Facebook Return to Work Event Highlights

Facebook Return-to-Work Event Highlights

During the event, 8 panelists shared details about the Facebook Return to Work Program. Speakers answered questions about life at Facebook, expectations of Returners, Projects, and the Application Process.  

Technical recruiters, Phil Gee and Nora Kobashigawa discussed how RTW Program was established and what the prerequisite is to be an eligible applicant. The program runs its 4th year, and it is growing to host a vast array of roles including data engineers, data scientists, technical program managers, product designers, firmware engineers, and more. 

Hiring managers Priya Rajan, Sarah Hanna, and Waqar Malik discussed the hiring and onboarding process.  

Previous Facebook Returners, Ali Nejaty, Srividhya Krishnamoorthy, and Anastasia Melnikov shared their career stories, why they decided to apply for the RTW program, and what they learned from the program. 

Sarah Hanna, Srividhya Krishnamoorthy, and Waqar Malik explained what the qualities of the strongest RTW candidates are, what is the role of the RTW Mentor and how they help returners navigate their journey. 

Advice for Returners: 

• “Recreate similar to the real interview environment and spend equal time on the technical preparation as well as on the behavioral interview, they are equally important.”  

• “Don’t hesitate to apply, it will be a very interesting journey with new people and teammates; full of new challenges and very interesting projects curated for you to be successful.” 

• “Keep sharpening your coding skills and prepare to demonstrate that you have strong basics in your field.” 

• “Asking questions, you signal to other teammates what you are working on. Don’t be shy to ask questions.” 

How to prepare for the interviews: 

• Take time to reflect on your previous projects, be able to articulate what went well and what lessons you’ve learned along the way.  

• Familiarize yourself with FB server designs. Whenever someone references FB designers in an interview they stand out right away. 

• Facebook interview process is looking for generalists.  

• Read up on the STAR method (specific situation, task, action, and result) of interviewing and try to do a mock interview with someone who can provide you with feedback to prepare. 

• Ask questions! Use your recruiters as a resource to guide you on what to expect with each round of interview. 

• FB highly holds its values and won’t accept if you are not a ‘culture fit’, even if you brilliantly cleared the technical interview. Read up on FB Values. 

• During the interviews, don’t dive into answering the questions, start by asking questions to ensure you understand exactly what is being asked.  

• Plan, and talk your plan – plan how you want to go about solving the problem before you start writing the solution. “Think out loud” to showcase your thought process and problem-solving abilities.  

• Take hints from the interviewer and be open to other solutions as you go.