need to memorize all the tricks for LeetCode problems.

For system design, though, it actually is worth reading through "Designing Data-Intensive Applications."