How I Landed 9 Interviews at Netflix in 2 Months

medium.com/swlh/how-i-landed-9-interviews-at-netflix-in-2-months-db5bb92e84a8

Haneen AbuFarha ✍🏼🇵🇸 December 9, 2022

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Here’s what I changed to be able to travel to Amsterdam to meet

their team

Source: Freepik

Shortly after I obtained my Master’s degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I
went back to the job hunt again. I am a seasoned Technical Sourcer, and I’ll land a job in
no time — or so I thought.

However, when I stopped looking only inside my country and started applying for
international jobs, magic happened & birds began singing.

When I changed the location of my search to become international, I had to change my

approach as well. I couldn’t just dump my C.V. to any opening out there.

Preparation Process
My resolution for finding a new job was three central notions:

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 1. I am applying for the big and small companies alike.

2. I am applying for openings with at least 85% match to my profile.

3. I am applying with a customized C.V. per opening.

In a hope this may help someone out there, looking for a job and applying for openings,
I’ll share the things I changed in my approach and how it helped me land interviews at
one of my top companies to join.

If you need a more detailed, step by step guide on how to apply for jobs, check this 101
guide of how to apply and land jobs:

Job Hunting 101: The Ultimate Guide to Finding a Job in the Time
Of COVID

Find a job even if you are not looking for one

medium.com

Application Process
My application to Netflix was the easiest, most straightforward approach. I didn’t even
need to stalk recruiters on LinkedIn or via email. I applied, waited, and heard back in two
weeks from the team, then joined them onsite in two months.

What significant changes did I apply to my approach? I:

1. Used the Job Description as my cheat sheet: I don’t use the same CV to apply to
different jobs anymore. I have an open template with a basic layout, and each time I apply
for a job, I change the vocabulary to use the same wording of the company. How can I
know the terminology of the company? The job description is your ultimate friend. If they
refer to ‘Customers’ as ‘Clients,’ then replace any ‘Customer’ word in your CV template to
match the company’s vocabulary for that same word. Use terminologies used by the
company in the required skills and qualifications sections.

Why do this? It will show that you already belong to the company and that you are
familiar with their terminologies. This will make you sound more relatable.

2. Applied for the job that matched my skill set: I no longer apply for any job. I found a
job that matched my skill set, and that’s when I applied. Thinking about it now, I never
applied to Netflix before because I never found a matching opening.

Why do this? Eliminate wasted time and effort spent on doomed applications. This will
save you from becoming a job search burned-out.

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3. Connected with the seven hiring managers in advance: Before traveling to conduct
my interviews, I sent a connection request over LinkedIn to the seven hiring managers I
was meeting. I included a cover video of why I’ll be an excellent fit for the team, and I
concluded with how enthused I was to meet them all shortly.

Why do this? Because most people don’t. It’s your chance to shine and stand out among
the crowd.

4. Memorized the LinkedIn profiles of my interviewers: I knew whom I was meeting,

so I visited the profiles of each of the seven of them. To be on the safe side, I took a
screenshot of each profile. Before each interview, I would review the profile of my
interviewers, understand the similarities, and decide the best opener line, and the ice
breaker to throw if the interview went wrong.

Why do this? You always want to start strong in any interview. The best way to do so is
to show your interviewer that you know about them and their career path. This will help
you find a mutual ground, sound friendly, and look like a professional who did his/her
homework in advance.

5. Memorized the Culture Memo: Since the culture memo seemed to be a big deal in
the company, I revised it really well before traveling to meet the team and revised it again
the night before the interviews.

Why do this? I used phrases from the culture memo in my answers. The target is, again,
to sound relatable.

Interviewing Process
It’s worth mentioning that That’s the beauty of the Netflix team; even if your profile didn’t
match the job you applied for, they would redirect you — if your profile is powerful enough
to match another opening, they have.

This is the flow of how the Netflix interview process looked like:

1.First Screening call: a 45 minutes’ call with the Recruiter for the role. The call was
direct behavioral questions from my real experience — no hypothetical scenarios of “what
would you do if” questions existed at this point. This screening call made me fall in love
with the culture immediately.

