One of the world’s most popular social media networks, Facebook, has over 2 billion worldwide active users. The organization is known to accumulate and store significant user data, making it the perfect place for a Data Engineer.
Facebook is known for its unique culture and supremely structured processes. The interview process at Facebook is quite elaborate, and if you want to land a role as a Data Engineer, there is no stage you can take lightly.
Each phase of the interview at Facebook is inclined toward assessing a potential candidate’s programming and behavioral skills. If you have applied for a Data Engineer position at Facebook, this article will help you prepare for your interview.
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As a Data Engineer at Facebook, you will work on data analysis by building and managing scalable frameworks and data pipelines. You will also design data warehouses for internal business use. Additionally, you will leverage big data technologies to transform complex and raw data into actionable insights for better business decision-making.
As a Data Engineer, you will develop a clear sense of connection with the organization and leadership  — Data Engineering is considered the eyes through which Facebook sees the product.
Data Engineers at Facebook are required to have extensive industry experience and time-tested skills. Hence, Facebook chooses to hire only qualified applicants with at least five years of industry experience in the data warehouse space.
There are several Data Engineering teams at Facebook because the organization is such a massive data-driven company. Here are a few:
The Data Engineering interview process at Facebook follows the same procedure as other Facebook technical roles:
Phone Screen: It starts with an HR email or an HR phone call. This is followed by a phone screen or an in-person interview usually conducted by a coworker and lasts for about an hour. If you do well, you will be invited for a series of on-site interviews.
On-site: You can expect 3 to 4 rounds that last a total of about 4-5 hours. Three of the on-site interviews are focused on problem-solving. You’ll be asked about data engineering issues the company faces and how you can help solve them. For instance, you may be asked to identify the metrics for the performance of a specific feature, and you will be expected to write SQL and actual code.
Behavioral round: The purpose of behavioral Facebook interview questions is to assess a candidate’s self-awareness, growth, self-reliance, and willingness to be a team player.
Recruiters generally ask questions relatable to the workplace environment and wish to know how you’d react to different scenarios. You’ll also be asked questions about your strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Behavioral facebook interview questions are given relatively more importance for senior-level positions at Facebook.
Here are a couple of sample Data Engineer interview questions and answers to help you with your interview preparation:
Question 1: How do you join two tables with all the information on the left one unchanged?
Anytime you want all the rows from the left table, regardless of whether or not there’s a matching row from the second table, use the LEFT JOIN or LEFT OUTER JOIN. There is no real difference between LEFT JOIN and LEFT OUTER JOIN in working. Both will give the same result. The keyword OUTER is optional. However, sometimes it might be good to use the keyword OUTER, just for clarity.
Question 2: What command will you use to delete or add a table column in a database?
To delete or add a table column in a database, you can use the ALTER command along with DROP or ADD, respectively. The following command can be used to add a column of a specific data type and desired constraints:
ALTER TABLE “table_name†ADD “column_name†“data_type†constraints;
And the following command can be used to delete a column:
ALTER TABLE “table_name†DROP “column_nameâ€;
The Facebook Data Engineer interview questions span across various domains, such as:
These Facebook data analytics interview topics are important across the levels. You can expect that Senior Data Engineer interview questions will also involve advanced questions related to these topics.
Here are a few Facebook Data Engineering interview questions to help you practice:
Question 1: Can I apply for multiple jobs at Facebook?
As per Facebook’s career page, job applications at Facebook are limited to 3 in total. Hence, ensure that you apply for roles that match your work experience and specific skills.
Question 2: How can I prepare for my interview at Facebook?
Interviews vary across roles and regions, so it’s best to reach out to your recruiter for help with interview preparation. You could also sign up for a technical interview preparation course where experts will guide you through the technical interview process at Facebook.
Question 3: I interviewed/applied last year at Facebook and wasn’t selected. When can I reapply?
As per Facebook’s career page, you need to wait one year before applying for another role. The idea is to allow candidates to develop new skills and gain experience to be successful in the interview process in the future.
Question 4: What should I focus on while applying for a job at Facebook?
Focus on your strengths. Facebook likes to ask, “What were you doing on your very best day at work?” Recruiters and hiring managers want you to do that not just on your best day but every day. Show them something you’ve built. Builders see things that are good but could be better and figure out how to make them so. Facebook looks for candidates who’ve got that same building mindset, whether they’re applying for executive roles or internships. Share when you’ve failed and learned. Don’t hesitate to talk about the mistakes you’ve made in the pursuit of big ideas — they want to hear about your failures as much as your wins.
Note: This information is correct as of May 2021 as per Facebook’s website.
Now that you’re familiar with Facebook Data Engineer interview questions, you should feel much more confident in your actual interview day.
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