In 2021, one of our alums achieved a remarkable feat of landing an $858,000 offer from Facebook. That’s not all — our mentors helped him renegotiate the offer to push it to a whopping $933,000!
The offer broke Interview Kickstart’s previous compensation record of $780,000, setting a new milestone in our efforts to help software engineers achieve their dreams of working for the biggest companies in tech.
You must be wondering how this unfolded. It is the direct consequence of employing the right strategy, guidance from the right professionals, and hard work. Here’s what our alum had to say:
Leveraging the Power of Problem-Solving and Mock Interviews
Given that the alum applied for an Engineering Manager role at Facebook, the behavioral and design interviews carried more weightage. The alum credited the crucial role of mock interviews with highly qualified instructors and Interview Kickstart’s well-structured approach to problem-solving as determining factors in his success.
Having already given interviews at Google and Facebook before landing this offer, the alum was aware of what to expect. Scheduling sessions with IK’s technical counselors and giving adequate time to prepare specifically for design and behavioral interviews was key to unlocking the offer.
If you are a software engineer looking to take your career to the next level, our alum has some tips for you:
1. Schedule Your Interviews Favorably
Before the Covid pandemic, onsite interviews were held at the company’s office. They included several rounds of tech and behavioral interviews and went on for almost a full day.
Today, on-site interviews at most top companies are virtual. You will have the option of scheduling your remote interviews. Take this opportunity to schedule them in a way that you have enough time to prepare before the interview.
2. Practice Mock Interviews Extensively
Mock interviews are a brilliant way to strengthen your weak areas and get interview-ready. You can practice with your peers. However, practicing with the right professionals, preferably with hiring managers who know the tech interview process, will give you an edge over your competitors.
With Interview Kickstart, you can practice mock interviews with actual Hiring Managers and Tech Leads from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies.
Sign up for our FREE webinar to learn more.
3. Create a Portfolio of Your Important Projects
When you interview at big companies, recruiters often like to understand the depth and extent of your exposure, especially if you’re interviewing for senior developer roles. Creating a comprehensive portfolio adds solid value to your application and sends the right impression to recruiters.
While listing out your projects and experiences, make sure you do so in the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result). STAR is a method recommended by recruiters for answering behavioral interview questions about past projects, skills, and experience in general. You can use the same in your portfolio to elaborate on your past projects.
We have covered the STAR method in detail in the Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions article.
4. Adjust Your Focus Based on Your Role
For junior roles, focus more on the coding aspect. Your problem-solving approach is evaluated closely when you interview for junior roles. So make sure your algorithms and data structures prep is solid, as coding rounds carry more weightage for these roles.
For senior developer and managerial roles, focus more on the design and behavioral aspects. You cannot ignore the coding part completely though. You’ll still have to get past a coding round that involves solving one or two problems around algorithms and data structures. As for the design and behavioral interviews, they carry more weightage for senior developer and Engineering Manager roles.
How Does Interview Kickstart Help Software Engineers Land FAANG Offers?
Interview Kickstart offers best-in-class interview coaching for software engineers and developers. Our curriculum, teaching methods, and instructors are unmatched — all are geared toward the unique requirements of FAANG and tier-1 tech companies.
Our program starts with strengthening your computer science basics and making you interview-ready and ends with negotiating to get an offer that matches your value.
Let us break it down for you:
Step 1: Nailing the Interview With Strategic Prep
Your journey to receiving a good offer starts from the moment you apply for a job; negotiation is the last step. How you perform in the interview as a whole will determine your final offer, not what you did in individual rounds.
Hence, your prep plan should pack the perfect mix of the right strategy, consistency, and the right guidance — Interview Kickstart offers just that!
Our intensive technical training program includes:
- An exhaustive program that covers core data structures, algorithms, systems design, and behavioral interviews
- Instructors who are actively employed as hiring managers and technical leads at FAANG and leading companies
- Live mock interviews to get you ready and prepared for your next big interview
- A wide network of alumni who’re employed with leading tech companies across the role spectrum
- Guidance and support with salary negotiation to help you land unbelievable offers
This 2-month program comes with a 6-month support period. During the support period, IK’s counselors assist you in polishing your interview skills through live mocks and honing your negotiation skills to lock truly deserving offers.
Step 2: Landing Big Offers Through Smart Negotiation
Once you ace the interview and land the offer, negotiating your salary is a key component in the equation.
Did you know that Level 4 engineers employed with Google earn anywhere between $222,000 and $308,000? This essentially suggests that two engineers with similar levels of expertise earn different salaries for the same job!
That is enough reason to polish your negotiation skills.
Often, an offer isn’t really a final offer unless you decide so. Hence, effectively negotiating your salary is crucial to unlocking bigger and more rewarding offers.
To understand all the factors that affect your salary and for top tips on salary negotiation, read “The Ultimate Guide to Salary Negotiation at FAANG for Software Engineers,” which contains proven negotiation tips from Nick Camilleri, Head of Career Coaching at Interview Kickstart and former Silicon Valley tech recruiter.
Take Your Career to the Next Level
Are you ready to take your career to the next level with Interview Kickstart? Learn more about how we can help you nail your next tech interview by signing up for our FREE webinar.
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