I met one FB recruiter at a conference and then set up the first phone interview two weeks after. The first question is write an algorithm such that if an element in a M*N matrix is 0, its entire row and column are set to 0. The second question is BFS I get an email one week later telling me I passed the first interview and ready to set up a second phone interview. Then I waited for a month until I finally got a reply. In the second interview, the first part is mainly based on my current published paper. The second part is a coding problem related to find combinations of a sequence of numbers, which are produced by a six-side dice.

Disappointing Coding Screening for a Research-Oriented Role I recently underwent an online coding screening for a Software Engineer Research position, conducted via shared screen by a software engineer. Given that this was for a research-focused role, I expected the interview to emphasize technical knowledge in the relevant research area, along with some coding proficiency. However, the interview was solely focused on algorithm development and coding skills, with no discussion of research-related topics. I explained my solutions clearly and optimized them for both time and space complexity, but due to the time constraint (just 45 minutes), I couldn’t complete the implementation. Despite demonstrating strong problem-solving skills, my application was rejected within a day, with no further consideration. If the role prioritizes fast coding under tight deadlines over research expertise, the job description should reflect that.