Meta Production Engineer New Grad Interview Process and Guide (2025)

Are you preparing for the Meta Production Engineer New Grad interview in 2025? We've put together this comprehensive guide to give you an inside look at what to expect and share some key strategies to help you succeed.

We'll walk you through the two main phases of the interview process:

1. The Screening Phase, which covers PE Basics and PE Coding
2. The Onsite Phase, featuring SWE Coding, Systems (OS Concepts), and Behavioral rounds

One critical insight to keep in mind: even though there isn't a dedicated system design round for new grads, you'll still encounter questions that test your understanding of system design fundamentals. Be ready to showcase your knowledge of essential concepts like network protocols and memory management.

Throughout this guide, we'll provide a detailed breakdown of each round, sharing example questions and valuable tips to help you prepare effectively. When you're done with this guide, be sure to check out our comprehensive meta production engineering course and our mock interview service to help you get interview-ready.

Let's dive in and equip you with the insights and strategies you need to excel in your Meta Production Engineer interview!

Table of Contents

• What to Expect
• Overall Interview Structure
• PE Basics
• PE Coding
• SWE Coding
• Systems Interview (OS Concepts)
• Behavioral Interview
• How Best to Prepare
• Final Advice

I. What to Expect

Overall Interview Structure

• Two Main Phases:
• Screening Phase: Involves two technical rounds: PE Basics and PE Coding, which test your foundational knowledge and coding skills. The coding focus here is less on LeetCode-style algorithmic questions—there’s another round in the on-site phase that primarily focuses on that.
• Onsite Phase: For new grads, this consists of three rounds: SWE Coding, Systems (OS Concepts), and Behavioral.

One thing worth stressing: even though there's no system design round, candidates are still asked questions that test their understanding of system design fundamentals. This has caught quite a lot of candidates off guard, so hopefully knowing this gives you an edge.

1. PE Basics

• High-Level Overview:
• This round tests your core production engineering fundamentals, including operating system concepts, troubleshooting, and basic networking.
• Key Themes:

There are some resources at the end that go into more detail, but here’s a brief overview:

• Operating System Fundamentals:
• What it tests: Your grasp of memory management, process vs. thread differences, essential Linux commands.
• Example question: “What is the difference between a process and a thread?” or "What is a zombie process?"
• Troubleshooting & Debugging:
• What it means: Evaluates your systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving production issues. As a new grad, this can be tricky since you likely don’t have hands-on experience. I’d recommend doing mock interviews for this.
• Example question: “How would you troubleshoot a slow web server?” or “How would you troubleshoot a server that keeps crashing every five minutes? (The server restarts automatically after crashing.)”
• Networking:
• What it tests: Concepts like DNS, TCP/IP, SSL/TLS handshakes, latency, ping, IPv4 vs. IPv6, etc.
• Example question: “Explain, step by step, what happens when you enter www.facebook.com in a browser.” Don’t go into the interview without being able to answer this question.

2. PE Coding

• High-Level Overview:
• Focuses on practical coding skills that mirror real-world production tasks such as file processing, log analysis, and data manipulation.
• You can use any programming language you're comfortable with, but I’d recommend being proficient in both Python and Bash. For some problems, one might be easier to use over the other.
• My advice:
• Get comfortable extracting data from files (JSON, CSV) and plain text files with different delimiters (tab, comma, etc.).
• Be able to handle invalid data, e.g., missing fields in certain columns.
• Be comfortable performing computations on the data and extracting analytics (I will link to sample problems below).
• Get good at writing readable code quickly and accurately, especially being able to verify the correctness of your code (you may not get a chance to run it).
• Distinction from SWE Coding:
• PE Coding tasks are typically more practical, focusing on the kinds of day-to-day coding you might do on the job. That said, this doesn’t exempt sensible data structure choices. If you're using Bash, though, you’re more limited in terms of data structures anyway.

3. SWE Coding

• High-Level Overview:
• This round tests standard algorithmic and data structure problem-solving skills, similar to typical software engineering interviews.
• Key Themes:
• Algorithmic Problem Solving:
• What it tests: Your ability to manipulate data structures like arrays, strings, trees, etc., and solve problems efficiently.
• Example question: “Determine if a given string is a palindrome.” and other leetcode style meta questions
• Your ability to explain your thought process and runtime complexity is also important. Don't just practice solving problems—work on communicating your approach clearly.

4. Systems Interview (OS Concepts)

• Know Your System Internals: Be prepared to showcase your deep understanding of core OS concepts. Expect questions on process and user management, memory management, networking stack, storage (both local and remote), and kernel interactions. Example questions include "How does virtual memory work?" and "Explain how the Linux kernel manages memory." Be sure to brush up on the differences between process and user management in Linux.
• Troubleshooting Scenarios: You’ll be given real-world production issues to solve. For example, you might be asked to troubleshoot a web server that’s running slow despite normal resource metrics. Your goal is to outline a clear, step-by-step approach to diagnosing the problem using logs, metrics, and systematic analysis. Walk the interviewer through your thought process.
• Mastering Diagnostic Tools: To stand out, be comfortable using Linux diagnostic tools like top, vmstat, and iostat. Be ready to explain which commands you'd use to identify system bottlenecks, such as high CPU usage or memory leaks. Understanding how to interpret their output and pinpoint root causes will give you an edge.

5. Behavioral Interview

• Align with Meta’s Values: Meta looks for candidates who embody core values like "Move Fast," "Focus on Impact," and being direct in communication. Use the STAR method to share examples of how you’ve demonstrated these values and made a real impact. Show that you're not just a good fit but a perfect match for Meta’s culture.
• Collaboration is Key: Be prepared to discuss how you’ve worked in teams, handled conflicts, and contributed to a collaborative environment. Use STAR examples where you successfully navigated disagreements or brought people together to achieve a common goal. Demonstrate that you're a team player who thrives in Meta’s collaborative culture.
• Adapt and Learn: Meta values individuals who can quickly learn new tools and adapt under pressure. Use the STAR method to highlight times when you’ve had to adapt to unexpected changes or rapidly learn new skills. Show that you’re flexible, resilient, and always growing.
• Why Meta? Why This Role? Be prepared to answer, “Why do you want to work at Meta as a Production Engineer?” This is your chance to showcase your understanding of the role and your motivation to contribute to Meta’s mission. Craft a concise, genuine answer that connects your experiences and aspirations to Meta’s innovative culture and engineering challenges.

II. How Best to Prepare

Interview prep boils down to three main areas:

• Domain Knowledge (understanding when to apply concepts rather than just memorizing facts).
• Interview Skills (problem-solving under pressure, handling interview dynamics, realistic practice).
• Company-Specific Optimization (tailoring your prep to Meta’s unique culture and interview style).

Final Advice

• Practice problem-solving under pressure. Learn to pause and think before answering so you can respond coherently and accurately.
• When coding under time constraints, aim to write bug-free code. If you make mistakes, work on catching them without running your code.
• Practice answering questions and problem-solving while engaging with an interviewer who may ask follow-up questions or disrupt your train of thought.
• Engage in mock interviews under realistic conditions. This will help identify weaknesses and improve your approach.

Master the Meta Production Engineer Interview

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