Wow! An interview with Meta! Are you excited and nervous at the same time? Worry not. We will take you through 25 interview questions and answers so that you can prepare yourself ahead.
1. Why Do You Want To Work With Meta?
Meta is a well-known tech company that does not need any introduction. I am amazed to see how the company evolved into a giant tech company that helps people connect and even grow their businesses. And, of course, I want to be a part of this exciting and fast-moving company. I want to contribute my expertise and develop together with Meta.
2. What Programming Language Do You Usually Use?
I will usually use Java, C++, and Python daily. My favorite one to use is Java because Java is the most straightforward language, easy to learn, write, and debug, which helps me save a lot of time. Furthermore, Java is faster to compile compared to other languages.
3. What Do You Understand About Software Development Life Cycle?
Software development life cycle (SDLC) is a process of designing and developing high-quality software in a short production time with a low cost. The software made aims to meet and even exceed customer expectations. There are seven stages in the software development life cycle which include:
- Planning
- Analysis
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Integration
- Maintenance
SDLC also comes in a few models: the Waterfall Model, Spiral Model, and V-Model as examples.
4. Can You Share Your Most Difficult Software Development And How You Solve It?
In my previous employment, the engineers used many production data for their analysis that can easily be queried with SQL. But the form is not friendly enough to show to the stakeholders during our morning meeting. Therefore, what I did was transferred all the data from our database to the software so that it could automatically plot all the needed graphs. We were also able to see which machine had the lowest output and downtime so that fast action could be done by the production engineers and technicians. We even projected this at various places on the manufacturing floor so that everybody would be alert. After the first phase was completed, I continued to add the QA function in that software, too, with the aim that everybody in that company could use and extract data from one source quickly.
5. What Is Your Opinion On Software Testing?
Software testing is essential because it will verify and ensure there are no bugs before it is released to the customer. Software testing, if used correctly, can help us make improvements and improve the quality and performance of the software. In the early stage of software development, I will first have simple and manual testing because the requirements will change over the development period. Only once there are no more changes in conditions will I develop a testing plan and get the software tested. We will improve according to the result of the software testing.
6. How Do You Present Your Software/Findings/Problems To Someone Non-Technical?
Software and programming language are the hardest to understand if you are not a software person. It is sometimes confusing too. This is also true for any technical-related problems that most people won’t know what we are talking about. Therefore, instead of all technical wording, I try to use a simple Layman’s term or a general technical word that everybody can understand. If I can put the problem or findings in a graph or chart, I will do that because graphs and charts are more familiar to everybody.
7. How Do You Determine Whether Your Project Is Successful?
Every project should have its goals. I share the key performance indicator with the team based on what outcome we expect to see once the project is complete. In that KPI, we will include quality, software, and production goals. If one of the KPIs is not met, the project will not be considered as successful; yet. For example, one of my projects was to reduce the production cycle time by 4 seconds without jeopardizing the quality aspect of the products. In our first few trials, we reduced the cycle time by 3 seconds, but the product’s functionality did not meet the requirements; thus, it failed the quality criteria. From there, we made a lot of adjustments to the machine and improvements to the software. After two hectic months of hard work, we reduced the cycle time by 4 seconds and increased production output.
8. What Will You Do If You Have Two Or More Deliverables That Need To Be Completed At The Same Time?
Firstly, when I realize that I have more than one deliverables to be completed, I will always look at which one is the priority among them. Once I have determined which needs my attention, I will immediately focus on that and later the others. If there are any circumstances in which I cannot complete everything on time, I will get my co-worker to help by delegating the deliverables to them, as long as they agree to it.
9. What Is SQL? Do You Have Experience Using One?
Yes, I have experience using SQL. This is the primary way for us to get data on my current employment. SQL is a Structured Query Language used to communicate with the database, and this is a common language we use to retrieve, insert and delete data from the database. The engineers will compile and analyze the data we get from the database.
10. What Is Database, And How Do You Retrieve Data From A Database?
A database is a form of organized data. The database is used for storing data, and whenever we want to use a particular data set, it can be easily accessed, read, and managed. The data can be retrieved by using a query. A query is a code written in SQL to retrieve the desired data. We can set what data and how the data will look like when querying.
11. What Is The Benefit Of Using Python?
There are many benefits of using Python. Python is a programming language that is easy to use whether to write, read or learn. One of the best things about Python is that it is free and open source. It also has a vast library containing every function you ever imagined.
12. Can You Describe Your Cross-Functional Team Experience?
In any position, it is impossible to work alone, even if you are a software engineer that is usually associated with working alone. Usually, in all my projects, the team members will include various departments such as Quality, Planner, Software, R&D, and Production personnel. We own our tasks, help each other when needed, and group together once a week for project/tasks update. I can work harmoniously and communicate effectively with my team to deliver the best result from our project and get it close successfully.
13. What Are Other Improvements That Be Made On The Meta Platform?
The trends have moved from lengthy and wordy posts to short videos. Although we can share reels from Instagram, it will be nice if the Meta platform has its video-making and editing tools because we can see an older age cohort, especially the boomers are on this platform. They might not have an Instagram account, but they also want to make a simple video. Therefore, a simple, easy-to-use video editor should be introduced so that all ages can start using it.
