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Facebook hires top engineers, making it a competitive place to land a job. (Photo/Pixabay)

Science/Technology

How to land a job at Facebook? Here are some tips

Three ways to make the leap to a top tech firm, as told by someone who did it

October 25, 2017 USC staff

If you’re a college student wondering how to land a job in Silicon Valley, Silicon Beach or beyond, USC Viterbi School of Engineering graduate student Qinqin Zhu has some insight. She parlayed her Facebook internship into a full-time position. Here are her top tips for college students who want to work at Facebook or another top tech firm.

  • Pick out some technical strengths, and sharpen them

It is always very important to have your own strengths when working in a big company. That will help you to stand out among all employees. I took many courses in computer science, mathematics, chemical engineering, and the like. The courses provided by USC are high-quality, and the course projects are good for practice. So the first step to strengthening your technical skills is to understand these course materials well.

One more important point is to not be confined by your college courses. Try to explore and learn other things outside of class. I would recommend some platforms like Coursera, Udacity, Edx and other public courses.

  • Be more social

Great ideas always come through intense discussion with others. So making more friends is always a wise decision. Again, don’t confine your friends to your classmates only. Knowing people in the same field is important, but it will also help if you have lots of friends from different areas.

  • Get involved in some research labs

Having some research experience will be a big plus even if you don’t want to pursue a PhD degree. The most valuable skill I grew when I pursued my PhD degree was the ability to think independently. That will help you determine your next steps, what kind of help you need and how to seek that help.