How to Work for Meta from Home

Find out what you need to do to land a work-from-home job with Meta.

Reviewed by Hayley Ramsey

Woman working for Meta from home

Meta, the company behind major technology brands such as Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Oculus, is one of the largest and most famous technology companies in the world. The company has some serious pedigree in the industry, having been born out of Mark Zuckerberg’s dorm room at Harvard in 2004.

Meta is a desirable place to work, and, thanks to the nature of its work, can offer excellent working from home opportunities. This article discusses how you can work for Meta from home, including the different job opportunities and locations, Meta’s values and work environment, and how to excel in the application and interview processes.

What work-from-home jobs are available at Meta?

As of 2021, Meta employs over 71,000 employees, an increase of around 12,000 from the year before. Being the size of company it is, there are many different remote careers on offer at Meta. Careers are spread out over Meta’s main — and current — brands: Facebook, Instagram, Meta Quest, Meta Portal, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Workplace.

Meta’s career website outlines careers in the following areas. As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to choose from:

While Meta is a global company, they currently only offer remote positions in the US, Canada and Europe. They have all available remote roles advertised on their website, so make sure to keep checking back until you find a role that’s perfect for you.

At the time of writing, there are positions for software engineers, illustrators, security analysts, AI research scientists, character animators and many more!

Unlike some technology companies, Meta continues to promote remote working, offering over one thousand remote working opportunities. Meta has even gone so far to create a series of norms that are set on the behalf of remote workers to ensure they feel “distributed, not disconnected”. Their aims are to collaborate, connect, grow, add value, thrive and lead through remote working. Therefore, if you are looking to work from home in a global, renowned company, then Meta could be the one of the best choices for you.

What’s the application process?

Because of its standing on the world stage and the brands it represents, competing for jobs at Meta can be intense. You need to do all that you can to ensure that your application stands out from the crowd. Here are some tips to ensure that your Meta application leads to an interview, and maybe more.

Step 1: Check that you are aligned with Meta’s mission and values

The first thing to be aware of is that, as amazing Meta sounds, it might not be the best company for you. It is vital that you read up about Meta, including its mission and principles, to consider if these are aligned to your own expectations. If they are not, it’s very unlikely that you will be happy working for the company — even in the comfort of your own home.

Take some time to read employee reviews on websites like Glassdoor. These reviews are often candid and can give you a clear insight into life at the company. Try to reach out to Meta employees working in your field on LinkedIn and see what they think. This approach has another advantage: it helps you network with people that might support your application further along the process!

Step 2: Go for a Meta internship

A great way into Meta is to start working with them at college or university via an internship. Internships with Facebook can be very competitive, but having one in the bag can give you a fast-track application to a permanent role with the company when you’ve finished your studies.

Now, getting an internship isn’t an absolute must to land a remote role with Meta, but it can’t do any harm! By completing an internship, you’ll build networks and have a head start in terms of knowledge about the company and how it works. If you nail your internship at Meta, you will be a preferred choice for hiring managers when it comes to applying for any remote jobs. At times, there are remote internships available, so make sure to keep checking the remote Meta careers page.

Step 3: Brace for failure

Applying to Meta will rarely be smooth sailing. You might find that your application gets ignored, or that you receive the dreaded “Thank you for your application…” email. Maybe you will be interviewed, but find yourself rejected soon afterwards.

If these things happen to you, never give up. Do all you can to find out why you weren’t selected. If you are rejected after the initial application, then it will be more challenging to get feedback, but if you make it to the interview stage, then you should be able to follow up after the interview to find out how it went.

Take time to digest this feedback and don’t hide away from it. Use these opportunities to reflect on what happened and learn from it. Then, once you have dusted yourself off, apply again, and be confident that next time, it can only be easier because of your experience.

Step 4: Consider a “lily pad job”

Lily pad jobs are ones that might lead to a job at Meta in the future. These might be roles in similar, but smaller or less well-known companies that operate in a similar field. These jobs enable you to get valuable on-the-job experience that makes you a lot more attractive to a Meta recruiter after a year or so. You might also gain valuable industry contacts that will help you transfer.

If you do decide this is the right path to take, and you intend to apply for a remote working position with Meta, it’s worth trying to land a remote job from the beginning, so you can add working in a remote team to your list of experiences and you can explain the skills you learned from it, like teamwork, for example.

