Crushed

Feeling pretty deflated right now and honestly, a bit lost. I just got the rejection email from Meta for a tech interview, and I'm struggling to understand where I went wrong. The coding question was LC 408. Valid Word Abbreviation (Easy). The kicker? The day before, almost on a whim, I had decided to review and even memorize the solution to that exact problem. Call it luck, instinct, or just a random pick from my study list, but I went into that interview thinking, "Okay, I've got this one." I felt confident in my explanation and implementation during the interview. I was able to articulate my thought process and provide a working solution for what I considered a relatively straightforward problem, especially since I had just internalized it. So, to still get a rejection feels incredibly frustrating and confusing. FAANG companies notoriously don't provide feedback, which makes this whole process even more opaque. If they don't want to hire, why put candidates through the interview loop without any actionable insights into what went wrong? It's a black box, and I'm left here scratching my head. To those who've navigated the FAANG interview gauntlet and succeeded, or even those who've faced similar rejections: What am I missing? What are the common pitfalls beyond just the technical solution itself? How do you even begin to improve when you have no idea what specific areas need work? Any pointers, advice, or even just shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. I'm feeling really discouraged and could use some guidance on how to move forward. This is the second rejection from last year, and now I am blocked for another year. It takes lot of effort & sleep deprivation especially when you are Software Developer working 60 hours a week. The response from Meta: Thanks for taking the time to interview with us and we hope you had a great experience. Unfortunately, at this time we will not be moving forward with you in the application process at this time and I won't be able to provide detailed feedback. Keep in mind that it took many of our Meta engineers multiple interview attempts before landing a job here. Don’t give up! Many people ask what the official rules are for reapplying – we typically observe a 12 month cool off period before you can be considered once more. We truly appreciate your interest in Meta and want you to continue to grow in your career. Please stay in touch and I wish you the best of luck moving forward. Update 10/21/2025 Attached screenshot from the guide from Meta. It clearly says one to two questions. Meta Interview Guide