2.Written Assignment: I received a detailed scenario of a real task that I would do if

selected for the role. The target was to assess the candidate’s way of thinking rather than
the actual results. I was informed that I will need to discuss my assignment thought-
process and results in the following screening call. The assignment complexity was
Medium.

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3.Second Screening Call: This call was conducted by a future-colleague who had the
same title for which I was applying. An amiable discussion to explain how I tackled the
assignment delivery, what was the thought-process, comparison of thoughts before and
after the assignment delivery, and general findings. It was clear that the Netflix team was
solely looking for how your brain handles tasks and what would ‘logic’ look like from your
point of view rather than what certificates do you hold. The idea was that any skill could
be taught if you have the right mindset.

4.Onsite Interviews In Amsterdam: I believe this part, for me, was the most surprising.
Typically, the onsite interview phase comes later in the process, and full-honesty here: I
never met any recruiter that was willing to sponsor a visa for a non-European applicant
over the past year. Even for the remote roles, residing outside the European Union was
always a deal breaker for the companies I applied for.

Netflix was the only company willing to invest in a foreign candidate generously.

And for that, they earned my respect and utter loyalty forever.

The Netflix Flavor

This is a taste of what the onsite interviews were like:

a) Beyond Thoughtful
When I was informed of my onsite interviews, I immediately received an email from the
Pana team, a logistics facilitator dedicated to helping companies that are looking for
superior travel and conferences’ logistics management. The company provides a hustle-
free, strictly clear to navigate, and easy to follow up process.

Every little shred of detail was covered from travel to hotel reservations, including a note
that was neatly left in my hotel room with sweet wishes for my anticipated interview:

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 The sweet note left by the Pana team

b) Overly Welcoming
I had many interviews over the past two years. As a Sourcer myself, trust me when I tell
you: there’s something different about Netflix people. I don’t know what it was, but they
will make you feel like one of their own through the whole process. The only company
culture that felt that welcoming to me was LinkedIn.

Normally, interviews at big corporations can be intimidating, especially for comers from
startup culture. It went like a breeze!

c) Surprisingly Positive
When I walked to the Netflix office in Amsterdam, I was given clear directions on how the
interviews would go and what to anticipate. It would be a sequence of consecutive seven
interviews conducted by different seven interviewers. For me, this was an overwhelming
realization that I would be locked in a chain of interrogations for an extended three hours
an a half.

I was never happier to be proven wrong! Time went by like a charm, and Everyone was
welcoming, kind, and sincere. It was more of a conversation rather than an interview. All
interviews were conducted by employees onsite from the Amsterdam and London offices
except for one Skype call towards the end of the day.

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d) Culture Centric
If you have ever searched Netflix careers on LinkedIn or Glassdoor, you will always find a
massive focus on the Netflix culture. The culture memo was always popping in my
research in a way I haven’t witnessed before, even in companies that pride themselves
for a diverse, inclusive culture. I was intrigued, and I read the whole memo, then I read it
an extra two times.

The culture is unique in an intimidating yet intriguing way. To get a sense of what I’m
talking about, read the company’s culture memo here.

e) A sense of Relief
You know how you usually feel after an intensive, exhausting interview: overwhelmed,
tired, and drained. By the end of the Netflix interview marathon, I was feeling energized. It
felt like visiting old friends in their new campus. The day before, I had a one hour
interview with another company that felt like torture. Comparing the post-feeling of the two
interviews was all I needed to realize that the overly preached Netflix Culture wasn’t a
myth; it was in the air employees breathe.

What Can You Change NOW?

Each interview is a different project you need to prepare for well. Interviewing is both a
consuming and draining process, so you need to strategize well for each interview you
land. Use Glassdoor to collect data and revise interview questions. Refer to your
interviewer website and social media for insight and knowledge. Do not enter the doors of
your interviewing company unless you feel fully confident that you got this. What happens
after is not your fault and non of your business, as long as you have done your homework
thoroughly.

Goodspeed!

In Their Own Words

I am leaving you with words on Netflix culture from Robin Alan Lin, Outreach and
Engagement Program Manager at Netflix:

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@ Robin Alan Lin @ LinkedIn

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