How To Get A Job at Netflix

With over 195 million paid memberships in 190 countries, Netflix is the world’s leading entertainment service by a long shot.

Churning out fresh, new content every week, they’ve changed the way the world watches television forever. Even so, Netflix would not be the company it is today without the thousands of people working tirelessly behind the scenes.

If you’re looking to join their team of streaming innovators, your chances may be higher than you think. With job openings in departments ranging from financial to communications, there is plenty of opportunity at Netflix.

Although the interview process is not for the faint of heart, getting hired to work for this entertainment industry giant is possible.

Here is everything you need to know about how to get a job at Netflix.

How Hard Is It to Get a Job at Netflix?

Let’s face it: Netflix has become a household name. It’s even a verb for some people. Is working for such a company a dream that you can entertain?

Of course! After all, Netflix didn’t take the top spot for the most coveted place to work just for their logo. If you’re interested in a position at one of their worldwide offices, don’t be afraid to go for it. Netflix encourages all potential hires to review their detailed company culture memo.

Taking the time to understand the company culture will help you see if you’ll be a good fit. If so, don’t wait to apply. You never know, Netflix may be your next home away from home.

Where Can You Find Netflix Job Opportunities?

The Org is a great place to start when looking for jobs at Netflix. Head on over to their jobs page to see an updated list of open roles, profile pages of the correct hiring manager, and where each team falls into the org chart.

To find all of Netflix's job opportunities, make sure to check their careers page to see where you might be a good fit. With hundreds of locations worldwide, the possibilities are endless.

• To start searching, enter a keyword into the “search jobs” bar (manager, engineer, etc) and hit enter.
• You can further narrow your search by adding Teams and Location filters.
• Once you have your results, scroll through the listings until you find one that stands out to you.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can visit the Teams page to see a list of all the teams you can be a part of. Each page will give a brief overview of the team and provide a link to current job openings.

Netflix job openings aren’t limited to The Org or their website. Other job sites will have openings you can inquire about and apply for.

What Do You Need When Applying for a Job at Netflix?

Netflix doesn’t explicitly state what is needed when applying for a job, but candidates can assume that a resume, cover letter, and references are needed.

While references and referrals are important, don’t rely on these to help you get the job. A former employee who name-dropped during his interview was promptly told that they only wanted to get his view of Netflix. Netflix is more interested in what you can bring to the table, than what others have to say about you.

What you need to succeed at Netflix is the right mindset. While your resume and cover letter may be impressive, they aren’t interested in only your technical proficiency.

A blog post on their website showcases nine Netflix employees who were hired without degrees. While some roles within Netflix do require a certain level of education, experience and dedication are valued much more than any piece of paper.

What Is Netflix Looking for in an Employee?

Netflix describes itself as having “an amazing and unusual employee culture.”

These five points give an overview of the company culture:

• We encourage independent decision making by employees
• Share information openly, broadly, and deliberately
• Are extraordinarily candid with each other
• Keep only our highly effective people
• Avoid rules

Netflix is looking for employees who know their core values and culture memo through and through. Give attention to how you tell your story during the application process. Use language found in the culture memo throughout your resume and cover letter to stand out.

Netflix wants people who will come with questions and challenge their thinking. Keep in mind that they are known for their “hire slow, fire fast” mentality. They take their time searching for the best talent to bring on, and they have no issue letting go of underperforming workers.

They want someone who will consistently deliver high-quality work. Netflix is constantly changing for the better, so show them that you can roll with these changes — or better yet— make them yourself. If they see that you can solve their problems, you’re more likely to be hired.

What Does Netflix’s Hiring Process Look Like?

1. Recruiter Phone Call

Netflix’s hiring process will always begin with a recruiter phone call that lasts around 30 - 45 minutes. Before the call, you’ll be sent a copy of Netflix’s core values and company culture. Read this thoroughly and familiarize yourself with the language and culture before your interview.

During this call, you’ll be asked why you are interested in a role with Netflix and discuss where you currently are in your career. They’ll inquire about your experience and briefly ask about your skill set. The recruiter will ask questions about Netflix’s culture and other questions such as:

• “What don’t you like about Netflix’s culture?”
• “Why do you want to work at Netflix?”
• “What past projects have you done that qualify you for this position?”

2. Hiring Manager Phone Screen

This second phone call will take place a few days or a week after your initial phone call. You will speak to a hiring or engineering manager who will ask you technical questions about your background and experience. This phone call will dive deeper into any technology or programming languages in which you are proficient. You may also be asked some questions about your resume and further behavioral questions relating to the Netflix culture.

An alternative to this phone call is a take-home project. You must complete this project within 6 to 8 hours. A sample taken project would be to build a microservice to calculate and edit the pricing of subscriptions based on rules given to you.

3. On-Site Interview Panel

Netflix's on-site interview is broken into two parts. The first part will consist of four technical interviews where you’ll meet with members of the team. The second half is less technical. You will meet with members of human resources and other directors.

First Half

Applicants undergo four interviews lasting approximately 45 minutes. These interviews will vary from 1:1 and 2:1.

Be prepared to take on whiteboard challenges and questions that hone in on your talents and technologies. Expect to answer questions about algorithms, cultural fit, and data structures.

Even if the role you interview for isn’t technical, don’t be surprised if you’re asked brain teasers. While there is no right answer to these questions, hiring managers are curious about the way you think and problem solve.

Note: It’s important to keep in mind that if you don’t perform well in the first half, you won’t move on to the second half.

Second Half

The second half of the interview process consists of three 45- minute sessions. You will speak to human resources, the hiring manager, and the engineering manager. You can expect more behavior and culture focused questions from HR and the hiring manager, and technical questions from the engineering manager.

Expect to hear culture-focused questions such as:

• “You have an idea for improving a product, but you’re nervous about stepping on a coworker’s toes. What do you do?”
• “How would you work with a team on a hypothetical project?”
• “Explain how you would interact with a very opinionated coworker.”
• “Tell us about a time when you had to deal with difficult feedback and how you moved forward.”

Expect to be asked technical questions along the lines of the following:

• “If Netflix is trying to expand its reach in Europe, what steps should be taken to evaluate the size of the European market and what should Netflix do to capture this market?”‘
• “Who do you think is Netflix’s biggest competitor? Why?”
• “What would you do to improve Netlfix’s streaming service?”

4. Joining the Team

After your on-site interview, you should receive an offer from Netflix within 1-2 weeks. This gives them enough time to interview other candidates and draft up an offer letter.

When this offer is sent, the hiring manager will call you to discuss salary/stock options, start date, etc. Before your start date, you can check out their org chart to see who your team members are and how you’ll fit into the company.

If you don’t hear back within that time, you can assume that you didn’t get the position. If so, you will need to wait 6-12 months to apply again.

What Should I Do If Netflix Doesn’t Hire Me?

If you don’t end up landing a job with Netflix, don’t give up on finding the right position for you. Netflix encourages interviewees to apply again once their experience and skills have increased.

If you’d like to go in another direction, there are hundreds of online job listings you can choose from. A little effort and perseverance on your part will have you finding a job sooner than you think.

If you’d like to see where you might fit in in a potential company, check out their public org chart before applying. Click here to see more positions that may be perfect for you.