Do you want to break into FAANG?
I mean, who doesn't want an additional $100k+ per year, free food on-site, and stock options to make you financially free down the line.
While processes may vary slightly per role and company, most software engineering based roles will follow this outline. It all starts with...
1. Resume Screening
In this initial application stage, recruiters will scan your resume for relevant skills, experience, and projects.
Candidates with multiple years of experience are often preferred, so don't get down on yourself if Google isn't banging down your door if you've only been working for a year or two.
Having referrals significantly increases your chances of getting past this stage. And a lot of coders don't know that there's levels to how strong a referral is - be sure to network and get some really high quality ones!
Now, if you get lucky...
2. Recruiter Screening (30 min)
A recruiter reaches out to discuss the role and expectations.
They may ask basic behavioral questions and confirm your technical background, possibly introducing a background check.
Some companies include a light technical screen here with easier coding questions.
You shouldn't need too much LeetCode knowledge at this stage - just basic coding fundamentals, enthusiasm, and clear communication.
3. Technical Phone Screen (1-2 rounds, 45-60 min)
This is usually conducted via a shared coding platform (e.g., CoderPad, HackerRank, Google Docs).
It usually focuses on DSA (Data Structures & Algorithms) concepts like Arrays, Strings, HashMaps, Linked Lists and more. The interviewer will evaluate your problem-solving skills, coding ability, and efficiency via Big O.
This is where Algomap.io shines, as we have all theory from noob to expert, and 100+ questions and solutions organized in order. Countless developers have cracked Big Tech interviews using our platform.
4. Onsite Interviews (3-8 rounds, ~4-8 hours)
This is the toughest and most important stage. It typically includes multiple rounds, each focusing on different aspects, like...
a) Data Structures & Algorithms
This is similar to the phone screen, but often harder (think LeetCode mediums/hards). Optimizing for time & space complexity is crucial here.
We again recommend Algomap.io for this as you will need quite a bit of practice.
b) System Design (For Mid-Senior Levels)
This places focus on designing scalable and efficient systems.
Example: "Design Twitter" or "Design a URL Shortener".
Topics include database sharding, load balancing, caching, API design and more.
Byte Byte Go is often considered the gold standard for this.
Other good options include the System Design Interview Book by Alex Xu, and Designing Data Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann.
c) Databases and SQL
You will likely be given a database, or the schema of a database, and be asked to query for some desired result.
Even if your role requires more use of NoSQL rather than tabular data, understanding how to manipulate data with rows and columns is deemed necessary these days.
To learn SQL and Databases, we've got a great interactive course over at MLNOW.ai.
To prepare more rigorously, Leetcode also has a ton of SQL and Pandas questions that can get quite difficult, covering advanced topics like window functions and ranking.
Candidates usually don't have to study as much for this part of the interview as it's commonly incorporated into their job or projects they've been working on - but make sure you're ready before the interview comes.
d) Behavioral Interview
Common questions in this round are:
- "Tell me about a time you solved a tough problem."
- "Describe a conflict and how you handled it."
Answer honestly, with an attention to detail in how you solved the problem.
We recommend following the STAR method, where you describe a Situation, your required Task, the Actions you performed and decisions made, concluding with the Result. Hopefully your effort caused an optimization leading to higher revenue or less expenses incurred by the business.
But honestly, don't overthink this too much - they really just want to see if you can clearly convey that you persevere and do difficult things.
5. Hiring Decision
Interviewers provide feedback and assign a score. A hiring committee (common at Google) will make the final decision. If selected, the recruiter will discuss compensation & levels.
6. Offer & Negotiation
Base Salary (fixed annual pay) + Performance Bonus (~10-20% of base) + Stock Options (RSUs) + Sign-on Bonus (one-time payout).
If you've got an initial offer, negotiation is expected! FAANG companies are flexible. Don't take the first number. They've already invested so much time in you and you have checked their many boxes. They don't mind a bit of negotiating in the final stages, just don't be too pushy.