How to get a job interview at Netflix, from employee referrals to tough questions to prepare for

• Business Insider spoke with former employees and combed through job postings to find out how to take the first step ub getting a job at Netflix - landing an interview.
• Employee referrals can help candidates get a phone interview with the streaming-video company, though a recommendation alone won't guarantee a job at Netflix.
• To nail the interview, candidates need to showcase their skills and enthusiasm for Netflix's distinct culture.
• There are a few key questions that candidates should be prepared to answer in job interviews, including, "What do you do when you disagree with your boss?"
• Netflix also has some entry-level jobs for people starting their careers, including intern and coordinator-level roles.
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Netflix ranked as the second most attractive place to work in tech in 2019. With tech workers, and people in the entertainment industry, angling to get a foot in the door, getting hired there is extremely competitive. The streaming company also looks for "stunning" employees who are stars in their individual fields.

Business Insider spoke with former Netflix employees and combed through job postings to identify trends that could help prospective candidates take the first step toward getting a job at Netflix - landing an interview.

We learned how employee referrals can help candidates get noticed by recruiters, the questions you should be prepared to answer in job interviews, and some of the best places within Netflix for entry-level applicants.

Employee referrals can get candidates noticed by Netflix recruiters

A recommendation from an employee can help candidates get noticed by Netflix's in-house recruiters.

The recruiters usually call candidates who have been referred by employees when there's a relevant opening. In the interview, applicants should be prepared to discuss their skills and how they fit into Netflix's culture.

Keep in mind, Netflix does not have a formal referral program that offers bonuses or other perks for helping find new hires. So candidates will need to convince Netflix employees that they're worth their time when they reach out for recommendations.

Before asking an employee to vouch for them, insiders said job seekers should get very familiar with Netflix's culture memo (which made waves when it was first published a decade ago), craft their online profiles to show their skills and work in addition to their past roles, and apply for jobs through Netflix's careers website.

Read the full post here: How to get a job interview at Netflix with the help of employee referrals - and what to avoid doing, according to company insiders

Many of the common job interview questions candidates should be prepared to answer are tied to Netflix's culture

Job seekers should also be prepared to answer a few key questions that are asked in job interviews at Netflix, according to insiders.

The most common questions are designed to assess whether prospective candidates will thrive in Netflix's distinct culture. For example, insiders said they would ask, "What questions do you have for me?" to assess how curious candidates were. Curiosity is one of Netflix's core values.

It's a question that comes up in job interviews at many companies. But, Netflix has it's own spin. At least one hiring manager would begin interviews with that question to catch people off guard. The interview wouldn't get off a great start if the candidate didn't have anything to ask.

Other common questions insiders said they encountered in interviews included:

• What do you do when you disagree with your boss?
• How would you work on a hypothetical project?

Read the full post here: Netflix's 5 toughest job-interview questions, according to company insiders

Netflix hires for some entry-level positions, including internship and coordinator roles

While Netflix doesn't have many entry-level jobs, it does have some opportunities for talented people who are starting their careers.

Current entry-level openings include internships for graduate students, some assistant and coordinator positions, and roles on certain teams, like production finance and IT.

One former employee told Business Insider that Netflix has overlooked prior work experience in rare cases when the person has relevant skills and is very clearly a fit for Netflix's culture.

"Netflix practice is to hire the rock stars," the source said. But "we hired almost entirely on culture fit" in one case, the source said. "It carries as much weight as being a professional in your trade."

Netflix has also overlooked having a college degree when the person is otherwise a good fit for the role, Amir Moini, Netflix's employer-branding lead, wrote in a November LinkedIn article.

Read the full post here: How to get a job interview at Netflix with the help of employee referrals - and what to avoid doing, according to company insiders