Here's how to impress during your Facebook interview.

Facebook is undoubtedly one of the most popular social media giants out there. Within four years of launching, it overtook Myspace in the number of unique global visitors — and within eight years, Facebook held one of the biggest initial public offerings in internet history. 

A total of 2.7 billion people use Facebook today, significantly outpacing other social media platforms. This is what makes working at Facebook so exciting; the platform has such a wide reach that your work could be highly impactful. 

That being said, landing a career at Facebook isn't a piece of cake. The company is known to ask some difficult interview questions, but with a little preparation and planning, you'll be more than ready to tackle them. 

How to answer Facebook interview questions

When you go for a job interview at any company, you're likely to encounter questions in the following categories: situational interview questions, competency-based interview questions, and behavioral interview questions. 

Situational questions allow you to demonstrate how you approach specific situations at work, while competency-based questions test your skills and knowledge of a particular sector. Behavioral questions assess your character, particularly on how you tackle challenging situations and moments of crisis. It's always good to highlight important traits, such as attention to detail, organization, and accountability, when answering these questions. 

Additionally, when interviewing at Facebook, it's also pertinent to come across as tech-savvy, even if you aren't interviewing for a technology-related role. After all, Facebook is a tech company at its core, and you should be able to fit in that culture.

A majority of candidates find behavioral interview questions particularly challenging — just how do you tackle a question that doesn't have a right or wrong answer? The key to acing this is to develop a clear strategy. 

The STAR method is an excellent tool to answer behavioral questions successfully. This interview response method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result, and it assists interviewees to clearly explain a scenario they have encountered at work, how they reacted to it, and to describe the end result as a consequence of their reaction. 

By using this strategy, you can craft engaging responses and make a great first impression during your interview.

Top 3 Facebook interview questions

Describe the traits of a boss that you'd never want to work for

Everyone responds differently to different management styles. Some people thrive under pressure, while some completely fall apart when they feel overloaded. Hiring managers ask this question to understand what kind of work environment fits you the most. 

Be honest in your answer, but ensure that you're focused on the positive. The last thing you'd want to do is sit there bashing your previous managers. 

I'm generally pretty adaptable to different management styles, as I have worked under many managers in my previous roles. However, I think I would struggle if I were to report to a manager that is reluctant in giving constructive feedback. I believe that feedback, whether positive or negative, is essential for personal growth. That being said, a manager that constantly puts me down without giving me any opportunities for improvement would not be an ideal fit for me.

What would be your biggest challenge coming into this role?

The best way to approach this question is to focus on the tasks that will be most difficult for you based on your past experience — but it's advisable to choose aspects of the role that are not highly critical for the job. 

For instance, if you're applying for a coding role at Facebook, it'll be a terrible idea to talk about how unfamiliar you are with certain coding languages. If possible, elaborate on how you plan to overcome any challenges that you foresee, whether through online courses or other further education. 

This would be the first time I'm taking up a managerial role, so I believe that the biggest challenge, at first, will be to gain the trust of the team. I plan to be honest with the team regarding my experience, but I will also assure them that I am actively strengthening my leadership skills and will remain open to constructive feedback.

Why do you want to work for Facebook?

When employers ask this question, they are trying to assess if you're motivated enough to be fully invested in your job on a daily basis. Companies like Facebook want to ensure that their employees fit into the work culture and environment. 

If you work on projects that you're passionate about and have a good relationship with your colleagues, you're more likely to be a motivated and happy employee. The secret to answering this question impactfully is to be as specific as possible.

I want to work at Facebook for three reasons. First, I've worked on messaging apps in various startups around Silicon Valley for the past few years, and I'm excited to join the Facebook Messenger team because the work done here impacts billions of people. This is definitely a life-changing opportunity. 

Second, I met Jane Doe, an engineering manager at Facebook that recommended this role to me. I really enjoyed our discussion and her feedback on the work culture here. Finally, I love Facebook's fast-moving culture. These are in line with my own work values and I'm excited to join a team that shares these principles.  

16 more interview questions from Facebook

Behavioral questions

  1. Why are you looking for new opportunities?

  2. Imagine your best possible workday. What did you do on that day? Why was it amazing?

  3. Do you prefer to work as part of a team or independently?

  4. What do you do to stay motivated?

  5. What would an old co-worker say about you?

  6. Describe your proudest achievement. What about your biggest defeat?

Leadership questions

  1. Which of your traits will make you a strong leader?

  2. Have you ever managed a large-scale project before? Tell us about it.

  3. How do you build relationships and trust in the team?

Technical questions

  1. If you were given a set of words, how would you calculate the average number of letters in the words?

  2. Facebook has restrictions for users under the age of 13. How would you go about identifying users younger than 13?

  3. How would you improve Facebook notifications if you could make any changes you wanted?

  4. If you were given a new product, how would you define the target market and position the product for success?

Company-specific questions

  1. What are Facebook's challenges in the coming years?

  2. If you had a chance to ask Mark Zuckerberg anything, what would you ask? Why would you choose that question?

  3. Describe the use of hashtags on Facebook, as well as how they can be abused.

Questions to ask the interviewers

When you get to the end of your Facebook interview, you'll be given a chance to ask the interviewer any questions that you may have. This is a great opportunity to clarify aspects of the job that were not included in the original listing. Asking questions also portrays you as an engaged and highly interested candidate. 

You can certainly ask about anything that is on your mind at that point in time, but it helps to have some questions prepared prior to the interview. Here are some questions that you can ask at the end of your Facebook interview:

  1. What does a typical working day at Facebook look like?

  2. How is performance measured for this role?

  3. Is there anything that surprised you when you first started working at Facebook?

  4. Are there opportunities for growth in this role?

  5. How is Facebook implementing the work-from-home approach?

Conclusion

Facebook is a dream company to work at for many. While it's a highly competitive market with stringent interviewing processes, you certainly have a good chance of landing your dream job by acing the interview. Keep in mind that you wouldn't have landed the interview if you're not qualified, so walk in with confidence and impress. 

Want some professional help brushing up on your interviewing skills before the big day? Connect with an interview coach today.

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