Step 5: Ensure your résumé is aligned with the skills and the company

Given the competition for jobs at Meta, you must ensure your résumé is pitch-perfect and aligned to the role you are applying for. When writing your résumé, ensure you are quoting lines from the job advert in it, as well as mirroring the required skills in your résumé word for word. This will ensure applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick up your application.

Take some time to think about what makes you unique and different. Why should Meta choose you above anyone else? Ensure this is included at the top of the résumé and in plain sight, for example, in your career objective.

Step 6: Apply for the right roles

Finally, it’s vital that you apply for the right positions. Read Meta’s job adverts carefully and ensure that the ones you are applying for are the ones that match your experience and skills the closest. The last thing you want to do is join a video interview without the faintest idea of what the role is about. Make sure you do your research into the role and prepare for your interview well in advance.

How can I prepare for the interview?

Meta’s interview process is as complex as the steps to an effective application. The interview process might vary from role to role but will usually have some common stages and be held largely remotely (and with considerable automation), with maybe an optional invite to the office in the final stages. The whole process takes between a month to two months.

Meta says, “We prioritize autonomy during the interview process so people get a taste of what they’ll encounter as a Meta team member.” In fact, one of the Meta engineers was asked about the interview process, and he said that the recruiters will give you guidance in your interview, which takes the pressure off. He advises practicing before your interview, so you know exactly what to expect and won’t be surprised during the interview.

So, here is how to prepare for the Meta remote job interview process.

Step 1: Phone screening

In this initial phone screening stage of the process, you will be contacted on the phone by a recruiter and asked simple questions, like the reasons for your application, salary expectations, notice period, and a short résumé review.

This is a chance for the recruiter to see if you are a fit for the company. In this stage, be conversational and positive about your experience and Meta, and be ready to showcase quickly how perfectly suited you are to the company and the job. Ask ‘red flag questions’, such as clarifying the working pattern and salary (this isn’t a rude question to ask at all). You can also use this time to question the remote working arrangements, like when there are team meetings and how the team communicates with each other.  

Step 2: Technical screening

For certain roles, a technical screening will follow. This will be a chance for the recruiter to assess your skills for the role, such as talking them through your approach to analytics, software engineering, or legal case studies. Sometimes, this stage can be done through software or even as part of a timed assessment, so ensure you are prepared beforehand and have practiced.

Step 3: Ninja, Pirate, and Jedi interviews

The third round of Meta’s interview process is called ‘Ninja’, “Pirate”, and “Jedi”.

Ninja interviews are more in-depth coding assessments for certain roles only, conducted through a software application. You can complete this in any coding language you prefer. There might be various rounds of coding interviews, and they might get harder as they go along.

Pirate interviews refer to system and product design. This stage will only be applicable if you are applying for roles in this field. They’ll be question-led and conducted remotely.

Jedi interviews are the dreaded behavioral interview round. This stage is applicable for all job categories and will require you to answer common interview questions. You’ll be asked to give examples of things you have experienced, and it’s best to use the STAR method when answering these questions. Other questions are more abstract or theoretical. Here are some typical Meta behavioral interview questions:

  • “Take me through how you would design and build Instagram”
  • “From your past experience, what has been the most challenging task?”
  • “Have you ever had a co-worker who is always late to a scheduled meeting? What do you do in this situation?”
  • “I would like to hear about a time you had to change your working style”
  • “If you were able to change something about Meta, what would it be?”
  • “I’d like to hear about a time when you failed at work”
  • “Explain a process within your role you learned/developed at your previous job that you feel will be valuable in your future position at Meta”

Step 4: Post-interview

After the final interview rounds, the selection committee decides on whether they will offer you the role. Sometimes, there might be a final, short interview. After this, you will find out if you will be offered the role.

The feedback from current Meta employees is that feedback is given promptly, so you shouldn’t be waiting too long to find out if you’ve been successful!  

Final thoughts

Meta is widely regarded as an amazing company to work for remotely, as they state they are continually evolving their remote work experience to meet the needs of their distributed teams. They openly embrace home working as a great way to drive productivity and keep employees happy.

Because of this, and Meta’s long-standing history of being at the forefront of technology companies, competition for jobs is fierce. You must do all you can to research the company and decide if you are a good fit, and ensure your application is as perfect as it can be.

Take some time to prepare for the various interview stages, and find examples of interview questions, as well as practicing your technical skills in case these will be assessed. Good luck!

Would you like to work for Meta at home? Let us know in the comments!