I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to interview at many of the top tech companies, and I learned a lot from the experience. The selection process at top tech companies is quite extensive and most of the companies have a similar process.
I think it can be helpful to understand the process before you get started so you can prepare better. If you’re curious of what it’s like to interview at the top tech companies, here’s my experience:
The entire process can take 2-6 months to complete, and you will need to know how to write and/or read code and have a solid understanding of the fundamentals. They mostly ask questions about the fundamentals and general questions related to your job category. They might ask some advanced questions, but you don’t need to know everything.
Here’s the process:
- 📝 Application. Submit your application with your resume, and they usually have an “Apply with LinkedIn” option to make this process easier.
- 📱 Recruiter screen. This is usually a discovery call to discuss the role and to understand your interests, experience, and goals so they can determine if you’re a good fit for the role.
- 📱 Initial interview. This is usually done by a peer but can also be done by the hiring manager. This is the first technical round where they mostly ask about your accomplishments and test some of your basic technical knowledge.
- 💻 Onsite (mostly virtual now). This usually consists of 4-6 interviews and most of them are technical rounds with 1 being a behavioral interview to see if you fit the values of the company. These typically include a coding challenge/review, design session, threat model, and a behavioral evaluation. This is done in one day but some companies offer flexibility to spread them out.
- 💻 Homework assignment. Some companies require a coding challenge or code review over a few days. Not all companies requires this, but I think it’s becoming more common.
- 💻 Final interview. This is usually done with the hiring manager as a final introduction to the team dynamics and responsibilities.
- 📜 Offer. If you’re the top candidate after all of that, you’ll receive an offer. Hopefully you get an offer that you feel is good for you and you can celebrate, or you could try to negotiate.
Based on my experience, I’ve found that preparation is key when going through the selection process at top tech companies. Make sure you research the company and the role thoroughly, practice your coding skills, and be ready to demonstrate how you embody the company’s values. If you would like to know how I prepare, check out My Advice to Prepare for Cybersecurity Interviews. I hope this post will help you better prepare for these interviews, and I’ll create another post on how I prepared for these interviews soon.
