Meta | E5 | Infra | London | July | Passed

Preparation Phase I began focusing on Meta interview preparation in May, after a year and a half break. I concentrated on the top 100 Meta-tagged questions. I prioritized understanding the problems, attempting them independently before reviewing solutions. This process took two months, dedicating 6-7 hours daily on weekends. After completing the 100 problems, I secured a referral and scheduled my screening interview.

Screening Round Two weeks later, I completed the screening round. During this time, I practiced the top 50 questions, aiming for under 20 minutes per problem. The interview included one easy and one medium question from the top 50 Meta-tagged questions.

Loop Interviews I dedicated four weeks to preparing for the loop interviews, scheduling all interviews on the same day. Preparation included coding and system design. For coding, I completed the top 100 Meta-tagged questions, aiming for under 20 minutes per problem. For system design, I studied "Designing Data-Intensive Applications," watched YouTube videos, and practiced problems from "Hello Interview." I conducted mock system design interviews with colleagues and reviewed a white paper provided by the recruiter. For behavioral questions, I used a sample list from the recruiter, developing answers based on personal experiences and using the STAR method. I practiced these answers extensively.

1. Behavioral Interview: The questions were from the provided list or variations. My preparation allowed me to answer confidently.

2. System Design: I was asked to design a system for top K YouTube videos. This was challenging, requiring not only knowledge but also interviewer engagement to understand their priorities. I followed this structure: functional requirements, non-functional requirements, core entities, APIs, high-level design, and deep dives. I found this round difficult, as I struggled with the deep-dive section. However, I passed the round.

3. Coding Round: Two medium questions from the top 50 Meta-tagged questions were asked.

4. Coding Round: Two medium questions from the top 100 Meta-tagged questions were asked.

Bottom Line

1. Coding: Practice the top 100 Meta-tagged questions with a timer, aiming for under 20 minutes per problem.
2. System Design: Practice system design questions from "Hello Interview." Focus on key topics like Redis and Elasticsearch.
3. Behavioral: Prepare answers based on personal experiences using the STAR method.

Timeline I received feedback from the screening round within two business days and from the loop interviews within four business days.