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Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen last year but bombed the onsite. And now failed the third time on the

Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen last year but bombed the onsite. And now failed the third time on the phone screen. Being rejected by Facebook in 2021 is probably a good thing

decafninja 6y ago
Truth is, I am not as enamored about the company as I was before, and that's what I tell myself, but it's still sour grapes syndrome. It would still be an astronomical step up for me careerwise. I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level.
- bluefirebrand 6y ago
  > I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level. Sorry to say it but if I was a hiring manager and saw someone with senior experience applying for junior positions that's a red flag to me and I would be thinking they probably have big confidence problems.
  - decafninja 6y ago
    I don't do this, of course. I don't think companies/recruiters/HMs would even consider allowing me to. Although I think midlevel roles are more within reach (and many of the offers I've gotten were for such a level).
  - sjg007 6y ago
    The big companies just level you. So apply as a senior or junior and they level you. It's about alignment to the group more than anything.
- goatinaboat 6y ago
  It would still be an astronomical step up for me careerwise. I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level. It’s still not worth sacrificing your moral compass, or if you prefer, your soul.
- sjg007 6y ago
  Join the data team or the enterprise engineering side. Or join as a solution architect. Maybe there's a business unit that needs software engineers but can't get them the normal way. Your senior engineer skills will go a lot further there than competing in the general engineering pool. I know these positions exist in all companies. Find the unseemly but necessary work and deliver. The current CEO of Google worked on Google Toolbar and turned that into Chrome. You could even go the contractor route for 2 years and try to lever that into a full time role. The other thing way would be to spend a year diligently leetcoding...
  - decafninja 6y ago
    My understanding and experience is that nearly all tech companies will still subject you to the whiteboard interviews for any role that involves coding, regardless of experience and even regardless of whether you have connections inside vouching for you. I've had great pre-interview conversations with hiring managers discussing technical topics, several concluding with them saying that they'd love to have me on their team. Have had friends/excoworkers vouching for me sometimes. Then I go screw up on the leetcode interview, and that ends the story. Pretty much have been drilling leetcode every day since my last failure at FB last year. (Bad) luck of the draw saw to it that I drew a question I couldn't tackle.
    - sjg007 6y ago
      Some roles are less about technical brilliance and more about solving business problems and effective communication. Take a step back and ask why vs what.
      - decafninja 6y ago
        Not sure I understand. Are you implying I should target roles like project manager, business analyst, etc.? If so, not really interested in anything that doesn't involve active coding quite just yet. I did see a post somewhere about someone's recent experience getting jobs at tech companies with minimal to no leetcoding. However he states that the only way it was possible was because he already had FAANGs on his resume and some of these companies were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt due to this.

decafninja 6y ago

Truth is, I am not as enamored about the company as I was before, and that's what I tell myself, but it's still sour grapes syndrome. It would still be an astronomical step up for me careerwise. I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level.

bluefirebrand 6y ago
> I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level. Sorry to say it but if I was a hiring manager and saw someone with senior experience applying for junior positions that's a red flag to me and I would be thinking they probably have big confidence problems.
- decafninja 6y ago
  I don't do this, of course. I don't think companies/recruiters/HMs would even consider allowing me to. Although I think midlevel roles are more within reach (and many of the offers I've gotten were for such a level).
- sjg007 6y ago
  The big companies just level you. So apply as a senior or junior and they level you. It's about alignment to the group more than anything.
goatinaboat 6y ago
It would still be an astronomical step up for me careerwise. I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level. It’s still not worth sacrificing your moral compass, or if you prefer, your soul.
sjg007 6y ago
Join the data team or the enterprise engineering side. Or join as a solution architect. Maybe there's a business unit that needs software engineers but can't get them the normal way. Your senior engineer skills will go a lot further there than competing in the general engineering pool. I know these positions exist in all companies. Find the unseemly but necessary work and deliver. The current CEO of Google worked on Google Toolbar and turned that into Chrome. You could even go the contractor route for 2 years and try to lever that into a full time role. The other thing way would be to spend a year diligently leetcoding...
- decafninja 6y ago
  My understanding and experience is that nearly all tech companies will still subject you to the whiteboard interviews for any role that involves coding, regardless of experience and even regardless of whether you have connections inside vouching for you. I've had great pre-interview conversations with hiring managers discussing technical topics, several concluding with them saying that they'd love to have me on their team. Have had friends/excoworkers vouching for me sometimes. Then I go screw up on the leetcode interview, and that ends the story. Pretty much have been drilling leetcode every day since my last failure at FB last year. (Bad) luck of the draw saw to it that I drew a question I couldn't tackle.
  - sjg007 6y ago
    Some roles are less about technical brilliance and more about solving business problems and effective communication. Take a step back and ask why vs what.
    - decafninja 6y ago
      Not sure I understand. Are you implying I should target roles like project manager, business analyst, etc.? If so, not really interested in anything that doesn't involve active coding quite just yet. I did see a post somewhere about someone's recent experience getting jobs at tech companies with minimal to no leetcoding. However he states that the only way it was possible was because he already had FAANGs on his resume and some of these companies were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt due to this.