Netflix · Primly Community

Netflix new grad / entry level interview, how to prep when you've never done a FAANG loop

jp_newgrad · 4 replies

okay so i got the netflix new grad recruiter reach-out last week and i am absolutely spiraling. every post i find is from senior candidates or L5/L6 laterals. can someone who actually went through the new grad or entry level interview recently tell me what the loop actually looked like?

here's what i've pieced together so far: the coding rounds are apparently NOT the grind-400-leetcodes-hard setup people associate with other FAANG. netflix is known for putting more weight on judgment and "valued behaviors" than pure DSA speed. but "less leetcode" doesn't mean no leetcode. i've seen people say medium-level graph/dynamic programming questions still show up in the new grad loop. the behavioral piece sounds serious. not just the standard "tell me about a challenge" soft-ball stuff. they apparently want you to demonstrate the netflix culture deck values: curiosity, judgment, candor, courage. hiring specifically checks for those traits.

what i have no visibility into: is the new grad loop shorter than the full SWE loop? same number of rounds? what level do new grads land at? is there even a formal level, or does netflix do seniority differently? do they do a take-home or is it all live coding? timeline from recruiter contact to offer: is it fast or does it drag?

i'm a may 2026 grad, cs, mid-tier state school, two internships (one series B, one mid-size company, no FAANG internship). trying to figure out if i should prioritize netflix or if the bar is realistically only reachable for interns-converted-to-FTE and people with top-school pedigrees.

any data points from new grad loops in 2025 or 2026 would be huge. especially if you landed the job or got a reject after the onsite.

4 replies

frontend_fran

i went through the new grad loop at netflix about 18 months ago (didn't get the offer but got to final round). two live coding rounds, one systems fundamentals round, and two behavioral rounds. the coding was medium difficulty, one array/hashmap problem and one graph traversal. nothing i'd call hard. the behavioral rounds were the trickiest part for me honestly. they kept pushing on 'what did YOU specifically do' whenever i said 'we.' really wanted individual contribution, not team wins.

jp_newgrad

this is super helpful, thank you. did you get any feedback on why you didn't get the offer? and did they do a phone screen first before the onsite?

recruiter_rita

the pedigree anxiety is real but netflix is genuinely more open than people assume. the culture fit bar cuts both ways though. i've seen candidates from target schools flame out because they couldn't articulate decisions under ambiguity. two things i'd focus on: practice explaining your past projects like you're presenting to a skeptical audience (not a supportive one), and get comfortable with 'i don't know, here's how i'd figure it out' as an acceptable answer to ambiguous questions.

quietquit_quincy

netflix doesn't use traditional leveling bands the same way google or amazon does. new grads tend to land as what they call E3 or equivalent but the titles internally are a bit different. the big thing to know: netflix pays above market even at entry level, but the RSU vest schedule is worth understanding before you compare to amazon offers.