14. What Are Other Features In Trend Now That Can Be Incorporated In Meta Apps?
One exciting feature or different thing that you can add to Meta Apps is probably a dating application. These past few years, dating apps have been rising, and why not take a risk by integrating one into Meta. The person can check the profile of the person they are interested in and get some ideas about his background, friends, and attitude, which helps in finding a suitable date.
15. What Kpi Do You Track On Instagram?
Metrics that can be used to track the performance of one Instagram page are:
- engagement rate
- follower growth rate
- comments on posts
- Instagram stories engagement
- Best stories and posts time
The KPI can be changed based on each goal and requirement at that moment.
16. If You Are The Project Manager Of Instagram Stories, What Is Your Goal For Your Team?
Instagram story is where most of us will post short videos and pictures with background music. Therefore, the goal for my team, if I am the Project Manager of Instagram stories, will be:
- Engagement and how far it can reach the audience
- How many people are watching the stories?
- Creative and fun story contents
- Clicks after running story ads
17. What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses?
My primary strength is I am a good communicator. I can communicate with people from different levels as my nature of work demands me to be liaising with everyone. When speaking, I always talk clearly so that others understand what is needed from them and avoid miscommunication. Apart from that, I am also a good problem solver. There were a few occasions when I needed to solve software-related problems, and I used various methods to solve that issue. It is also a good thing if you can see your problems from a different angle so that you can be more creative in problem-solving.
As for my weakness, there are times that I am hesitant to delegate my tasks, thinking that I can complete all of them on time. But I should also know my limit, and delegating my assignments is not wrong when I have a lot on my plate.
18. How Would You Convince A Traditional Offline Business To Start Advertising On Meta Platforms?
It is not easy at first to convince a traditional offline business to go online. Talk is cheap. Therefore, instead of talking them into going online, especially to start advertising on Meta platforms, I will show them other online businesses and how they market their business on Meta. I will also show that with this kind of online advertising, the online business owner is able can reach to more people all around the globe. Usually, once they have seen an example and proven results, they will slowly try to go online, and this is where we need our platform to be beginner friendly so that they won’t give up along the way of starting their online advertisement.
19. Do You Think That Reels On Instagram Are Easy To Use?
Reels in Instagram is absolutely a significant move made by Meta. But, Instagram is associated with pictures and not really for videos. I have tried editing videos on reels, but unfortunately, the user experience is unpleasant, and it isn’t easy to edit. Most people will do the editing in other apps and then upload the edited video in reels. It will be much easier if Meta can have decent, if not good, video editing tools in the app itself so that it can be directly posted on Instagram.
20. If Needed, Do You Have Problem With Hands-On?
I do not have problems with hands-on. I believe that hands-on will get you to understand things better and, at the same time, will increase your knowledge and skills. Furthermore, I am a hands-on leader that will always help and coach my team members on the field whenever needed.
21. How Do You Respond To Difficult Feedback?
As human beings, we will always make big or small mistakes, whether we realize it or not. Therefore, I will receive it open-heartedly if I ever get difficult feedback. I will listen to the feedback and reflect on myself. By reflecting on myself, I can make improvements and move on.
22. How Do You Handle Conflict In Your Team?
First of all, I will not be siding with anyone. I will listen to both parties and identify the point of disagreement that resulted in the conflicts. Once I understand what has happened, I will develop a plan to work on every conflict, and I will follow up thoroughly so we can achieve our original goals.
23. What To Do If You Need To Extend Your Deadline?
Extending deadlines is unfavorable to the managers and even to the one who is working on the task. The best way for me to extend the dateline is by assessing the risks. I need to know the risks and what will happen if I exceed the first agreed dateline. I will go to the team leader or whoever I promised the tasks to, say sorry, and propose a new deadline. If he agrees with the new deadline, I must ensure I complete it on time without excuses.
24. Who Is The Most Difficult Person You Ever Work With, And How Do You Handle Them?
The most challenging person I have ever work is my previous boss. He is a boomer, and I fully understand how they think and behave. A boomer always works hard, but they also didn’t open their minds to an intelligent way to do things. This happened to me when I was working in my previous company. It was always difficult for me to give new ideas and propose intelligent solutions to any problems. I was stuck with the old thinking, and I felt unable to be creative, which frustrated me. For the first few months, I follow my boss’ lead. But after that, whenever I tried to introduce something new and was rejected instantly, I resorted my ideas to another manager that eventually helped me grow. I ended up working with the other manager’s team.
25. How Do You Manage Low Performers?
I am someone who will not give up on others easily, although they are low performers. First of all, I need to understand why their performance does not meet expectations, whether they have problems or do not like the tasks assigned to them. Once I know the answer to why their performance dropped, I can only make a plan for them. I will make a development plan that includes training, mentoring, and coaching sessions so they can get back on track. If they are not feeling right being in the position that they are in now, I will gladly talk to HR and other managers from different departments if they can take these employees. I believe that nobody is a low performer; it is just that they are not placed rightfully. So, that is my job to correct it.
Conclusion
So now you have all the questions and answers ready for you. Since you are interviewing for Meta, the competition will be crazy high. Be sure to browse through Meta’s website and familiarize yourself with the company. If you are interviewing for a software-related position, make sure you practice your coding and be prepared to be asked to write on a whiteboard. Lastly, dress nicely, be confident, be you, and good luck!
