Preparing for a FAANG Interview

Data Structures

Operating System

Computer Networking

Preparing for a FAANG Interview

Are you looking to land a job at one of the top tech companies in the world? If so, then you'll want to make sure you're fully prepared for your FAANG interview. Here is a comprehensive learning guide to help you get ready for your interview and increase your chances of success.

Stage 1: Research the company and the role

The first step in preparing for a FAANG interview is to research the company and the role you're applying for. This will help you understand the company's culture, values, and goals, as well as the specific skills and experience that are required for the role.

Here are some resources to help you with this stage:

• The company's website: Look at the "About" or "Careers" sections of the company's website to learn more about their mission, values, and history.

• Glassdoor: Check out reviews and ratings from current and former employees on Glassdoor to get a sense of the company culture and what it's like to work there.

• LinkedIn: Look up the profiles of current employees in the role you're applying for to see what kind of experience and skills they have.

Stage 2: Review common interview questions and practice your responses

It's a good idea to review and practice common interview questions that are frequently asked at FAANG companies. This will help you feel more confident and prepared when it comes time for your interview.

Here are some resources to help you with this stage:

• Interview questions and answers: Look up lists of common interview questions and practice your responses. You can find many such lists online, such as this one.

• Mock interviews: Practice your interview skills with a friend or mentor who can give you feedback and help you improve. You can also find online services that offer mock interviews with professional interviewers.

• Behavioral questions: Prepare for behavioral questions that ask about your past experiences and how you handled specific situations. You can use the STAR method

  Stage 3: Review technical concepts and practice coding challenges

  FAANG interviews often include technical questions and coding challenges to test your knowledge and skills. It's important to review and practice technical concepts and coding challenges beforehand to increase your chances of success.

  Here are some resources to help you with this stage:

  • Technical concepts: Review technical concepts that are relevant to the role you're applying for, such as algorithms, data structures, and software design patterns. You can find many online resources for this, such as Cracking the Coding Interview.

  • Coding challenges: Practice solving coding challenges to improve your problem-solving skills and speed. You can find many online platforms that offer coding challenges, such as LeetCode and HackerRank.

  Stage 4: Prepare for the on-site interview

  If you're invited to an on-site interview at a FAANG company, it's important to prepare thoroughly to make a good impression. Here are some things to consider:

  • Research the location and transportation options: Make sure you know how to get to the interview location and allow enough time to get there.

  • Dress appropriately: Check the company's dress code and dress appropriately for the interview.

  • Bring copies of your resume and any relevant documents: It's a good idea to bring copies of your resume and any other relevant documents, such as work samples or references.

  • Review the interview schedule: Find out what to expect during the interview, including the number of interviews and the format (e.g. one-on-one, panel, etc.).

  Stage 5: Follow up after the interview

  After the interview, it's important to follow up with the company to thank them for the opportunity and express your interest in the role. You can do this by sending a thank-you email or LinkedIn message to the interviewer or hiring manager.

  Stage 6: Operating System

• Processes and threads

• Memory management (e.g. virtual memory, paging)

• Scheduling algorithms (e.g. round-robin, priority)

• Deadlocks

• File systems

Resources

• Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces (online book)

• Operating Systems course on Coursera

Stage 7: System Design

• Load balancing

• Caching

• Databases (e.g. ACID, NoSQL, SQL vs. NoSQL)

• Microservices

• REST APIs

• Scalability

Resources

• System Design Primer (GitHub repository with lots of resources and practice problems)

• Scalability, Availability, and Stability Patterns (online book)

Stage 8: Data Structures

• Arrays

• Linked lists

• Stacks and queues

• Trees (e.g. binary search trees, AVL trees)

• Hash tables

• Graphs

Resources

• Data Structures and Algorithms course on Coursera

• Cracking the Coding Interview (book with practice problems)