How to get a job at Meta. Daulet Almagambetov's experience

A young man from Uralsk became a Software Engineer at Meta in London. He shared his experience of going through a rigorous selection process, working with the company’s internal tools, and adapting to an international team.

Daulat Almagambetov, city — London, Software Engineer, Instagram almagambetoff

About myself 

I am from Uralsk and currently work as a Software Engineer at Meta in London. I have been working here for about six months.

How to get into Meta

I approached the job search thoughtfully. First, I created a high-quality resume and prepared several versions: “super-coder,” “leader,” and problem-solver. For each vacancy, I selected the most suitable version and tailored it to the specific requirements. For example, if the job description required experience with A/B testing, I took the relevant version and highlighted that experience more prominently.

At the same time, I prepared for interviews: I brushed up on algorithms and system design. The process at Meta looked like this: first, a phone interview, then a virtual on-site with four interviews — two on algorithms, one on system design, and one behavioral. After receiving the offer, I began looking for a team within the company. In the end, I chose Messenger Well-Being — its mission resonated with my values, and I wanted to work on a product that makes people’s communication a little better.

Tips for those who want to join an international company

— create several versions of your CV for different roles and tailor them to specific vacancies. Yes, it is labor-intensive, but it works

— prepare for algorithms and system design. This is expected almost everywhere

— don’t worry about rejections. The main thing is to show the maximum of your skills, and after that, not everything depends on you.

Work specifics

Working at Meta is interesting, but comes with its own challenges: a large codebase, many internal tools, including a proprietary programming language called Hack, and the need to quickly get up to speed with new technologies. 

Adaptability, the ability to write maintainable code, and good communication skills help — especially in an international distributed team.

About life abroad

I moved after receiving the offer — I believe this is the most comfortable option. Meta provides strong relocation support: it helps with visas, moving belongings, and finding housing. Life and work abroad are different — there is more transparency, a focus on results, and initiative is encouraged. 

My advice to those planning to move: don’t be afraid to apply even to world-class companies, prepare for interviews, improve your English, not only technical but also conversational, and be ready for cultural differences, but don’t try to completely change yourself.