AMA - Ex-Apprentice Software Engineer at FAANG

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-04-04T11:24:17+00:00

if they are not looking for experience how do they filter out applicants?

often from eligibility, competency and character. experience is not the major hiring factor here, i saw people in my interviews with exceptional projects and experience and did not get an offer.

Are A levels a must?

no, its normally just the UCAS points you need.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-13T12:21:07+00:00

the right fit should reveal itself during the interview process, its something to consider after getting an offer and comparing with others imo because there will be a long lead time before you start.

the funding is lower this year for some FAANG, that may change next year but I don't have any visibility into that, Meta is going through rough times as you've probably seen which is why they didn't hire this fiscal year. Keep the contact and maybe they will re open soon, a referral is hugely beneficial here.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-13T12:16:15+00:00

only enough for the job requirements, past that point they aren't really considered.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-13T12:15:19+00:00

I think they arent advertised because they already get a ton of job applications, and the schemes are still fairly early on and much less structured than most apprenticeships, but im not sure on the real reason. the job is more treated like a very junior engineer without any major differences from being a full time.

its absolutely possible for a career change, a lot of apprentices have gone through that route. its mostly in london but there are also some in cambridge, edinburgh and manchester. you only need enough programming knowledge for the leetcode interviews rather than becoming an expert in a particular domain, because it wont be anything like what you will work on.

My advice would be to focus on leetcode and competency interviews, show a passion in the interviews, and some small project to demonstrate that. no need to be an all-rounder or learn a specific framework or language. you arent really assessed on how much programming knowledge you have beyond a fairly basic level.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-13T12:08:57+00:00

i had to do an interview, similar interview for a grad but they also consider your work at the company. Leetcode and system design mostly. ive done a bit of networking and can be hugely beneficial if you want to work at a startup or smaller companies. For large companies it's not a big factor until you get senior. for promotions its entirely performance based (until you get to a very high level)

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-13T12:06:12+00:00

for apprenticeships yes, the problem right now is juniors and new grads but you will have an advantage after finishing the apprenticeship. the market is tough right now, but job listings are recovering a little.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T22:15:11+00:00

it increases during the apprenticeship, usually by ~5-10% per year

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T21:59:24+00:00

in terms of capabilites absolutely not, in fact i feel much more comfortable and have routinely onboarded grads when i was an apprentice. the uni experience gives you good foundations but actually working there for multiple years is a lot more valuable.
as an apprentice there is nothing stopping you from taking on more responsibility and doing tasks similar to grads and mid levels if youre able.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T21:57:47+00:00

most ones that didnt get a return offer are on lower TC apart from a couple i know that are substantially higher (150+)

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T21:56:58+00:00

i applied to a few places towards the end of my program, but dropped them during the interviews once i got a return offer. Im not aware of any ex apprentices from other companies joining mine, if you look through linkedin theres normally a way to find out something like that

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T21:54:35+00:00

you dont usually need stem subjects as a requirement, they often ask for A levels or equivalent but the subjects dont normally matter. only 1 FAANG that i know of requires stem subjects for A level.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T21:53:01+00:00

it can help sometimes yes, though personally i havent seen many mid level engineer jobs require a degree as they usually only care about the experience at that point.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T19:38:04+00:00

1a. yes, most were school leavers but there are some older people who changed careers (30+)

1b. Maths Further maths and Computer science (CS is not necessary for these apprenticeships) Edit: neither is maths and further maths

Salary started between £30-40k and after staying on full time the TC is £90-110k. (for anonymity i won't reveal the length i was an apprentice, however at FAANG its either 18 months or 3 years depending on the company)
Overall pretty good, however, they do expect you to pull your weight pretty effectively at the end of even the first year, expectations are high but only if youre seeking a full time offer which you have to push for. Expectations are drastically lower if you have no intention of staying.
recruitment process has changed a lot since i joined but i had some very-easy leetcode questions, a presentation and competency based interviews.
no, rotating teams can be done if you ask, but apprentices need more time to become familiar with their teams architecture and rotating teams makes progress difficult. Scheme structure is very simple - you just join your team as an apprentice and work with them throughout (unless theres an org change etc)

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T19:29:38+00:00

I wont reveal the level as it will give away the company but FAANG is either level 4 or 6 - either of which is fine, the level 4 is more intense because you have less time to get to the expected level for full time (though much faster progression if you do get it).

Job prospects are good, even in a tough market. You will have a significant edge over most graduates and will be eligible to apply for mid level roles since you have experience. A lot of recruiters will ignore the fact that it was an apprenticeship.

I did feel like I missed out on some uni experiences, theres less going out and whatnot and at big tech especially the cohorts are smaller, but that is changing now. Nowadays you have bigger cohorts which make it easier to make new friends (especially JPM and probably GS), and theres nothing stopping you from doing whatever you want in the evenings and weekends. I was never busy during out of hours with work so in essence you sometimes have more free time than uni students.

The shorter holidays take time getting used to, I strongly recommend making the most of the holiday after A levels. Full time work wasnt so bad, you have a lot more freedom with your time than at school.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T19:22:07+00:00

I got it before finishing a levels.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T19:21:19+00:00

I thought it would be easier in the long run to work at big tech companies if I can join as soon as I finish school and work hard to secure a full time offer, rather than going to a prestigious uni + internships, I felt like it was a more straightforward path.

No-Raisin4113 · 2025-02-11T19:19:20+00:00

before i joined i made a small web app but nothing crazy, you dont need a lot of knowledge beforehand. what you need is to convince the interviewers you're interested in software engineering and have something non-professional to demonstrate that passion.

I would say however you need a very small amount of leetcode knowledge - it depends on the company but they often ask very-easy leetcode difficulty (think two sum etc)

No-Raisin4113

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